With their spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs all locked up, the Senators now begin the process of deciding how to approach their final two games of the regular season. No matter what, the Sens will finish with one of the two wild-card spots.
"Sticking to the process" will most assuredly remain Travis Green's message to his team. With the playoffs less than a week out, the last thing he wants is for bad habits to creep out.
But he's also in a position to rest some of his players, the ones who really need it.
The Sens Nation Podcast discusses the rise of defenseman Jordan Spence and what he'll cost the Senators this summer as an RFA.
As for wins, losses, and playoff positioning, they no longer matter very much. Since the Senators have no control over what's going on at the top of the Eastern Conference, there's really no advantage to busting their tails to maintain the top wild-card spot.
The top spot in the Eastern Conference is still up for grabs, as is first place in the Atlantic Division. So if the Senators happened to have a preferred opponent (which is unlikely), there's nothing they can do on Sunday, good or bad, that would help guarantee that matchup.
So as they prepare for Sunday's game with the New Jersey Devils (7 pm), it's a good bet that some of their regulars will get the night off to heal up or rest.
On Sunday morning, the Senators called Belleville for reinforcements, but only asked for one name: rugged forward Hayden Hodgson. AHL goal-scoring leader Arthur Kaliyev must be wondering what he has to do to get a call-up around here. As an RFA, it's hard to believe Kaliyev will be back with the organization this fall.
Hodgson, a 221-pound forward, will join the team in New Jersey ahead of the final road game of the regular season. Exclusively a fourth-line option, his recall would suggest that at least one of the fourth-line regulars may get a day of rest on Sunday.
The Senators could also turn to their healthy scratches from Saturday. Enforcer Kurtis MacDermid has been a healthy scratch for all but one game in 2026, and he'd probably like a shot against his former team.
Forward Stephen Halliday would also like to knock off some rust. He hasn't played since the trade deadline. And Ottawa native Cam Crotty might see some action too, along with backup goalie James Reimer.
Hodgson played nine games with the Sens between November 9 and December 6, 2025. He's on track to complete his second season with Belleville, which will miss the AHL playoffs this season.
Like MacDermid, he also doesn't mind the odd tussle, so the presence of both men may be welcome on Wednesday in the season finale when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit.
The Leafs have nothing to lose, so if players like Michael Pezzetta or Max Domi try to leave a mark and run around before their terrible season officially ends, the Sens will have an answer.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 12: Tristan Gray #4 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates at the plate with Matt Wallner #38 after hitting a three-run home run in the second inning of their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on April 12, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the game thread intro indicated today, the Minnesota Twins historically do not fare well against the previous year’s American League champions. Fortunately, they were able to flip the script this afternoon against veteran starter Max Scherzer and take the rubber match in Toronto against the Blue Jays.
Twins SP Taj Bradley was extremely shaky in the first inning—unable to find his command and leaving numerous pitches in the fat part of the plate. Fortunately, a successful challenge from his C Victor Caratini and a DP turned behind him let him hop off the mound only surrendering one Blue Jays run (a Daulton Varsho single scoring Ernie Clement).
The offense put traffic on the base paths (Josh Bell BB, Matt Wallner HBP) immediately in T2, then Tristan Gray allowed them to jog home after crushing a 396-foot dong off Scherzer!! For some fun context, Gray was 12 years old when Scherzer was debuting in MLB.
Kody Clemens was also 12 years of age when Mad Max hit the scene—and he also homered off the old man in T3! Not content to only let the unexpected young guys contribute, a Wallner RBI single and a Caratini sac fly chased Scherzer to the showers before he could complete the third inning.
Max’s replacement Joe Mantiply fared similarly—plunking Gray and then seeing Brooks Lee crank a 2-run double down the LF line. Add all this up and the visitors finished T3 up 8-1 over the defending champs!
Bradley wasn’t sharp this afternoon—not locating his breaking pitches anywhere near the strike zone. But staked to the large early lead, he generated enough swings and misses (7 K) to toss five innings of one-run ball.
A great moment in B6: with his parents cheering (and crying) from the Rogers Centre seats, Andrew Morris made his Twins debut. He’d cover three innings and allow one run.
Justin Topa would close it out for Minnesota.
Your Final: Minnesota Twins 8, Toronto Blue Jays 2
After sweeping the Detroit Tigers at Target Field earlier in the week, the Twins take two-of-three from the Blue Jays and are a Cleveland Guardians loss away from an early share of first place in the AL Central!
Zach’s Zealot
Of all the folks I would have never expected to do the infamous Morgan Wallen concert walk-out (he played U.S. Bank Stadium this weekend), Joe Mauer topped that list (hahaha).
Zach’s Zombie
James Outman: 0-4, 2 K, yet to collect a hit on the ‘26 season
Doug Christie will reportedly be retained as the Kings head coach.
The Sacramento Kings are retaining head coach Doug Christie after a brutal first full season in charge, according to reports.
Christie took over for the Kings on an interim basis in December 2024 following the firing of Mike Brown – putting together a respectable 27-24 finish – but fared far worse this year with Sacramento set to finish the season in the cellar of the Western Conference.
Entering Sunday’s season finale against the Blazers, the Kings are 22-59, which is tied with the similarly tanking Utah Jazz for the fourth-worst mark in the league and the worst mark in the West.
Doug Christie will reportedly be retained as the Kings’ head coach. NBAE via Getty Images
However, The Athletic was first to report the news that the Kings would be keeping Christie, who got just 19 games from Domantas Sabonis and 39 from Zach LaVine this season.
Christie, who was given the job on a full-time basis last offseason, did lead Sacramento to a more competitive finish down the stretch as the Kings have gone 8-12 over their last 20 games.
However, he and the franchise were still investigated by the league following a curious late-game decision this past week.
The Kings were INTENTIONALLY fouling Seth Curry in crunch time to lose the game…
With the Kings leading the Warriors by one point with 3:15 left on Tuesday, Doug McDermott intentionally fouled Golden State’s Seth Curry – a career 86.4 free throw shooter – putting the guard at the line for two shots.
Many saw the play as an egregious tanking offense, as the Kings have been jostling with the likes of the Jazz, Pacers, Nets and Wizards for draft lottery odds,
However, an NBA investigation later cleared Christie and the Kings, explaining that the coach instructed his team to foul because he mistakenly thought his team had a foul to give, and wanted to get in one of his ‘use it or lose it’ timeouts.
Sacramento ultimately fell 110-105 in that contest.
Christie said after a win over the Jazz last month that “tanking is the last thing” he’d do, and he has played veteran scorer DeMar DeRozan heavy minutes for much of the season.
Regardless, the Kings will learn their NBA draft fate when the lottery is held on May 10.
Apr 12, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) gestures after hitting a solo home run in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Yesterday’s loss—the Mets’ fourth in a row—sucked. No doubt about it. But we could at least comfort ourselves with the knowledge that the bats momentarily came alive, hitting three homers after falling behind early in the game. “Maybe,” we told ourselves with all the optimism that April carries, “this will be the turning point for the bats.”
Well, maybe that turning point is still to come, but it sure as hell didn’t happen today. Instead, the Mets squandered two very strong pitching performances and were held scoreless by the Athletics pitching staff, getting just four measly singles in the process. In a homestand filled with lackluster offense, today’s 1-0 loss to give the Athletics the series sweep might well have been the worst of them all.
Freddy Peralta took the mound for his fourth start as a Met, and his new team desperately needed him to be the stopper they acquired him to be. We saw some of the same inefficiency issues that are fairly commonplace for Peralta early on today, as a lengthy second inning in which he gave up a leadoff single and a two-out walk quickly ballooned his pitch count. He managed to get out of that inning unscathed, but the Athletics got on the board in the following inning when reigning Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz deposited an 0-2 curveball into the right field stands for a solo shot, giving them the 1-0 lead that they would hold for the rest of the afternoon.
Another laborious inning followed in the fourth, when a one-out walk and a double by Jeff McNeil (who has feasted on his former team this weekend) put runners on second and third with one out. The Mets were once again able to escape the damage, however—with the assistance of Carson Benge, who made a sparkling diving catch in center field with two outs to end the frame and save two runs. And to his credit, Peralta ultimately managed to bounce back from his early struggles and have one of his better outings of the season. He made it through six innings for the first time as a Met (and finished strong, with his final inning being his first 1-2-3 frame of the afternoon). He surrendered just the one run, walking three but striking out six. All things considered, the Mets would have happily signed up for this outing coming into the day.
But alas, the offense did not support him. Aaron Civale took the mound for the Athletics, and the Mets had no answer for him all afternoon. Following two singles in the first inning (one of which was erased on a strike him out, throw him out double play), Civale subsequently held the Amazins without a baserunner for the next four innings. They were finally able to get a real threat going in the sixth inning, when Civale surrendered singles to Luis Torrens and Lindor to put runners on first and second with one out. After inducing a fielder’s choice groundout to Jorge Polanco, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay went to his bullpen and brought in lefty Hogan Harris with Jared Young on-deck. Carlos Mendoza chose to respond by sending Mark Vientos to pinch-hit (despite his recent struggles following some BABIP-fueled success in the early goings of the season), and Vientos rewarded his manager for his faith by meagerly flying out to right field to end the threat and keep the Mets scoreless.
Sean Manaea took the mound after Peralta exited, and here we reach another of the silver linings from today, as it was probably the best outing of the season for the veteran lefty. He tossed three innings and retired every single batter he faced—four via strikeout—to keep the Mets in the game. But just like with Peralta before him, the offense did nothing to back up the pitching performance which gave them a chance. A combination of Harris, Scott Barlow, Elvis Alvarado, and Joel Kuhnel shut the Mets out for the final three innings of the afternoon, with just one runner reaching base (on a two-out walk in the eighth). For his part, Kuhnel required just four pitches to earn the save in the bottom of the ninth inning, as Polanco, Vientos, and Bo Bichette all weakly grounded out in their at-bats. Not exactly showing a lot of fight at the end there.
The Mets thus end the homestand at 7-9, and now they have to venture into Los Angeles to face the Dodgers. Not exactly a comforting thought right about now. We could tell you that it’s still early (and well, it is) and that Juan Soto will be back before too long, but you probably don’t want to hear it. At least many of us will be asleep for the 10:10 start times the next three days.
Big Mets winner: Freddy Peralta, +17% WPA Big Mets loser: Jorge Polanco, -25% WPA Mets pitchers: +31% WPA Mets hitters: -81% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Luis Torrens leadoff single in the sixth, +6.5% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Nick Kurtz solo homer in the third, -12.3% WPA
A miserable week came to a fitting end as a late comeback fell just short and the Yankees lost to the Rays 5-4 Sunday afternoon to complete a three-game sweep at Tropicana Field.
After they were dominated by Drew Rasmussen for six one-hit innings, the Yankees (8-7) tried to come back against the Rays bullpen, getting within 3-2 in the seventh inning and then 5-4 in the ninth when Aaron Judge crushed a two-run homer. But those rallies stalled out before they could flip the score as the Yankees dropped their sixth one-run game of the season.
“Bad weekend for us, obviously,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Staying in some close games, we got to find a way to get over the hump and obviously do a better job finishing these games off. Good compete today as far as finishing and taking some tough at-bats there down the stretch and giving ourselves a chance, but obviously we can talk all about it — we got to go out and finish off some games.”
The Yankees finished with seven hits Sunday — six in the final three innings — while mustering only 13 runs and 25 hits across their five-game losing streak, undoing much of their dominant 7-1 start to the season.
Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees reacts after giving up a hit against the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on April 10, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Getty Images
“Every game matters, we know that,” Judge said. “We talk about it every season, we’ll talk about it every single month when we have tough losses like this. It’s nothing new for us. But it’s baseball. We just got to show up the next day and right the ship. You got to have a short memory and move on to the next one. It’s tough, but that game’s over with. Nothing we can do about it.”
The speedy, pesky Rays (8-7) outplayed the Yankees all weekend — leaning especially on their well-executed small ball — and Sunday was no exception. They had no problem catching up to Cam Schlittler’s heat, touching him for a season-high seven hits and three runs across five innings to build a 3-0 lead.
Then, after the Yankees got within 3-2 in the seventh inning, the Rays added on with single runs in the seventh (against Ryan Yarbrough and Camilo Doval) and eighth (against Brent Headrick) innings, refusing to give up any kind of momentum — in line with what they did all weekend. Of the six innings (that included bottom halves) in which the Yankees scored this series, the Rays scored at least one run in five of them.
Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson (14) reacts after hitting a triple against the New York Yankees in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
After Judge’s two-run shot in the top of the ninth, Rays reliever Mason Englert retired the next two batters before Amed Rosario came within a few feet of tying it, instead settling for a double off the center field wall. The Rays then intentionally walked Austin Wells to bring up the scuffling Ryan McMahon, who had singled and smoked a flyout in his last two at-bats.
With Paul Goldschmidt the last man left on the bench — using him to pinch hit him would have meant moving Amed Rosario from right field to third base and losing the DH so Judge could play right — Aaron Boone stuck with McMahon, who grounded out on the first pitch he saw to end it.
“I’ve been a little late on the fastball, so I was trying to get ready for the fastball and he threw a changeup on a good line for a heater and I was a little bit out front,” said McMahon, who is now 4-for-35 to start the season, but far from the only Yankee yet to take off.
The Yankees had rallied in the seventh inning after Rasmussen — who now owns a career 1.03 ERA in 43 ²/₃ innings against them — retired 14 straight to end his outing. They got an RBI single from Cody Bellinger and an RBI groundout from pinch hitter Giancarlo Stanton to get within 3-2 in the seventh.
Austin Wells then pinch hit for J.C. Escarra and put a charge into a ball at 106.6 mph, but the line drive went right to left fielder Chandler Simpson (who killed the Yankees all series with his bat and legs) for the final out.
“It’s a tough game and we’re expected to go out there and win,” Judge said. “We’re expected to go out there and put our team in the best position. When things aren’t going your way, guys try to do a little extra. We’re going to be in a good spot. It’s been an up-and-down year so far but it’s still early. Guys are having great at-bats, I see a lot of bright things going on in the season and we’re going to change it.”
For a sport that obsesses over mountains of data, and analyzes players on the most minuscule of scales, baseball can still be full of mysterious performance issues and physiological disconnects.
The one facing the Dodgers right now: What to make of Edwin Díaz’s decreased fastball velocity early this season?
Coming off his blockbuster $69 million signing over the winter, Díaz has begun his debut Dodgers campaign facing a familiar –– yet disconcerting –– battle with his heater, which has averaged only 95.8 mph in his first six appearances.
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz has seen a notable drop in the speed of his fastball at the outset of this season. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post
Thus, as manager Dave Roberts said Sunday, the team is taking a more cautious approach with the right-hander’s workload for now, “treading lightly” with how they use him as he works to regain his typically dominant form.
“It’s a day-to-day thing,” said Roberts, who bypassed Diaz in a save situation Saturday following his 23-pitch effort the night prior. “Just trying to also, like we’ve done many times, play the long game with our guys.”
While the Dodgers didn’t have a save opportunity in Sunday’s loss to the Rangers, Roberts was asked postgame if Díaz would have been available.
“I don’t know,” Roberts said. “I’m gonna keep that one to myself.”
For Díaz, such early-season fastball problems aren’t anything new.
Since returning from a knee injury that cost him all of the 2023 season, he has dealt with a drop in fastball velocity at the start of each of the last two years.
FWIW, Díaz said he's had early-season velo issues since his 2023 knee injury –– but has always gotten his fastball to tick back up as the year goes on
It's lower than usual this month (95.8 mph), but he remained unconcerned
In April 2024, the pitch averaged just 96.9 mph, before ticking up to 98 mph by June. Last April, Díaz’s heater was only sitting at 96.3 mph, before getting back to 98 mph in August.
“The last couple years, it’s been like that,” the 32-year-old veteran said. “It starts kinda slow. And then as the season goes, my velo comes back to normal.”
Because of that, Díaz said Sunday morning that he was confident his stuff would eventually improve –– even though he couldn’t put his finger on exactly why his fastball has become a recurring early-season problem.
One factor he unequivocally ruled out: An injury, repeatedly stating that he feels “great” physically while refuting a suggestion he might be dead-armed after pitching in this spring’s World Baseball Classic.
“I don’t think my arm is dead,” Díaz said. “It’s just something that I’ve been bothered by the last couple years getting into it. And then, like I said, when the season starts going, I feel way better.”
For now, the Dodgers are trying to be similarly optimistic.
While Roberts said Díaz’s issues weren’t mechanical, he also downplayed any injury worries Sunday, saying his concern level was low and that “it’s not an IL thing we’re talking about.”
Instead, he framed the Dodgers’ approach as simply an opening-month precaution, explaining that the team wants to be careful with its closer until he starts throwing the ball as advertised once again.
“I am confident right now,” Roberts said. “Everything I hear is that he feels fine. I think for me, you hear it, you want to completely trust it. But then you’re also looking at the gun and making sure. So we’re kind of treading lightly and giving him the benefit of the doubt. But still watching.”
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 12: Taylor Walls #6 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates scoring with Junior Caminero #13 as Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees reacts in the background during the second inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on April 12, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Over the last several seasons, the Yankees have attempted a teambuilding approach that is less reliant on pure power and more resilient against the kinds of teams which have given them fits: speedy teams that put the ball in play and cover ground in the field. A team like, say, the Tampa Bay Rays. And yet despite their greatest efforts, every season has at least a few series where Tampa crushes their souls by simply getting runners on, over, and in — while doing just enough to keep the Yankee offense at bay. They continued their futility in close games with a 5-4 loss to cap off a weekend from hell at Tropicana Field. The Yankees have lost five consecutive games, nearly eradicating their 8-2 start and destroying their early lead in the AL East.
After the Yankees built and squandered early leads the previous two nights, I suppose they were thinking differently this time around. The top of the order went down easily against Drew Rasmussen, then back-to-back singles off Cam Schlittler set the table for a Yandy Diaz RBI groundout to immediately put the Rays ahead. A leadoff double in reply from Jazz Chisholm Jr. was wasted when Randal Grichuk and J.C. Escarra, who had a combined zero hits entering action, both failed to scratch one across.
Tampa didn’t see what was so hard about it. Cedric Mullins led off the home second with a triple, then sprinted home on a Richie Palacios grounder. Annoyingly, the Yankees had pulled the infield in to cut down Mullins at the plate, but José Caballero failed to handle the transfer cleanly, allowing the former Oriole to score without a play.
The torment continued. Eternal pest Taylor Walls slapped a single, then stole second, continuing a theme of the Rays running roughshod on New York all series. That meant all Chandler Simpson had to do was flip a ball to the opposite field, scoring Walls ahead of Cody Bellinger’s throw. As ever, the Rays’ offense was agile, maneuverable, and at its best with opportunities to score baserunners. The Yankee offense continued sleepwalking, waiting for a perfect pitch that never came.
The top of the fourth was a perfect example of their malaise. Ben Rice and Aaron Judge worked full counts against Rasmussen, only to both go down looking on the payoff delivery. Rice even volunteered an extremely ill-advised challenge in a vain attempt to earn a walk, burning the Yankees’ first ABS review and giving them no margin for error the rest of the way. If we weighed this team on the sliding scale between aggression and passivity, the scale would be tilted all the way to the right.
Chisholm’s double was the Yankees’ only hit until a home run from — who else — Ben Rice finally got the Yankees on the board. Well, that’s what I would say, but following a review, the home run was reverted to a double. Thankfully, the loud sound off Rice’s bat finally woke the Yanks up. After Judge walked, Cody Bellinger plated the run which was promised with a base hit to left. A productive out from Jazz put the tying run in scoring position.
Kevin Cash made the call to relieve righty Cole Sulser with lefty Kevin Kelly, at which point Aaron Boone responded by pinch-hitting Giancarlo Stanton in Grichuk’s spot. While he didn’t bring the thunder, his grounder to second was sufficient to score Judge and bring the Yanks back within one. Austin Wells drew in for Escarra and nearly tied the game with another opposite field knock, but Simpson, the villain du jour, tracked it down to retire the side. He immediately led off the following half-inning with a triple. Junior Caminero followed with a sac fly. It really is as simple as that.
You’ll never believe what happened in the eighth. The Rays got a runner on, advanced him into scoring position, then scored him on a bunt single… sorry, what? You’re telling me that’s exactly what you expected? You’re telling me that you could not have pictured a more typical possible occurrence in a Yankees-Rays game? Well… fair enough. But you deserve to know it happened. The scoreboard read 5-2 after Brent Headrick finally got himself out with a double play.
That insurance run loomed large in the ninth, when Aaron Judge took his frustrations out on a Mason Englert fastball. Judge’s fourth home run of the season snuck over the right field wall — just about exactly where Rice’s non-homer landed, except beyond the fence. There was even a runner on base when he did it, but because of that Caminero sac fly, the Yankees still trailed 5-4.
Jazz was robbed of a hit by second baseman Ben Williamson to bring the Bombers down to their final out. Then Amed Rosario, bless his heart, doubled to center to give the Yankees a pulse. That was where the fun ended. Another of this team’s consistent killers, the bottom of the order, came home to roost yet again. Ryan McMahon took a mighty hack at the first pitch. The ball trickled easily to second base, and the Yankees lost. No wonder.
Tomorrow, the Yankees return to the Bronx to host the Angels. Will leaving the house of horrors known as Tropicana Field break them out of this funk? The Yanks will give the ball to Will Warren against veteran lefty Yusei Kikuchi. First pitch is due for 7:05 pm on YES.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 11: Sam Merrill #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots a three-point basket over Jamir Watkins #5 of the Washington Wizards during the second half at Rocket Arena on February 11, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Cleveland Cavaliers at 6 p.m. tonight in the final game of the regular season. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 2: Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball during the game against the LA Clippers on March 2, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors close out the regular season with Sunday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers. The game is set for 5:30 PM PT in Los Angeles and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Despite getting Steph Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford back in the lineup, Golden State lost Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, 124–118.
The team’s lack of cohesion together showed as the Warriors struggled to find rhythm early on. Sacramento built a 63–51 halftime lead, but Golden State responded with a strong third quarter, outscoring the Kings by 19 to climb back into the game.
However, it wasn’t enough. Curry was pulled midway through the fourth quarter with the game tied 98-98 after tweaking his ankle in the first half. Sacramento took control from there, pulling away behind Devin Carter’s team-high 29-point performance.
Curry and Porzingis each finished with 11 points in roughly 26 minutes of action. Brandin Podziemski was the Warriors’ leading scorer, recording a career-high with 30 points.
"The account can be activated now." 😂
Brandin Podziemski got to the free throw line with 29 points and 4.5 seconds to go, and EVERYONE knew what was on the line.
"Everyone on the bench started looking at me… they've just been giving me a hard time about it all year." pic.twitter.com/gCgFccjEHD
The Warriors enter the regular season finale locked into the 10th seed in the Western Conference standings, meaning any chance for the postseason will have to go through the Play-In Tournament.
As it stands, the Clippers are the Warriors’ most likely opponent in the first play-in game. The only scenario that changes that outcome would involve a Clippers win paired with a Portland Trail Blazers loss, which would send Golden State to Portland instead.
Still 4 seeds to be determined in the West!
🍿 Nuggets can finish in 3 or 4 spot 🍿 Lakers can finish in 3 or 4 spot 🍿 3-seed will take on #6 Minnesota in Round 1 🍿 4-seed will take on #5 Houston in Round 1
Because of that, Sunday’s game carries a bit of a balancing act. The Warriors won’t want to reveal too much strategically against a potential play-in opponent, but they also need to continue ramping up players returning from injury.
That includes Curry, who is expected to handle a normal workload as Golden State looks to build some rhythm heading into next week.
Steph Curry officially cleared for the Warriors finale in LA tomorrow night. He said he’d like a normal minute load vs Clippers to get ready for play-in. https://t.co/RQ4155jS7r
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The last game of the 2025-26 NBA season is finally upon us.
After a whirlwind year, Nikola Jokić’s Denver Nuggets will take on Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center tonight for one more contest between the Western Conference rivals.
In their last meeting, the streaking Nuggets won a 136-134 overtime thriller in Denver on April 4. The Joker led the way with a 40-point, 13 assist and eight rebound effort.
That heroic nail biter victory was David Adelman’s squad’s eighth consecutive dub. By coming out on top, they also snapped San Antonio’s 11-game win streak.
“I would pay to watch these two teams play,” Adelman said in a press conference after the high-altitude, high-octane showdown.
Nuggets vs. Spurs: what to know
When: April 12, 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Frost Bank Center (San Antonio, TX)
Channel: ESPN
Streaming: Sling TV (try a 1-Day Pass)
Don’t miss this one- Wemby and Joker just might have one more trick up their sleeves.
Nuggets vs. Spurs start time:
The Nuggets vs. Spurs game tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET today (April 12).
If you just want to tune into today’s game without a full subscription, you can try a Sling TV Orange Day Pass. For just $4.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including ESPN.
TRY SLING TV 1-DAY PASS
DIRECTV is another great service to try — its five-day free trial includes ESPN (plus every other channel you’ll need for the NBA season).
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 12: Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field on April 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics defeated the Mets 1-0, completing a sweep of New York’s national league team for the first time in franchise history.
Having won the first two games of their series against the New York Mets, the Athletics sent right-hander Aaron Civale to the mound with a series sweep on their minds. On the other side, the Mets countered with their prized offseason pitching acquisition Freddy Peralta, hoping to snap their four-game losing streak and avoid being swept.
Both pitchers threw scoreless first innings. Civale allowed two hits, but no runs. The A’s turned a nifty strike them out, throw them out double play and then Civale struck out the Mets third baseman Bo Bichette to strand a runner on second base.
In the second inning, the A’s had their first scoring chance of the game. They made Peralta throw a lot of pitches and got runners on third and second with two outs, only for center fielder Denzel Clarke to strikeout to end the inning.
The next inning, the A’s broke the deadlock. First baseman Nick Kurtz hit his first home run of the year, a solo shot to right field. Cue the elephant mask! Churn that butter!
Since he hit 36 homers last year, A’s fans probably did not expect the reigning American League Rookie of the Year’s first home run to not come until the 15th game of the season. With the A’s returning to the hitters paradise that is West Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park tomorrow, today will likely not be the only game in which Kurtz hits a home run this week.
Civale kept the Mets off the board in the bottom of the third, recording a nine-pitch shutdown inning. Then, the A’s attempted to increase their lead in the fourth against Peralta. Third baseman Max Muncy walked and second baseman Jeff McNeil doubled, putting runners on second and third with only one out.
The Mets pitcher escaped the jam unscathed in large part thanks to his center fielder Carson Benge, who made a sensational diving catch to rob A’s center fielder Denzel Clarke of a two-RBI base hit. That outstanding defensive play ensured the visitors remained hitless with runners in scoring position in this matchup.
Peralta kept the Mets close, pitching six innings of one-run ball. His counterpart Civale continued to work efficiently and effectively, protecting the A’s slim lead. He kept the Mets off the board the first five innings, only throwing 61 pitches. The Mets lineup is missing its anchor, injured superstar Juan Soto, yet the team still has stars Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette leading the way offensively.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay removed Civale for left-handed reliever Hogan Harris with two Mets on base and two outs. At 75 pitches thrown with only four hits allowed and zero runs, the A’s starter likely had enough left in the tank to attempt to get the last out. Nevertheless, Kotsay’s risky move worked as Harris got New York’s pinch hitter Mark Vientos to hit an inning-ending fly out.
The game turned into a battle of the bullpens. In the bottom of the seventh, former A’s player Marcus Semien hit a deep fly ball to left field off A’s reliever Scott Barlow. It fortunately stayed in the park and left fielder Tyler Soderstrom made the catch. Speaking of former A’s, left-hander Sean Manaea accumulated four strikeouts over three scoreless innings in relief.
The A’s lack of offense after the fourth inning did not come back to bite them. Lawrence Butler made a nice sliding catch in right field to rob a potential double in the eighth inning and then Joel Kuhnel retired the Mets in order in the ninth to earn his second save with the Athletics.
Going 5-1 in New York City means the tied for first place 8-7 A’s can enjoy a happy flight back to Sacramento. Tomorrow, the team begins its second home series of the season against the Texas Rangers. It should be a great pitching matchup as Luis Severino will be opposed by Nathan Eovaldi. Look for the team to build on its road success as the A’s aim to cement themselves as a squad to be taken seriously this campaign.
First, the bad news: The Mets dropped their fifth straight game Sunday, as they were swept by the A’s, finished off by a 1-0 defeat.
Now, for more bad news: As if the ugly stretch at home wasn’t enough, the Mets open a three-game series against the two-time defending champion Dodgers in Los Angeles on Monday.
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On the bright side, at least they won’t get booed for a while, as they were at the end of Sunday’s snoozefest, their second shutout loss in the last three games, as the offense struggles without the injured Juan Soto.
“I’ve been part of big expectations and slower starts offensively,’’ Bo Bichette said. “Nobody likes losing. That’s the best I can put it. But if we’ve got our heads down or worry too much about this, we’ve got bigger issues.”
This latest defeat, which dropped them to 7-9 and finished a homestand in which they lost five of six, came with Freddy Peralta on the mound, and the right-hander was hardly at fault this time around.
Peralta held the A’s to one run over six innings, allowing just a solo homer to Nick Kurtz in the third inning.
Again, the culprit was the nonexistent Mets offense, which has been dormant for nearly the entire losing streak.
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) is caught stealing during the first inning against the A’s on April 12, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Right-hander Aaron Civale retired 13 straight following Jared Young’s two-out single in the first.
After the Mets wasted that scoring chance, with Bichette striking out with a pair of runners on, they didn’t have another base runner until Luis Torrens singled to open the sixth.
With one out, Francisco Lindor picked up his second hit of the day.
But Jorge Polanco grounded into a force, and with runners on the corners against lefty Hogan Harris, pinch hitter Mark Vientos flied to right and the Mets didn’t threaten again.
Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19) reacts as he walks back to the dugout after striking out swinging during the seventh inning on April 12, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
They had the bottom of the lineup up in the eighth, and Carlos Mendoza opted to stick with Carson Benge, Luis Torrens and Tyrone Taylor, in part because Luis Robert Jr. was unavailable to do anything but take one at-bat, as the Mets wanted to rest him after playing five consecutive games.
Taylor walked with two outs to extend the inning, but Lindor grounded out.
“It was a tough homestand overall offensively,’’ Mendoza said. “We came back from that road trip feeling good about the way we were swinging the bat. We win the first game here [and] then have a hard time scoring from there.”
The manager noted Sunday the Mets were “at times chasing, passive, in between. There were a few innings of noncompetitive at-bats.”
Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) gives up a solo home run to Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) during the third inning on April 12, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
That led to little traffic on the bases and a long losing streak, as they didn’t drop five in a row last year until mid-June.
“We had some balls hit hard with a little bad luck,’’ Bichette said. “This team is really talented. We’re gonna score runs… We’ll be all right.”
On Sunday, they wasted a solid outing by Peralta, who allowed one run in six innings.
Mets outfielder Carson Benge (3) catches a fly out by Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke (1) during the fourth inning on April 12, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The damage came on a one-out solo shot to Nick Kurtz on an 0-2 curveball.
The right-hander pitched out of trouble in the second inning, as well as the fourth — when Benge robbed Denzel Clarke of a two-run single with an outstanding diving catch in shallow center — before the Mets got three perfect innings from Sean Manaea out of the bullpen.
“I know we are way better than this,’’ Peralta said. “I know we have a great team and believe in each other. The time is gonna come. I know people want us to win, and we want to win, too. This is baseball. We’ve got to get through these moments.”
The Mets were swept at home by the Athletics after being shut out, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
Here are the takeaways...
-- After Saturday's slugfest, the two teams were locked in a pitcher's duel in this one as Freddy Peralta and Aaron Civale went toe-to-toe against each other in a low-scoring affair. Peralta allowed the only run between the two when Nick Kurtz took him deep for a solo shot in the third inning for the reigning AL ROTY's first home run of the season and his first hit in the series.
That would end up being Peralta's only blemish of the afternoon as he turned in his best start as a Met by going six innings and allowing four hits, three walks and striking out six on 100 pitches (64 strikes). The right-hander completed six innings for the first time this season, helped out by a 12-pitch sixth which was his first 1-2-3 inning of the day, and got better as the game went on. He lowered his season ERA to 3.86.
-- Peralta pitched well enough for the win but he exited with New York trailing 1-0 thanks to Civale getting the best of the Mets hitters. After allowing two hits in the first inning, Civale retired 13 batters in a row before Luis Torrens' eight-pitch leadoff single in the sixth inning. Prior to that at-bat, Civale was cruising and had thrown 61 pitches through five innings.
Suddenly, though, New York was threatening after Francisco Lindor got his second hit of the game to put runners at first and second with one out. After Jorge Polanco grounded into a force out, the A's turned to their bullpen and brought in left-hander Hogan Harris for the lefty Jared Young. The Mets countered with pinch-hitter Mark Vientos, who was 0-for-15 on the homestand, and he flied out to end the inning.
-- As he's done all season, Sean Manaea entered the game following Peralta's departure and pitched multiple innings in a piggyback-type situation. The left-hander was dominant in his three innings of work, retiring every batter he faced and striking out four. He needed just 41 pitches (33 strikes) to do it and gave his team a chance, leaving it in the hands of New York's offense to scratch out some runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Instead, the Mets made three quick outs on the ground and were swept by the A's, ending a 1-5 homestand in which they lost the last five games in a row.
-- Carson Benge, playing center field for just the third time this year, showed off his glove in the top of the fourth inning on a terrific diving catch on a blooper headed into no-man's land that would've resulted in two runs scoring. On a similar ball hit in the first inning, Benge broke in, stutter-stepped and was unable to come up with it on the dive attempt.
-- Lindor went 2-for-3 at the plate to extend his hitting streak to four games and had half of the Mets' hits. His first hit came leading off the first inning, but he was erased on the next batter trying to steal second on a strike him out, throw him out double play.
Game MVP: Sean Manaea
Manaea pitched wonderfully and is forcing the Mets to make a decision in the starting rotation with other pitchers not pitching great.
The Mets head out to Los Angeles to begin a three-game series against the Dodgers on Monday night as part of a six-game road trip. First pitch is set for 10:10 p.m. on SNY.
LHP David Peterson (0-2, 6.14 ERA) will go for New York while the Dodgers have yet to announce a starter.
The Yankees dropped their fifth straight game, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday by a score of 5-4.
Here are the key takeaways…
-- Aaron Judge has been mired in an early-season slump, but he made things very interesting in the ninth inning. With the Rays up 5-2, Judge worked a full count and then demolished a two-run homer to right-center, sending one 415 feet to make it a one-run game. Later. with two outs, Jose Caballero lined one just over the reach of Cedric Mullins in center for a double, putting the tying run in scoring position with two outs.
After an intentional walk to Austin Wells, the Rays went after Ryan McMahon, who grounded out on one pitch to end the game and continue his early-season woes.
-- Cam Schlittler allowed singles to the first two batters he faced, and a Yandy Diaz groundout gave Rays an early 1-0 lead.Mullins then led off the second with a triple, and even with infield in, Mullins scored on groundout to shortstop. Chandler Simpson added anRBI single later in the inning, and the Rays were putting pressure on Schlittler early, up 3-0 after two. The Rays had five hits against Schlittler in the first two innings.
Schlittler settled in after the bumpy start, but ended up going just 5.0 innings (85 pitches), allowing three earned runs on seven hits, striking out eight and walking one.
-- It was another tough day at the office for the Yankees’ bats, at least in the early going. Rays starter Drew Rasmussen allowed just one hit, a Jazz Chisholm Jr. double, through his first five innings of work, striking out five to that point.
Following the Chisholm double, Rasmussen retired 14 Yankees in a row, as he ended up going 6.0 innings while allowing just one hit. He struck out seven and didn't walk a batter.
-- But the tide started to change in the seventh. After Ben Rice appeared to hit a solo home run, replay showed it was actually a ground-rule double as the ball got stuck in the top of the wall. But the Yankees capitalized with a Cody Bellinger RBI single to make it a 3-1 game. Later in the inning, with runners at second and third and one out, pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton drove in another run with an RBI groundout, butWells left a runner stranded at third base with two-away, which would have been the tying run.
The next half inning, Chandler Simpson led off with a triple and came in to score on a Junior Caminero sac fly, and just like that, a potential tie game became a two-run Rays lead. The Rays added another run in the eighth, and that ultimately proved to be the winning run.
The Yankees head back to the Bronx for a seven-game homestand, playing the first of four games against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night at 7:05 p.m.
Apr 12, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) walks off the field after pitching against the New York Yankees in the third inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
I know this has been said a dozen different ways by people much more eloquent than myself, but my goodness is it ever nice to see games played at the Trop again. Haters gonna hate, but that place is special, and it’s so nice to see games under the dome again.
The Rays were wrapping up their weekend series against the Yankees, with Drew Rasmussen on the mound. A belated congrats to Drew and his family in welcoming his second child, which was why he missed his last start. Congrats to Drew and Stevie! Rasmssen was facing off against Cam Schlittler for the Yankees. Schlittler has had a strong start to the young season, so the Rays would need to get to him early.
Rasmussen got things started with a nice 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first. Into the home half, the Rays wasted no time putting pressure on their foes as Chandler Simpson hit a leadoff single. Junior Caminero singled right behind him, sending the speedy Simpson from first to third. With one out, Yandy Diaz grounded out, but it was enough for Simpson to make it home and score the first run of the game. They’d need to settle for just the one run, but it was a good start.
The Yankees made their first effort to get something going in the second with a one-out double from Jazz Chisholm Jr. But two outs quickly followed to leave the runner stranded and the Yanks scoreless. In the home half, the Rays weren’t willing to rest on just one run. Cedric Mullins got a leadoff triple. A Richie Palacios groundout scored Mullins.
Taylor Walls then singled, and right after that, he stole second. With two outs in the inning, Simpson came up and singled, bringing Walls home. Then, Simpson being Simpson, he stole second. No additional runs scored, but the Rays were up 3-0 at the end of the inning.
Rasmussen continued to deal against the Yankees, getting them three-up and three-down in the top of the third. In the home half, with one out, Yandy Diaz took a walk. After another out, Mullins hit a long fly that went right to the warning track but ended up just being the final out of the inning.
The Yankees started the fourth by losing an ABS challenge. Three outs in a row put the Yankees right back in their dugout. However, in the home half, it was much the same story for the Rays, going down in order.
In the fifth, Rasmussen showed no signs of slowing down against the Yankees, getting them out in order. He had some help this inning with a truly magnificent catch by Palacios for the second out of the inning.
In the home half, Caminero got a one-out single. Then, with two outs, Diaz singled. But with two on, the Rays weren’t able to convert the baserunners.
Things just continued to motor along for Rasmussen as he once against made short work of the Yankees in the top of the sixth. Old friend Ryan Yarbrough was in for the Yankees in the bottom of the inning. Fun story, several years ago the Rays did an audio pronunciation guide for player names, where everyone had to say their own name. This helps broadcasters properly pronounce everyone’s names. Anyway, I’m not sure Ryan understood what he was being asked to do, because in his recording he said, “Ryan Yarbrough?” with a very audible question at the end. So for the rest of time he will forever be Ryan Yarbrough? to me. He gave up a two-out single to Taylor Walls, but the Rays couldn’t make anything work with that.
Drew Rasmussen’s day was done with a final line of 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K on 76 pitches. Really nice outing from Drew, nice to see him get some real run support and fielding support behind it. Cole Sulser came on for the Rays in relief and unfortunately gave up a leadoff home run to Ben Rice. Kevin Cash then came out and argued that because the ball didn’t cross over the yellow poles it went into the outfield padding. The home run was overturned sending Rice back to second base on the new ground rule double. Aaron Judge walked. Cody Bellinger then singled, bringing that Rice run back in again. All with no outs, begging the question if it’s too late to bring Rasmussen back out. A groundout moved both baserunners into scoring position. This, of course, was when the Yankees decided to bring in Giacarlo Stanton and Kevin Cash made a quick move to pull the struggling Sulser. Kevin Kelly came out next, and while Stanton grounded out, he did get Judge home. A sharp lineout to left then ended the inning, but the score had gotten a lot closer than I think anyone would like it to be.
Chandler Simpson got the home half of the seventh going with a triple, chasing Ryan Yarbrough from the game. Camilo Doval was the next reliver out of the Yankees’ pen. Caminero hit a sac fly into left to bring Simpson home. They weren’t able to get any additional runs, but they were happy to get at least one back.
Ryan McMahon singled to start the top of the eighth. Jose Caballero then grounded into a double play. The Yankees couldn’t manage to get anyone else on base. In the home half, Brent Headrick was the next reliever out. He gave up a leadoff single to Jake Fraley. A sac bunt from Mullins did exactly what it was meant to, getting Fraley to second. A pinch-hitting Ben Williamson came on, singling, and getting Fraley over to third. Walls then came up to put down the second bunt of the inning, it was ruled a fielder’s choice as Fraley got home and everyone else was safe on base. A double play then ended the inning, but the Rays had regained their three-run lead.
Turns out they’d really need that buffer. Mason Englert was the next reliever up for the Rays. Ben Rice singled, followed by an Aaron Judge home run, and suddenly it was back to being a one-run game. Chisholm then hit a ball right down the first base line that Williamson hustled to get over to and got to first in time for the out. With two outs Amed Rosario hit a double out to center that should have been caught by Mullins but it went right over his head, literally. I am now reminded, as well, that while it’s nice to play games at the Trop, playing against the Yankees at the Trop is the worst because of the crowd noise. Austin Wells was intentionally walked to put two on. The gambit paid off as McMahon grounded out to end the inning and the Rays held onto their lead, just barely, to sweep the series.
