KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 04: Carter Jensen #22 of the Kansas City Royals signals he was safe after scoring as Tanner Bibee #28 of the Cleveland Guardians gestures in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 04, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday’s first game in Kansas City was… not good.
Tanner Bibee had a horrible inning. Matt Festa gave up a bomb. Travis Bazzana and Brayan Rocchio had bad errors. And José Ramírez is still mired in an early season funk. If the top of your lineup goes 2-24 and those two hits are singles, you’re probably gonna lose.
The Guardians will now face lefties Noah Cameron and Cole Ragans, both of whom have been struggling, to see if they can cool off the Royals who have won 8 of 10.
Tarik Skubal of the Tigers has loose bodies in his elbow and so looks likely for an August return from surgery at best. The Royals and Guardians will look to get some momentum going in that intervening time. But, every baseball fan knows that “there but for the grace of the baseball gods go we” when it comes to pitching injuries.
Gavin Williams will try to do the ace thing and snap the Guardians two-game losing streak tonight
AROUND MLB:
The White Sox beat the Angels and the Tigers lost to the Red Sox.
May 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks Head Coach Mike Brown talks to center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first quarter of game one of the eastern conference semifinal round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The New York Knicks crushed the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 in Game One of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Building a big lead early, they led by 23 at halftime and then cruised, with all starters resting in the fourth quarter. Jalen Brunson poured in 27 of his 35 points in the first half, while Tyrese Maxey didn’t score his first bucket until a few minutes into the second period.
The win extends New York’s strong postseason momentum from their First Round series with the Hawks and gives them a chance to go up 2-0 at home on Wednesday. In a powerhouse performance, the whole team earned an A+. Here are their individual marks.
Brunson was unstoppable from the jump, exploding for 27 points in the first half alone to set an aggressive tone and help build a commanding lead. He dictated the pace with elite ball-handling, repeatedly attacked mismatches, knocked down tough mid-range jumpers and floaters, and remained efficient even as the game turned into a rout. Defensively, he added two steals and set a tenacious tenor for the team, refusing to let Philadelphia build any steam. O Captain! My Captain!
Towns was highly effective in limited minutes, showcasing excellent spacing with three made treys while battling Joel Embiid in the paint. He was a playmaking hub with six assists, grabbed important rebounds on both ends, and was a steady presence in the paint. Though he picked up four fouls and had some turnovers, his efficiency and all-around impact helped the Knicks pull away comfortably. Totally made Embiid look overpaid.
Anunoby delivered a classic two-way masterclass. On defense, he locked down Philly’s perimeter threats and disrupted passing lanes; offensively, he was surgical with near-perfect shooting and ferocious in attacking his opportunities in the lane. His athleticism in transition and +22 plus-minus highlighted his massive impact in the blowout. Sometimes OG simply looks like an apex predator among a frantic herd of scattering sheep.
Bridges continued his seamless fit with the Knicks, providing efficient two-way production. He scored in a variety of ways (slashing, spotting up, and creating off the dribble) while adding five assists and strong perimeter defense (including tormenting stints on Maxey). His unflappable shot-making was key to multiple Knicks scoring stretches. This is the Bridges we like! This is the Bridges we need!
Hart provided his customary high motor with relentless energy on both ends. He loaded the stat sheet with eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals, excelling at connectivity and hustle. His defensive stops and rebounding sparked several fast breaks and second-chance opportunities that powered the Knicks’ first-half surge. Note that despite playing some of the toughest defense of his career this postseason, Josh committed just one foul last night. Are you not impressed? And by keeping his minutes low, Josh should have fresh legs for Game Two.
Robinson provided rim protection and rebounding in his limited stint before sitting with foul trouble (he picked up four fouls while battling Embiid). He finished an alley-oop dunk efficiently on offense but Philly’s Nick Nurse targeted him with hack-a-Mitch, and the strategy worked because Mitch whiffed on four attempts. Overall, his defensive anchor role was still felt in the paint during his limited time in the blowout win. It’s a bummer about the fouls and the free throws, though.
Hukporti was thrust into meaningful action early due to Robinson’s quick foul trouble against Embiid. The young center held his own in the paint, grabbing a game-high 9 rebounds (including key offensive boards) and providing solid rim presence and hustle. He finished efficiently with a layup and free throw, and his +22 plus-minus reflected the blowout. He saw extended garbage-time minutes as the Knicks pulled away comfortably. We saw glimpses of good Huk and bad Huk throughout the season. Oh baby, this was definitely the good version. Remember: 58th pick!
Deuce delivered reliable bench scoring and perimeter spacing, knocking down two threes (including a corner three off a Brunson assist early) that helped New York to build some separation on the scoreboard. He provided solid perimeter defense and helped maintain the Knicks’ momentum during bench stretches and garbage time, contributing to the dominant victory with efficient shot-making and positive energy.
Clarkson saw bench minutes in the blowout and provided a bit of spark with a nice floating jumper off an OG Anunoby assist. However, he struggled with ball security (four turnovers) in his limited role. He added a steal and a couple of rebounds but was quiet otherwise and made little impact as the Knicks cruised to victory.
Grade: B–
Bench / Rotation Notes
The Knicks’ bench was outstanding. They seamlessly maintained and extended the massive lead while the starters rested throughout the fourth quarter. Besides Hukporti and Deuce, Tyler Kolek chipped in eight points and four assists, while Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, Pacome Dadiet, and Mohamed Diawara all delivered positive minutes. Overall, New York’s depth overwhelmed Philadelphia’s bench, dominating in energy, shooting, and second-chance opportunities to turn the game into a rout early. Depth was a factor in the Game One victory, for sure.
Grade: B
Coach Mike Brown
Brown had his team ready for a high-stakes playoff opener and orchestrated one of the most dominant performances of the young postseason. The Knicks came out aggressive on both ends, built a massive first-half lead, and executed an efficient, motion-based offense that generated high-quality shots all night. He effectively managed rotations, especially after Mitchell Robinson got into early foul trouble, and wisely gave Ariel Hukporti meaningful minutes that paid off. The bench was fresh and productive in the second half, allowing the starters to rest in the fourth quarter of a 39-point blowout. After a few shaky moments early in the Atlanta series, Mike has regained our confidence.
Grade: A
The Knicks are locked in, but you know Philly will come back with a big counterpunch in Game Two on Wednesday. Can’t wait. Go Knicks!
In the final seconds of Saturday night’s Game 7 between the Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden, as the C’s watched their comeback bid fall short, Philly fans who made the trip to Boston broke out in a gleeful chant.
“We want Boston! We want Boston!”
In the past, such bold declarations were ill-advised. But in recent postseasons, visiting teams and their fans have enjoyed a lot more of their stays in Boston.
Exhibit A: In the 2026 playoffs, the Celtics and Bruins went a combined 1-6 at the Garden.
The Celtics routed the Sixers in Game 1 at home, then lost three consecutive games in their own building (Game 2, Game 5 and Game 7) en route to a stunning first-round collapse.
The Bruins, meanwhile, went 0-3 on home ice in their first-round matchup with the Sabres, with Buffalo outscoring Boston 13-3 at TD Garden to earn a six-game series win.
Unfortunately for Boston fans, the 2026 postseason wasn’t an aberration, but rather the continuation of a concerning trend.
Let’s get to the numbers for both teams:
It wasn’t always this way…
Boston used to be a house of horrors for NBA teams in the playoffs. From 1980 to 1992, the Larry Bird/Kevin McHale/Robert Parish Celtics went 72-21 in postseason games at the old Boston Garden for a winning percentage of .774. In 1986, they went a perfect 10-0 at the Garden en route to a championship.
The “Big Three” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen found similar success at TD Garden, winning 72.3 percent of their home playoff games (34-13) between 2008 and 2013 and going 13-1 at home during their 2008 title run.
This current Celtics club? Since the 2016-17 season — Jaylen Brown’s first with the team — that winning percentage has dipped more than 10 percent, with Boston winning 62.9 percent of its home playoff games (44-26) in that span.
That percentage was lifted by the 2018 postseason, when Brown and Jayson Tatum helped an upstart Celtics team win its first 10 home playoff games before falling to LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers at home in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Celtics’ recent home struggles
The Celtics have had plenty of success over the last five postseasons, with one NBA title, two trips to the NBA Finals and three Eastern Conference Finals appearances in that span.
They’ve also done a surprising amount of losing at TD Garden.
Since 2022, the C’s are a pedestrian 25-19 (.568 winning percentage) in home playoff games, and that includes a 9-2 mark at home during their 2024 title run.
In the 2022 NBA Finals, Boston lost twice to the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden, including a decisive Game 6 that ended with Stephen Curry and Co. celebrating a championship on the parquet.
In the 2023 East Finals, the Celtics lost Game 1 and Game 2 to the Miami Heat on their own floor, then rallied back from a 3-0 series deficit — only to lose Game 7 at home by 19 points.
History repeated itself against the New York Knicks in 2025, as Boston dropped the first two games of the second round at home before eventually falling in six games.
This past week, the Celtics lost consecutive home playoff games for the third time in four years, losing two potential closeout games at TD Garden (Game 5 and 7) while allowing the Sixers to rally from a 3-1 series deficit.
Setting aside that 2024 championship run, the Celtics are a brutal 16-17 at home in the other four most recent postseasons.
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Bruins’ recent home struggles
If you thought the Celtics were bad at home in the playoffs … their winter season counterparts are even worse.
In 2022, the Bruins pushed the Carolina Hurricanes to seven games in their first-round series by winning all three games at home before losing Game 7 on the road.
Since then, Boston is a mind-boggling 3-10 in playoff games at TD Garden.
In 2023, the Bruins entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the East but bowed out to the Florida Panthers in Round 1 after dropping Games 2, 5 and 7 on home ice.
In 2024, they gave two games to the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden in the first round (Games 2 and 5) before rallying to win Game 7 at home. But their home struggles did them in vs. the Panthers in Round 2, as they lost all three home games in the series (Games 3, 4 and 6) to end their season.
After missing the playoffs in 2025, the Bruins also lost all three of their home games this postseason … which means they’ve lost six home playoff gamesin a row.
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Putting it all together
In fairness to the Celtics and Bruins, winning at home has gotten progressively harder across the board in both sports.
Improvements in travel and sports medicine have made it less taxing for teams to play on the road, and the numbers bear that out: NBA teams have won just 58.4 percent of their home playoff games since 2021, while NHL teams have won 65.2 percent of home playoff games in that span.
Still, Celtics and Bruins are both below those league averages, combining to win just over half of their playoff games (31-29 record, 51.7 percent) over the last five seasons.
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There’s another side to this story, of course: The Celtics and Bruins both have fared relatively well on the road in recent postseasons, with the C’s in particular parlaying their success away from TD Garden into deep playoff runs.
But for a Boston fanbase that expects its teams to compete for championships on an annual basis, losing nearly half of your playoff games at home isn’t going to cut it.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman revealed Tuesday that his absence in the final weeks of the season was caused by a need to address his mental health.
Hedman, in a statement released by the Lightning, did not provide specifics about what he has been dealing with. He didn't play in Tampa Bay's final 22 games of the season, including the seven playoff matchups in a first-round loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
Hedman, 35, had been around the team in recent weeks, even taking part in some skates. But the defenseman's last game was in mid-March.
“Over the past couple of months, I made the decision to step away and focus on my mental health,” Hedman said. "It was not an easy decision, but it was the right one.
“I’ve always believed that being a leader means doing what’s best for the team. In this case, it also meant doing what was necessary to take care of myself, so I can be the best player, teammate, husband and father I expect to be.”
Hedman missed significant time earlier in the season with an elbow injury that required surgery in December. He returned before the Olympics and played for Sweden until tweaking something in pregame warmups before the quarterfinal against the U.S., which kept him from participating.
He told reporters at Tampa Bay's exit-interview day that he leaned on best friend and former Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, as well as Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark, who also spent time away from the Senators to address his mental health.
He played in only 33 games this season, by far the fewest of his career, because of the injury and this subsequent absence.
Hedman thanked his teammates, the Lightning organization, his family and his therapist for their support and said he’s “in a much better place today.”
“This is something that exists in our game more than people see,” Hedman said. “If this moment helps make it easier for others to take care of themselves when they need to, that matters.”
Apr 29, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) celebrates in the dugout after Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado’s (28) (not pictured) home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Vargas, who just saw his 27-game hitting streak end over the weekend, has been on a tear this season.
Over 22 games in April, Vargas slashed .372/.393/.663 with a 1.056 OPS. He recorded 32 hits (five home runs), 19 RBIs and three walks to 11 strikeouts. He was easily one of Arizona’s biggest standouts a month into the season.
Keeping Santana in the minor league system is not an option for Arizona at this stage of his career. He is obviously out of options at age 40, and he’s not going to be a player the team is quick to DFA based on an eight-game sample size, either. His defense and veteran presence in the clubhouse are both valuable, as much as fans or observers may not be able to tangibly measure that type of impact.
Santana will get playing time when he’s healthy, and that reality is inevitable. Ultimately, Santana playing and hitting well would benefit the D-backs, but the cost of reducing two other productive players’ playing time may not be worth the offensive production Santana can still provide.
Frontloading an inning or two from a relief pitcher before allowing the starter to throw bulk frames could allow the D-backs to get their starter past the fifth or sixth inning more frequently, and could, in theory, allow the offense to get set up with an initial lead.
Because for as comeback-reliant as Arizona has been in recent seasons, it’s still no easy task to string together patient, thorough at-bats when staring down a multi-run deficit.
Granted, utilizing an opener is not necessarily an effective method when it comes to avoiding excessive bullpen taxation, but it might lead to better in-game situations and set up the offense with more favorable scores.
“Seeing that tribute hit home, because he loved the Yankees – he loved this team, he loved this franchise, he loved the fans,” Judge said. “To do that there in the first, I was chuckling around the bases, thinking about what he was probably saying.”
Michael Kay and Suzyn Waldman laid bouquets across home plate before first pitch as both teams observed a moment of silence for Sterling, who passed away on Monday at 87.
After the final out, a recording of Sterling’s signature “Yankees win, theeee Yankees win!” call was played. Judge said he hopes to see that continue as a permanent stadium tradition.
“If you look at all of the great players, they tend to lean out over time,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. “Freddie Freeman, David Ortiz, a lot of guys.”
Trout changed his workout program, an adjustment that has carried into the 2026 regular season. In the past, he would do an upper-body workout twice a week, a lower-body regimen twice a week, and then take Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday off. Instead, he’s working out daily, but sometimes to activate his physiology instead of lifting heavier weights — he might do as few as eight reps of the same exercise and call it a day.
Trout hired a nutritionist and focused on eating less junk food on the couch before he goes to sleep, and along the way, his weight dropped to 230 pounds, which is about 8-to-10 pounds less than in previous seasons. He noticed an immediate difference late in the winter with how his legs and knees felt. As spring training games started, Trout had a goal to get back to a sprint speed of 30 feet per second — a target he hit a couple of times.
There are no “good” injuries in baseball. Losing a player to the IL is never a fun time. But there’s still a relative hierarchy – not every injury is an equally big bummer. On Monday, we got one of those big bummers. The Tigers placed Tarik Skubal, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner, on the injured list. He’s slated to undergo surgery to remove loose bodies in his pitching elbow, as Evan Woodbery of MLive first reported.
Skubal had dealt with occasional pains in his arm throughout the season, as The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen reported. In his start last Wednesday, Skubal grimaced and grabbed his elbow in the seventh inning, sending a bevy of concerned Tigers staffers to the mound. He waved them off and struck out the side, but when his arm didn’t recover as much as expected in the aftermath of that start, the team had imaging done, revealing the need for surgery. This injury could alter the balance of power in the AL Central this year. More than that, it could change the trajectory of Skubal’s career. So let’s walk through the implications for the team, league, and player as we try to make sense of this unfortunate bit of news.
The White Sox and outfielder Randal Grichuk are in agreement on a major league deal, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The Sox will need to make corresponding moves to open space for the Paragon Sports International client on the active and 40-man rosters.
Grichuk elected free agency just three days ago after being designated for assignment by the Yankees. The 34-year-old had broken camp on a minor league contract to work in a short side platoon role. He was essentially the last man on Aaron Boone’s bench and took more than two-thirds of his 33 plate appearances versus lefty pitching.
Everything was working well for New York, who built a 23-point advantage at halftime and led by as many as 40 points. The Knicks shot a scintillating 19-for-37 (51.3 percent) from three and had 34 assists in the win.
With Game 2 on Wednesday, there is no rest for the weary. Here’s three keys to watch for...
On a heater
Jalen Brunsonmust be relieved. After a first-round series where he was pestered by Atlanta Hawks guards Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Brunson is facing less pressure from the 76ers.
Brunson was dynamic in Game 1, registering 35 points, with 27 coming in the first half. He was also efficient, shooting 12-for-18 from the field.
It was clear that Philadelphia’s softer defensive coverage allowed Brunson to cook. Centers Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond are positioned in drop coverage, where they sag back into the paint. It gave Brunson a free runway to pull up from the three-point line or in the midrange.
Atlanta switched many of its defensive actions, which gave Brunson fewer windows to attack in the pick-and-roll. With the 76ers, Brunson should be more comfortable.
The next question will be how Philadelphia will adjust for Game 2 after Brunson’s hot night. They could blitz the pick-and-roll to get the ball out of Brunson’s hands or switch more often. But the Knicks look prepared to answer any adjustments.
Foul trouble
It didn’t take long for fouls to be a story in the series. Karl-Anthony Townspicked up two fouls just over five minutes into the game. His backup, Mitchell Robinson, quickly followed suit with two fouls in the first quarter.
May 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) controls the ball against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the first quarter of game one of the eastern conference semifinal round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Both centers had three fouls in the first half, eventually leading to third-string big Ariel Hukporti seeing real rotation minutes. Fouls are going to happen in this series, since Embiid is a crafty big with a variety of pump fakes and tricks to draw fouls. But it’s the silly mistakes that the Knicks bigs should focus on excusing from the game. For example, Towns swiped at the ball numerous times in the first quarter. While one of those reaches did lead to a steal, it put Towns in a compromising position.
He’s too valuable in multiple aspects of the game, as evidenced by his 17 points, six rebounds and six assists on Monday night.
New York as a whole committed 25 fouls and allowed 34 free-throw attempts -- a high number. The foul trouble didn’t decide Game 1, but it could be a pivotal factor for Game 2.
Defensive aggression
Despite the numerous fouls, the Knicks' defense was otherwise exceptional. Priorities number one and two involved slowing down Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. New York was successful in keeping both stars in check, holding them to a combined 27 points on 6-for-20 shooting from the field.
Embiid was able to draw fouls in the first half, but New York kept him out of the paint for much of the game, occasionally throwing double teams at the former MVP. Maxey was defended by Mikal Bridges for most of the night, and Bridges and the Knicks did a solid job containing the point guard on the pick-and-roll.
The Knicks had active hands, forcing Philadelphia into 19 turnovers. Several of the Sixers' miscues were live ball turnovers, which allowed New York to get easy runouts. The Knicks had 16 fastbreak points.
New York has dominated the last four games, and while the offense has received a lot of the credit, the defense has been elite. If the Knicks keep defending this way, the team’s playoff ceiling changes drastically.
New York is known to overpower all that came before — such as Reggie Jackson in Oakland and Mark Messier in Edmonton — making it easy to forget that Josh Hart spent parts of seven seasons with three teams (Lakers, Pelicans, Trail Blazers) before the career-altering trade that brought him to the Knicks in 2023.
Until arriving in New York, Hart had never reached the playoffs. But since reuniting with Jalen Brunson, the Knicks have made the second round in four straight seasons, marking the first time the franchise has done so since Patrick Ewing’s final seasons with the team (1997-2000).
So, what does that mean to a former national champion?
Josh Hart driving for a layup during Game 1. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“Not a damn thing,” Hart said before Game 1 of the conference semifinals. “That’s not the goal. The goal isn’t to advance to one series or two series. That’s not a goal that we have as individuals or as a team. To be honest, that’s pretty irrelevant. We’ve gotta make sure we do what we’re supposed to do and focus on advancing in this series.”
Coming off an uneven first-round series against the Hawks — in which Hart averaged 10.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals, but shot 41.1 percent from the field and 5-for-23 on 3-pointers — the do-everything guard repeatedly ignited the Madison Square Garden crowd with his unrivaled energy and relentless defense, getting the offense into transition and treating every loose ball as if his job were at stake.
Jost Hart playing defense against Paul George. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Hart, who ranks third in Knicks history in triple-doubles, finished with eight points, three steals, eight rebounds and six assists in just 26 minutes, while shooting 3-for-7 from the field (1-for-2 on 3-pointers).
“We want to play a little fast, so being physical, getting stops, pushing the pace, doing those kinds of things is something we’re trying to do, and we’ve got to keep it up,” Hart said. “We need to make sure we’re focused on Game 2 and mentally locked in … They’re definitely gonna come out aggressive.”
In the 2024 first-round matchup against Philadelphia, Hart was one of the biggest reasons why the Knicks prevailed in the teams’ first playoff matchup in 35 years.
He averaged over 46 minutes per game and ranked second on the Knicks in scoring (16.8) and assists (4.5), while leading the team in rebounds (12.3), shooting 43.2 percent and delivering the series-winning 3-pointer.
Once again, the 76ers had no one who could provide the same spark as Hart, no player as motivated, no player who cares half as much about the final score.
“Where we’re at right now, everyone is being unselfish,” Hart said. “We’re willing to sacrifice individual numbers and stats for the betterment of the team. And when we do that, we’re playing our best basketball.
A few notes on the Knicks' Game 1 rout of the 76ers...
BUILDING BRIDGES
Mikal Bridges' fingerprints were all over New York’s dominant win.
He gave the Knicks 22 points and five assists in 26 minutes. He hit seven of 10 shots. New York outscored Philadelphia by 19 with Bridges on the court.
On the other end of the floor, Bridges helped hold Tyrese Maxey to 3-for-8 shooting and three turnovers in the first half of Game 1.
"I give Mikal a lot of credit for is his alertness and his ability to have multiple efforts when guarding Maxey because Maxey is similar to Steph (Curry), you know, where he's constantly moving, especially when it comes to the two game with (Joel) Embiid," Mike Brown said. "So he's a hard (cover). You can't ever relax."
Bridges certainly didn’t relax on Monday and he didn’t fold after a few ugly performances early in the playoffs.
In his last two games, Bridges has scored 46 points on a combined 17-for-22 shooting and handed out eight assists.
"He’s a huge factor for us," Jalen Brunson said. "He’s been playing great."
The Knicks used five first-round picks to acquire Bridges from Brooklyn. So his play will always be heavily scrutinized.
Bridges has had an uneven performance in his Knicks tenure thus far. But, like the Knicks a whole, Bridges may be finding his stride at the perfect time.
"Obviously, there’s times throughout the season for every player when there’s ups and downs. But he stays mentally strong," Brunson said of his Villanova teammate. "He comes into work, does his work, does his routine and all that stuff. As long as you keep chipping away things are going to fall in your favor."
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) runs up court after a basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden / Vincent Carchietta - Imagn Images
BRUNSON BURNER
Brunson had a fantastic game on Monday.
He had 35 points, three assists and two steals against the Sixers. It was his 16th career playoff game scoring 35+ points. That ties former teammate Luka Doncic for seventh among active players in the postseason.
"Jalen’s pace, his change of speed, all that stuff with the basketball was really good," Brown said after the game. "They like to play in a drop, and he was able to come off and get a couple of pocket 3s, because we had good screens. When he did that, he made them come up the floor a little bit and he was able to get by them, but when we touched the paint, if the help came, he did a pretty good job playing off of two and spraying it, which meant the next time down, guys would stay on him a little bit more.
"Now, you get the opportunity to finish. So, Jalen was really good as the head of the snake, but the guys behind him set the screen, making sure we’re spaced the right away. Being ready to make a quick decision when that ball got sprayed, that was all really good, too."
The Knicks offense as a whole seems to have unlocked something in the past four games. They have won all of those games by at least 16 points.
"Obviously a lot of trial and error, seeing what works and seeing what doesn’t, and being unselfish. ... I think that’s the biggest thing," Josh Hart said after Game 1. "I think that’s where were at right now where everyone is unselfish. ... we’re willing to sacrifice individual numbers and stats for the betterment of the team, and I think when we do that, we’re playing our best basketball."
With star Luka Doncic out for the foreseeable future, the Lakers are at a massive disadvantage against the defending champion Thunder. AP
That’s a joke, but it’s also deeply-rooted in truth.
Because if the Thunder simply show up as themselves—not some overcaffeinated version trying too hard or an overcautious one afraid of the moment—this series will be over quickly.
OKC are the reigning NBA champions, and a 64-win machine that crushed anything in their path during the regular season. They chewed through the Suns in the first round like it was a warmup drill at practice.
Yes, the Lakers are gritty and resilient, they’re also older, thinner, and injured.
So when it comes to what OKC needs to do to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season, let’s not overcomplicate it.
All the Thunder need to do to win this series is do exactly what they’ve been doing for the last two years.
Apart from staking his claim as the best player in the world, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also an above average defender capable of dominating the Lakers on both ends of the court. NBAE via Getty Images
That starts on defense where the Thunder are already the best in the league.
OKC has a backline eraser in Chet Holmgren, who finished second for NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season. Holmgren doesn’t just block shots, he erases them entirely. The Rockets didn’t have Steven Adams in their first-round series so LeBron James and the Lakers were able to get to the paint, especially when their perimeter shots were falling. Holmgren takes that away from Los Angeles.
The Thunder are also the second-best team in the NBA at forcing turnovers. The Lakers are vulnerable with the ball. That’s a recipe for disaster. The Thunder can break this series open simply by continuing to be surgical in their defensive ball pressure. Anticipate the passing lanes and have active hands. Turn mistakes into quick transition points.
The second thing the Thunder need to do to beat the Lakers is pretty obvious: don’t let LeBron beat you.
At 41 years old, LeBron is still brilliant and capable of dominating a game, but without Doncic beside him, it makes it easier to hone in on him defensively.
This is where guys like Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso will earn their money. Nobody will be able to stop LeBron completely, but the Thunder plan to use all three of their versatile and aggressive defenders to disrupt him. Expect OKC to throw length and multiple bodies at him. To turn him into a passer and pressure him into making mistakes.
Much like he did in the first-round series over the Rockets, LeBron James must carry a massive load if the Lakers want a legitimate chance at upsetting Oklahoma City. Getty Images
The Thunder’s pressure plans on bursting the Lakers and creating a flood. That flood will lead to transition offense where reigning MVP Shai Gilegous-Alexander thrives. Offensively, OKC doesn’t need a game plan to beat the Lakers. SGA is the game plan.
The Lakers will not be able to replicate his pace or stop his herky-jerky rhythm on offense. He can attack the basket, pull up from midrange, or drain a dagger three in your face. The Thunder just need to let him operate in space and the Lakers defenders will look like they’re caught in a windstorm.
“He’s very professional at putting the ball in the basket,” said Lakers guard Austin Reaves of SGA. “He’s good at all three levels. He also shoots a lot of free throws. When you do that at a high-efficiency, it’s going to be tough to stop him.”
Thankfully for the Thunder, even if they do stop him, others can beat you.
Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein bring an interior toughness that could allow OKC to dominate the paint. Alex Caruso, Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, Lou Dort, and Isaiah Joe can all beat you from beyond the arc. Depth isn’t just a luxury for the Thunder — it’s a weapon.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren combine to make up arguably the most devastating duo in the league. NBAE via Getty Images
If the Thunder have a weakness it’s that they allow a lot of three-pointers. The Lakers proved in their four wins over the Rockets that when they’re hot from three, they can shoot you out of a series. That’s the one area the Thunder can’t get beat at.
They need to contest without fouling and close out under control. Two things they are already excellent at. The Lakers shot 36% from three during the regular season. Keep them below their average and OKC will be just fine.
Entering Game 1 on Tuesday, the Thunder are the more rested team. They’ve had exactly a week off between games. Against the oldest team still standing in the playoffs, that matters. OKC needs to punch early and set the tone in Game 1. Remind everyone why they are the reigning champs and turn the Paycom Center into a storm the Lakers can’t escape.
Which brings us back to the beginning. The Thunder just need to show up and play their game.
Do that, and this series doesn’t stretch into drama.
It ends quickly.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 01: Jonah Heim #28 of the Texas Rangers celebrates after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 in Game Five to win the World Series at Chase Field on November 01, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning.
MLB dot com’s Benjamin Rosenberg writes that the Texas Rangers are getting it done in relief without having a lot of strikeouts or flamethrowers.
Matt Snyder writes that with Tarik Skubal out, the AL Cy Young race is wide open with Jacob deGrom among the new favorites.
And, the DMN notes that former Rangers World Series catcher Jonah Heim has begun his journeyman era by (sort of) going back to where it began as he rejoins the Athletics no longer in Oakland.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 18: Felix Reyes #29 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after flying out to center field for the final out in the fourth inning against the Atlanta Brave at Citizens Bank Park on April 18, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Heather Barry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a bit of a surprise when the Phillies promoted Felix Reyes to the majors on April 18th. It was a major surprise when he batted cleanup in his first ever MLB game. It was downright shocking that he took Chris Sale deep in his first at bat.
However, everything that’s happened since is not too much of a surprise.
Reyes earned his call up by hitting .333 with 6 home runs through his first 18 games in Triple-A this season. But at the same time, he had an eye-popping 51.9% outside the zone swing rate coupled with a 16.1% whiff rate. That chase rate is Reyes’ biggest weakness and it’s now being exploited to a major degree in the majors.
Reyes has swung at 55.6% of pitches he’s seen outside of the strike zone through his first eight MLB games. That would be far and away the highest in MLB if Reyes qualified, as the current leader is the Rockies Ezequial Tovar with a 48% rate. Since that first at-bat, Reyes is 3-27 (.111) with two singles and a double. He’s struck out 7 times and has yet to draw a walk. He provided a nice spark in one game but has been wholly ineffective since and has looked overmatched at times.
If the Phillies were to decide to option Reyes back to the minor leagues, the internal options to replace him aren’t very enticing. The first choice would be Otto Kemp, the man who was demoted to allow Reyes to come up in the first place. Kemp started the year 2-20 with 9 strikeouts before being sent to Triple-A. Since his demotion, Kemp is hitting .237 with a .625 OPS in 12 games with the Iron Pigs.
Another option would be Bryan De La Cruz who signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in November. De La Cruz has played 32 games with Lehigh Valley and is hitting .222 with a .672 OPS. He would need to be added to the 40-man roster if the Phillies were to decide to promote him to the majors. As of right now, the Phillies do have one spot remaining on the 40-man that could theoretically be used on De La Cruz. He also has an opt-out clause in his contract that can be triggered to make him a free agent at some point in the next couple of months if he does not make the roster.
Looking outside the organization, there’s players such as Mark Canha and Randall Grichuk that the team could take a flier on. Obviously, there are not many options when it comes to finding help for your roster in early May.
So, is it time to end the Félix Reyes experiment? If so, who should take his spot on the Phillies bench?
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 03: Clay Holmes #35 of the New York Mets is congratulated in the dugout after he was pulled in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 3, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Though the Mets have not been bitten nearly as severely by the injury bug on the pitching side of things, they have struggled to find answers outside of the top 3 in their rotation. Clay Holmes has dazzled and Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean have been mostly solid, but all of Kodai Senga, David Peterson, and Sean Manaea have been ineffective. Christian Scott has returned to the big leagues to replace Senga in the rotation and had a nightmarish first start, but rebounded in his next outing. The bullpen has been a mixed bag, but trending positive with Tobias Myers continuing to provide consistent quality in long relief and Carl Edwards Jr. joining him in that role. Brooks Raley continues to be outstanding and both Luke Weaver and Devin Williams have had hiccups over the past two weeks, but have had more good outings than bad ones.
Player
Last week
This week
Huascar Brazobán, RHP
Carl Edwards Jr., RHP
—
Clay Holmes, RHP
Craig Kimbrel, RHP
Sean Manaea, LHP
Nolan McLean, RHP
Tobias Myers, RHP
Freddy Peralta, RHP
David Peterson, RHP
Brooks Raley, LHP
Christian Scott, RHP
Kodai Senga, RHP
Austin Warren, RHP
Luke Weaver, RHP
Devin Williams, RHP
We’ll start with Kodai Senga, who has been so bad, that he likely wasn’t making his next start whether he was injured or not. He is now on the injured list with lumbar spinal inflammation and that is the only way he avoided a poop emoji. And it’s probably the only way he avoided another potential stint in the minor leagues too. Christian Scott, back from missing all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery, has replaced Senga in the rotation. Nerves got the better of Scott in his first start against the Twins in which he issued five walks in just 1 1/3 innings. With the Mets in the position they are in, Carlos Mendoza pulled the plug early while the game was still in striking distance. It’s honestly a miracle Scott only gave up one run. But he looked much better in his outing in Anaheim in which he made one mistake to Jorge Soler, but otherwise pitched well. His defense didn’t do him any favors and ultimately he yielded three runs, only two of which were earned, in five innings of work. Most importantly, he struck out eight batters and walked none—a complete 180 from his first start.
In relief of Scott on Friday, the bullpen was perfect, paving the way for the comeback victory by the Mets. Huascar Brazobán got the win in that game for a scoreless sixth inning of work. Brazobán has been consistently excellent all season and though it wasn’t a clean sheet for him this time, the good outings outweighed the bad ones. One of those bad ones also came in relief of Scott in his abbreviated start against the Twins; Brazobán gave up a game-tying grand slam to Ryan Jeffers, but he inherited the bases loaded situation. And the Mets came back to win the game. He also gave up a run in the Game 1 loss to the Rockies last weekend over two innings of work. But he is spotless so far in the month of May. Carlos Mendoza has consistently turned to Brazobán with inherited runners rather than a clean inning, where he is more successful. But more often than not, he still gets the job done.
Speaking of guys who have been getting the job done, Brooks Raley had a clean sheet this week across five appearances and 4 2/3 innings of work. He earned his fifth hold of the season in relief of Scott on Friday with a scoreless seventh and sealed yesterday’s win with a scoreless ninth. He pitched a scoreless inning apiece in two losses—one to the Rockies and one to the Nationals. He also pitched 2/3 of an inning in last Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over the Twins that ended the legendary losing streak and got into a bit of a jam, but none of those runners would come around to score.
It was Luke Weaver who helped Raley escape that jam, getting the key final out of the eighth after issuing a walk to load the bases. Weaver came back out for the ninth as well and struck out three batters to pitch a scoreless inning and snap the Mets’ 12-game losing streak, earning a win in the process. Weaver bookended this 12-game span with two strong outings in the Angels series over the weekend. In yesterday’s game, he formed the bridge between Clay Holmes and Brooks Raley with 1 1/3 scoreless innings and in Friday’s win, he pitched a 1-2-3 eighth with two strikeouts. Weaver only had one bad outing in the past couple of weeks, but it was a costly one. He gave up a go-ahead two-run homer to CJ Abrams on Thursday, which ended up costing the Mets the game and the series.
Similarly, Devin Williams had a strong couple of weeks outside of one extremely costly outing. In the series opener against the Twins, Williams blew a save, leading to the Mets’ 12th straight loss in the most soul crushing way imaginable. But his outings did improve from there. After the Mets jumped back out ahead of the Twins in the rubber game last Thursday thanks to Bo Bichette’s clutch bases-clearing double, Williams came in the game with one out in the ninth and struck out the first batter he faced, but then allowed three straight hits to bring the Twins within two and put the tying run on base. But he held on to strike out the next batter to end the game. His other outings were less eventful. He pitched a scoreless inning against the Rockies and another against the Nationals—both games the Mets went on to lose, but not because of Williams. He then finally got a save opportunity again on Friday in Anaheim and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to cap off that comeback victory.
Williams was not the only one to not distinguish himself in last Thursday’s game against the Twins. I already mentioned Scott’s terrible start and Brazobán giving up the grand slam, but three of the four runs that crossed the plate from Jeffers’ grand slam were charged to Craig Kimbrel, who loaded the bases on a couple of singles and a walk. Kimbrel pitched two scoreless innings after that—one in the series opener against the Nationals to help complete that shutout victory and a scoreless ninth inning in Anaheim on Saturday to help send that game to extras.
Tobias Myers also appeared in all three games Kimbrel appeared in. He immediately followed Scott last Thursday after he was unable to make it out of the second and pitched 2 1/3 innings, over which he gave up one unearned run and struck out three. Myers preceded Kimbrel in the series opener against the Nationals with two scoreless innings, contributing to the shutout. On Saturday Myers scattered three hits over 2 2/3 scoreless innings of work to cap off his clean sheet for this meter.
Austin Warren ended up taking the loss on Saturday for allowing the walk-off hit in the tenth. But Warren pitched a combined three scoreless innings across two outings before that, not allowing a baserunner in either outing and even striking out the side against the Twins after Devin Williams blew the save, leaving the bases loaded, leading to MVP chants being thrown his way.
Both that heroic effort and the walk-off loss came in relief of Nolan McLean, whose start in the Twins series played out like many of his other starts this season. He was basically unhittable early and then fatigued in the middle innings. But in the end, he logged another quality start, giving up three runs on five hits and striking out a whopping ten batters in 6 2/3 innings. McLean did not go as deep into the game in Saturday’s extra-inning loss. He lasted just four innings, over which he gave up three runs on six hits while striking out six and walking one. Still, even after that start, his season ERA starts with a 2.
The Mets’ best starting pitcher lately has not been McLean, but Clay Holmes, whose season ERA starts with a 1 and is among the best in baseball. He shut the Nationals out for six innings in that series opener, giving up just three hits with six strikeouts and one walk. He then followed that up with another sparkling performance on Sunday to help secure the series victory in Anaheim. He gave up just one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings. That performance earned him his fourth win of the season and a well-deserved fireball for his cumulative body of work so far this season.
Freddy Peralta’s past two starts were good ones—they just happened to both be games the Mets lost, but that is much more the fault of the offense than of Peralta. He took the loss against the Rockies in the series opener, despite limiting the damage to just two runs on seven hits through 5 2/3 innings of work. He was even better against the Nationals, with just one of the three runs he surrendered being earned in six innings of work. He struck out 14 batters and walked 6 across the two outings.
Sean Manaea finished the game in relief of Peralta last Friday and allowed a pair of insurance runs to the Rockies, which turned out to be consequential as the Mets fell just one run shy of a comeback. Manaea did strike out seven batters in 3 1/3 innings in that outing though. But the real disaster for Manaea—and the reason he earned a poop emoji for this meter—came a few days later when the Nationals absolutely bludgeoned the Mets by a dozen runs. Six of the Nationals’ 14 runs were charged to Manaea.
Carl Edwards Jr., who used to pitch for the Nationals and was freshly called up, did mop-up duty in that game. After Manaea exited, Edwards Jr. pitched the final 2 2/3 innings of the game and was charged with one run on three hits. He struck out an impressive six batters in the outing. Edwards Jr. also pitched the bulk of long relief in Game 2 of last weekend’s doubleheader, started by Kodai Senga, in which the Mets were shut out by the Rockies. Edwards Jr. pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
Seven of the Nationals’ runs in Wednesday’s beatdown were charged to David Peterson, who started that game and fell to 0-4 on the season with his disastrous performance. His other outing was less of a disaster; he appeared in long relief after Myers in the rubber game against the Twins and was charged with one run on four hits in 3 1/3 innings, earning his first hold of the season. Unfortunately for Peterson, who seems to vastly prefer being in the rotation, he’s had more success out of the bullpen so far this year and will likely remain there for the time being.
May 2, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Blaze Alexander (23) reacts after a called throw strike was confirmed during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Orioles went into New York this past Friday trying to prove they were better than their middling record. Instead, they walked away on the wrong end of a four-game sweep, looking more like a team trying to avoid a last-place finish than one contending for a playoff spot.
Each of the four losses in New York followed a similar script. The O’s always fell behind early, as they were outscored 14-2 in the first three innings across the four games. And every time we saw the Orioles’ bats shrink under the pressure of that early hole. The Baltimore bats put up 37 Ks while going 4-for-27 with runners in scoring position.
Rough opening frames from Oriole starters are nothing new. A month ago, I wrote about how terrible 2nd innings plagued the O’s over their first ten games. Since then, it hasn’t gotten any better. Heading into their final game against the Yankees, the Orioles had a 4.59 ERA in innings 1-3 (compared to the league average of 4.03). The 2nd inning is still their biggest downfall, as they have a league-worst 7.68 ERA and 1.015 opponent OPS. Of Orioles starters to make 3+ starts this year, only Trevor Rogers has a 2nd-inning ERA below 5.00.
These struggles to open games are something the O’s will have to improve if they want to undo the damage of another disappointing start to the season. Some of that improvement should come from positive regression; the O’s have an opposing BABIP of .314, whereas the league average is .285. However, much of the improvement will have to come from better execution—the likes of which we expected but have rarely seen from Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt.
However, these struggles from the starters have exposed a flaw in the construction of this lineup. Mike Elias and the rest of the front office built this offense to be a battering ram, the type of overwhelming force that gets the Orioles ahead, keeps them ahead, and papers over any deficiencies in the rotation.
The problem with this particular battering ram is that it comes with a lot of swing and miss. Of the 10 qualified Orioles hitters, seven have a swing and miss rate below the 50th-percentile, with Jeremiah Jackson, Coby Mayo, Blaze Alexander and Samuel Basallo all below the 30th percentile. The strikeout rates aren’t any better. Six of the 10 Orioles’ qualified hitters rank in the 40th percentile or below in strikeout rate, with Gunnar Henderson sitting down at the eighth percentile with a 31.4% K rate.
The profile of this offense shouldn’t come as a surprise. Pete Alonso, even for all his offensive output, has always had a fair amount of swing-and-miss in his game—as evidenced by his career average of 159 Ks per 162 games. We’ve seen similar levels of aggression from Gunnar throughout his Oriole career, whose career 23.6% strikeout rate is just a tick above Alonso’s. Adding another big-time power hitter like Samuel Basallo to the lineup was always likely to bring more whiffs as well. It is simply the price you pay for having guys with 30+ HR potential in your lineup.
Having a high-slugging, high-strikeout lineup isn’t a problem in and of itself. The problem arises when you ask those sluggers to try and methodically chip away at a deficit and help the Orioles get back into game they’re trailing. Heading into the series finale in New York, the O’s were third in baseball with 510 ABs when behind. In those situations, they rank 20th in batting average, 22nd in on-base percentage and dead last with 157 strikeouts.
Through this season’s first 35 games, the O’s have only had two hitters who have consistently shown the patience needed to claw yourself out of early holes. Taylor Ward and Adley Rutschman area the only Orioles who are above average in both strikeout rate and whiff rate this season. They go about it different ways, with Ward seeing the most pitches of any Oriole and leading baseball with a miniscule 10.9% chase rate. Adley is a little less selective, but makes up for it by making contact on damn near everything he swings at—as evidence by his 12.2% swing-and-miss rate.
The Orioles have built the whole offensive ethos of their franchise on the value of the three-run home run. And yet, too often, it feels like everyone in the lineup wants to be the guy to hit the Weaver and not enough players want to be the guys on base. The Orioles aren’t great at playing station-to-station baseball, as seen by the fact that 48% of their RBIs come via the long ball (majoe league average is 41.8%). And yet, it is that type of station-to-station approach that you need if you want to score come-from-behind victories.
The O’s have 15 more games this month against current Top 5 teams in the AL—including nine against the Yankees and Rays. Which means they have at least 15 more changes to prove that the double disfunction of their starting staff and lineup is more fluke than reality. But just like Colton Cowser against non-fastballs, this team has a clear flaw that so far has doomed them to a massively underwhelming start to the 2026 season.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 10: Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on April 10, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With apologies to Shohei Ohtani and the faithful attending tonight’s contest at Daikin Park, the more significant season barometer will actually be registered approximately 23 miles southwest this evening when the Space Cowboys take the field against the Albuquerque Isotopes at Constellation Field.
The likes of Josh Hader, Nate Pearson, & Tatsuya Imai are each expected in the mix, returning to action and not a moment too soon. For Imai in particular, getting “comfortable” a few days prior to his 28th birthday is paramount in Houston’s ability to steadily climb the A.L. West standings.
In large measure, the divisional crown will not be measured against Ohtani’s “Unicorn” flashes, but rather, against its rivals within. Control the division, and control your destiny.
In May alone, the Astros have 11 combined games against the Mariners and Rangers. The final week of the regular season concludes with a 6 game road swing against Seattle and those pesky A’s.
Show of hands if you thought by the third homestand that Spencer Arrighetti would have 3 more wins on the year than ace Hunter Brown. Each year, there are surprises. Remember the start Tyler Mahle had a year ago with the Rangers? He finished last April with an ERA of 0.68.
Maybe even a “Spencer” (of a different variety), recall Schwellenbach who opened with the Braves allowing only a single run to be scored during the course of 20 innings? Sugar Land may play as significant of a role in the “resist the rebuild” movement as any. Barring a mega in-season trade, the Astros are a glorified mash unit, waiting to heal and deal.
While the calls for Espada to be removed have a foreboding undertone, who’s available on the managerial docket that would galvanize the fan base and reverse course? Dave Martinez? Skip Schumaker? Yawn.
I’d rather have Julia Morales if we’re going that route, at least she knows the clubhouse and has a grasp on the organizational pulse.
The Astros are far from dead and buried. In fact, they might be ripe for an in-season trade. You know the history. Verlander, Greinke, Bagwell, Carlos Beltran in 2004 or even Randy Johnson in 1998.
As the Brewers continue to occupy 4th place in their division, the tantalizing possibility of Freddy Peralta or Brandon Woodruff linger in the air.
Michael Conforto has been an afterthought for most of this Cubs season.
The team didn’t sign him until late February. He got some playing time early on because of the injury to Seiya Suzuki, but since Suzuki’s return April 10, Conforto has played in just 10 games, starting just four of those. He didn’t play at all in the weekend series against the Diamondbacks.
Then Craig Counsell sent him up to bat in the bottom of the ninth Monday for Matt Shaw. Shaw had pinch-run for Moisés Ballesteros in the eighth, and what I was thinking in that tie-game situation was, “Well, if Conforto gets on, they’ll have to run Nicky Lopez for him.”
Conforto took care of that potential issue by smashing a walk-off home run into the left-field bleachers, giving the Cubs their sixth consecutive win and 12th straight at Wrigley Field, 5-4 over the Reds.
Let’s rewind to the beginning of this back-and-forth affair.
Late Monday morning, the Cubs moved the starting time of this game up 30 minutes to 6:10 p.m. CT in anticipation of some rain and storms that were supposed to hit around 9 p.m. Instead, it started raining just about 6:10, the rain lasting an hour, so the game wound up starting at 7:50. Give the Cubs credit for the attempt, anyway. The sun came out as the rain was ending, producing these beautiful views:
Edward Cabrera got in trouble in the first two innings with hits and walks, but squeezed out of both jams. Then he served up a home-run ball to JJ Bleday leading off the second, and in the third issued a two-out walk. That was followed by Ke’Bryan Hayes smashing one out of the yard to give the Reds a 3-0 lead.
The Cubs couldn’t do anything with Reds rookie right-hander Chase Petty over the first three innings, with just a double by Alex Bregman in the first and single by Nico Hoerner over that time.
An annoying little rainshower parked itself over Wrigley Field in the fourth. That, entirely coincidentally, was when the Cubs rallied. Bregman led off with a walk and Ian Happ also drew a base on balls.
That was the longest Cubs home run of 2026 to date, and the sixth-longest by anyone this year. As you can see at that link, Suzuki also had the previous longest Cubs homer this year (441 feet on April 21 vs. the Phillies). Another note on the home-run distance (Bluesky link):
And one last note on Suzuki’s homer from BCB’s JohnW53:
Suzuki’s home run was the Cubs’ seventh this season with two on base, among 45 total homers — 15.6 percent. That is significantly higher than their final percentage in each of their five previous seasons:
2025: 27 of 223 — 12.1 2024: 19 of 170 — 11.2 2023: 15 of 196 — 7.7 2022: 12 of 159 — 7.5 2021: 17 of 210 — 8.1
The rain stopped, this time for good, and Cabrera then pulled off a nice play in the fifth. With one out, Elly De La Cruz singled. Cabrera picked him off [VIDEO].
The play went to review, but as you can see, De La Cruz was clearly out. In the sixth, Cabrera got some help from his defense — this slick stop by Michael Busch [VIDEO].
Cabrera’s three runs in six innings was the Cubs’ 15th quality start in their 35 games. They began the day tied with the Pirates for seventh most QS. Dodgers had 21; Braves and Royals, 17; and Mariners, Tigers and Yankees, 16.
Hoby Milner and Phil Maton threw a scoreless seventh, with Maton entering to throw to Sal Stewart after Milner walked De La Cruz with two out. Maton, who has pitched much better since his return from the IL, got Stewart to ground out to end the inning.
The Cubs, though, could not score in the fifth, sixth or seventh, and then Ben Brown gave up a run in the eighth. Uncharacteristically a bit wild, Brown walked Nathaniel Lowe leading off the inning. Leadoff walks, as most managers will tell you, are never good. The Reds sent Blake Dunn in to run for Lowe, and Dunn immediately stole second. That was important, as Spencer Steer’s single scored Dunn to give the Reds a 4-3 lead.
The Cubs had a good scoring chance in the eighth. Ballesteros led off with a walk and, as noted earlier, Shaw ran for him. Shaw was immediately erased on a force play by Bregman. A wild pitch moved Bregman to second and after Happ struck out, Suzuki ran a 3-1 count before being intentionally passed. Busch walked to load the bases, but Carson Kelly also struck out, ending the inning.
Ryan Rolison, who’s had an up-and-down year for the Cubs so far, was definitely “up” in this game. He struck out all three Reds he faced in the top of the ninth, throwing 14 pitches.
As you can see in the clip, Dane Myers almost made a spectacular catch against the ivy, but the ball went in and out of his glove, and PCA raced around the bases, safe easily at third. A note on the triple:
For Conforto, it was his first career walk-off home run. That entire ninth inning was something. Triples are perhaps the most exciting play in baseball, and PCA running the bases is always fun to watch. The walk-off homer wakes up and excites a crowd no matter who hits it. I’m really happy for Conforto, who has settled very well into his bench role on this team — now batting .323/.436/.548. It’s only 39 plate appearances for Conforto, but he has definitely made important contributions.
This was the first game of the season in which the Cubs erased two deficits. They had erased one in 12 earlier games. They are 10-3 when they have erased at least one. They lost the first two, won eight in a row, lost last Monday at San Diego, then won Sunday and tonight.
I have written this before and I’m going to say it again: There is something special about this team. Every single player on the roster has made significant contributions to winning. That, I believe, is the mark of a really good team. They all pick each other up — and in this team’s case, even in the face of major pitching injuries. The season to date has been really enjoyable. Let’s hope that continues … all the way through October.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this recap, this was the Cubs’ sixth win in a row. They did not win six in a row all of last year. Now they have two streaks at least that long in 2026 — and we are only 35 games into the season.
Last note: The Cubs are on a 16-3 run since April 14, the best record in MLB in that span, and have scored the most runs over that period, 117 (6.2 per game). They’ve allowed 78 runs over the 19 games, or 4.1 per game.
The Cubs and Reds meet again at Wrigley Field Tuesday evening. Jameson Taillon will start for the Cubs and Andrew Abbott goes for Cincinnati. Game time is 6:40 p.m. CT (this time for sure, it will be cool but dry this evening) and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
