Carlos Rodon made his second rehab start, this time with Somerset, on Thursday night and was dominant.
The Yankees southpaw struck out four batters in his first two innings, including the side in the second. Portland's Nelly Taylor ambushed Rodon to lead off the third, lining a single to right field. Rodon bounced back, getting the next three batters out in order with his fifth strikeout included.
Portland would get a one-out hit off of Rodon in the fourth, and that runner would reach second on a passed ball. But Rodon left them stranded, and pushing his scoreless innings to four. But that wouldn't last long, as Miguel Bleis homered to lead off the fifth and end Rodon's shutout. Rodon shrugged it off to get through the inning, but seemingly ran out of gas in the sixth. After three straight balls, Franklin Arias lined a single to lead off the sixth. Marvin Alcantara followed with a single. Rodon got Nate Baez to fly out before he was replaced after 75 pitches (51 strikes). The runners he left did not score, putting an end to Rodon's night.
Rodon allowed one run on five hits while striking out eight batters across 5.1 innings.
Rodon is close to returning to the Yankees rotation after two successful rehab starts. However, manager Aaron Boone is pumping the brakes on any thought Rodon could make a start with the big league club as early as May 5.
The Yankees will take their time with Rodon since they have enough depth to withstand it, and will hope to continue to build their southpaw up.
Rodon threw 65 pitches (43 strikes), allowed one hit while striking out four in 4.1 scoreless innings in his first rehab start with High-A Hudson Valley last Friday.
New York was hoping to stretch Rodon out to around 75 and they got their wish. It's likely Rodon will have at least one more rehab appearance, but the Yankees will see how Rodon feels coming off this start before determining next steps.
Carlos Rodon pitched into the sixth inning and struck out 8️⃣ batters in his second MLB rehab start.
After a short and disappointing playoff run that ended in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators fans may be looking for something, anything, to cheer for over the next month and a half.
For those fans who like to keep an eye on the players who used to wear the Centurion crest, there are still a number of former Senators in play to win a Cup this year.
Brady Tkachuk says the dialogue about his NHL future has become a frustrating distraction.
Dallas vs. Minnesota
It’s hard to believe Matt Duchene has been gone from the Senators for seven seasons now and is easily the most productive player on this list. He has eight points in five playoff games, good for a share of third in the league. Duchene was traded to Columbus back in 2019 for Vitaly Abramov, Jonathan Davidsson, and a first-round draft pick that would turn out to be Lassi Thomson.
For Minnesota, a pair of former Senator veteran wingers are still plugging away. Nick Foligno and Vladimir Tarasenko both have one point in five games. Goalie Filip Gustavsson has had a front-row seat to this series. He has been on the bench for every game, wearing the ball cap, while 23-year-old Jesper Wallstedt has played every minute for the Wild.
Edmonton vs. Anaheim
The only former Senator in this series is Ottawa’s former first-round draft pick, Curtis Lazar, who has no points in four games for the Oilers. Lazar was once seen as a real blue-chip prospect, and though he never quite lived up to his first-round billing here or anywhere else, he deserves credit for carving out a solid NHL career with over 600 games and counting.
Montreal vs. Tampa Bay
The Lightning have a pair of former Senators playing in this series. "Nick Paul does it all," but he hasn’t gotten on the scoresheet in this series, with no points in four games. Tough guy Scott Sabourin has no points in two games.
Paul was traded away by Ottawa in 2022 for Mathieu Joseph and a fourth-rounder that would turn into Blake Montgomery, who just started his pro career playing a few games at the end of the season with the Belleville Senators.
Buffalo vs. Boston
Former Senator Josh Norris is back in a familiar spot to Sens fans, and unfortunately, that is the injured list. He’s missed the last three games with injury and has no points in two games, but he is expected to return for Game 6 of the Bruins-Sabres series. Of course, Norris was famously traded away at the deadline last year in a multiplayer deal that saw the Senators land Dylan Cozens.
For Boston, three players have former Senator ties. Mark Kastelic, who brings toughness to the fourth line, just as he did here, has one point in five games in this series and 11 penalty minutes. He was sent to Boston from Ottawa in the Linus Ullmark deal, as was goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who has only played 13 minutes in the series in relief of Jeremy Swayman.
Jonathan Aspirot has been a revelation for the Bruins. After four years in Ottawa's organization with Belleville and then two more AHL seasons with Calgary, he ended up with the Bruins this season. And when they had a rash of injuries, Aspirot got his shot. He's played in all five games for Boston and has two assists.
Vegas vs. Utah
Mark Stone has four points in five games for Vegas. Stone has certainly been injury prone with Vegas, routinely missing significant time during the regular season. However, he always seems to find a way to be ready for the playoffs, and while probably held together with bubble gum and binder twine, Stone has four points in five games for Vegas so far.
Since he was once property of the Senators for less than a week, we also need to include Utah defenseman Ian Cole on this list. He has 2 points in five games for the Mammoth. In 2018, Cole was traded to Ottawa when the Sens dealt Derick Brassard to Pittsburgh in a multi-player deal for Filip Gustavsson and a first-rounder.
Three days later, Cole was shipped to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Nick Moutrey and a third. The Sens might have held out for a little more if they knew that Cole was going to play another eight years in the league.
So there it is. If you're looking for a reason to stay invested this spring, those are the familiar names still chasing the Stanley Cup. Live vicariously, my friends.
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:
Apr 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop Nasim Nunez (26) scores from first base against the Milwaukee Brewers in the ninth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are back on the road, as they’ll face their first repeat opponent of the season in the Washington Nationals. Three weekends ago, the Brewers were swept by the Nationals at home, as they stretched their losing streak to five after being outscored 18-10 over the three-game set. They’ll look to avoid a repeat of that series this weekend in Washington, D.C.
Since that sweep a few weeks ago, the Brewers have gone 8-7, with series wins over the Blue Jays, Marlins, and D-backs but series losses to the Tigers and Pirates. They sit at 16-14 on the season. On the other side, Washington has gone 8-9, with series wins over the White Sox and Mets, series losses to the Braves and Giants, and a four-game split with the Pirates. They sit at 15-17 on the season.
Since that last series, the Brewers have lost a few more key players to injury. Christian Yelich went down in the series finale against Washington, and he’s still shelved with a groin strain. Pitchers Angel Zerpa and Brandon Woodruff both went down this week, as Zerpa is reportedly expected to miss a big chunk of time with forearm tightness, and Woodruff exited his start early with diminished velocity — it’s unknown at this time if there’s an injury, but regardless, there’s cause for concern. Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn are both on rehab assignments with Triple-A Nashville, and the Brewers expect them to return to the team on Monday in St. Louis. Quinn Priester, Rob Zastryzny, and Jared Koenig are also out, with Priester the closest to returning as he’s also on a rehab assignment.
Washington’s IL is filled with pitchers, as they’re without Clayton Beeter, Josiah Gray, DJ Herz, Cole Henry, Trevor Williams, Ken Waldichuk, Travis Sykora, and Jarlin Susana. All of those players are out for extended periods, with Beeter likely the first one back. He went on the IL earlier this week as he deals with forearm soreness, but MRI results revealed no structural damage, and the team expects a mid- to late-May return.
While the Brewers still haven’t found a true power stroke over the last couple of weeks, the team found a way to score 13 runs on both Tuesday and Thursday in wins over Arizona. Brice Turang leads the offense with a .291/.422/.505 line, with four homers, eight doubles, 20 RBIs, 26 runs, and seven steals. Gary Sánchez, Jake Bauers, William Contreras, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, and the recently recalled Tyler Black have also been key contributors of late. David Hamilton and Luis Rengifo have both shown flashes of potential in the last week, and Greg Jones, Brandon Lockridge, Joey Ortiz, and Blake Perkins round out the active roster. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .241/.338/.364 (.702 OPS ranks 20th), with 22 homers (28th), 160 runs (sixth), and 36 steals (tied for first).
The young Nationals lineup is paced by CJ Abrams and James Wood. Wood leads the team with 10 homers and seven doubles this year, while Abrams leads in most other categories, as he’s hitting .296/.405/.556 with eight homers, four doubles, 26 RBIs, 16 runs, and five steals. Brady House, Keibert Ruiz, Curtis Mead, Daylen Lile, Jacob Young, Luis García, and Nasim Nuñez round out the regulars for Washington, with Joey Wiemer, Jorbit Vivas, José Tena, and Drew Millas providing depth. Of note: Wiemer is still hitting .327/.413/.582 over 23 games, partially maintaining his numbers after that red-hot start. As a team, the Nats are hitting .243/.325/.393 (.718 OPS ranks 12th), with 37 homers (tied for 10th), 175 runs (second), and 32 steals (tied for fourth).
For Milwaukee, Aaron Ashby, Grant Anderson, Abner Uribe, DL Hall, and Trevor Megill are part of the “winning” bullpen, with Anderson leading the team in appearances and Ashby and Hall leading in ERA. Ashby also leads the bullpen with 30 strikeouts, which ranks tied for second on the team (along with Kyle Harrison) behind only Jacob Misiorowski. After the Zerpa injury, the rest of the Brewer bullpen features Jake Woodford and youngsters Shane Drohan and Brian Fitzpatrick (who I just learned I share a birthday with). As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.74 team ERA (sixth), including a 3.70 starter ERA (seventh) and a 3.78 bullpen ERA (10th). They’ve struck out 281 batters (tied for seventh) over 267 1/3 innings.
PJ Poulin leads the Nationals with 16 appearances this season, though that includes four “starts,” as he has a 4.11 ERA over 15 1/3 innings. Washington doesn’t have a conventional closer, as Gus Varland leads the team with three saves, but Beeter has a pair of saves, and Paxton Schultz and Orlando Ribalta also have a save apiece. Longtime Oriole Cionel Pérez has struggled with the Nats, pitching to a 7.07 ERA over 14 innings. Brad Lord, Schultz, and Richard Lovelady have been solid, but Mitchell Parker (4.76 ERA) and Andre Granillo (8.53 ERA) have struggled. As a staff, the Nationals have a 5.08 team ERA (29th), including a 5.33 starter ERA (28th) and a 4.90 bullpen ERA (23rd). They’ve struck out 249 batters (tied for 21st) over 289 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, May 1 @ 5:45 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (1-2, 3.31 ERA, 3.24 FIP) vs. RHP Jake Irvin (1-3, 4.85 ERA, 4.10 FIP)
Misiorowski has now made six starts this season, and he still has a mixed bag. He leads the NL with 51 strikeouts over his 32 2/3 innings, but he’s also walked 13 and leads the majors with five hit batters. He looked pretty good but not great last Saturday against the Pirates, as he allowed three runs on six hits, a walk, and two hit batters over six innings, striking out nine in a no-decision as the Brewers would ultimately lose in extras. This will mark Miz’s first career appearance against Washington.
In his fourth season with the Nationals, Irvin, 29, still hasn’t found much major league success. After leading the NL in losses in 2024, he led the majors in earned runs and homers allowed last season, turning in -0.4 bWAR over 33 starts. He’s been a bit better this season, with a 4.85 ERA and 4.10 FIP over 29 2/3 innings, allowing just four homers while striking out 34. Irvin’s last appearance came over the weekend, when he went 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the White Sox, striking out nine as he allowed just four hits and a hit batter. Now a familiar opponent for the Brewers, Irvin went five innings with three runs allowed and five strikeouts against Milwaukee on April 10. In seven career starts against Milwaukee, he’s 0-5 with a 6.42 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 33 2/3 innings.
Saturday, May 2 @ 3:05 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (2-1, 2.28 ERA, 3.08 FIP) vs. LHP Foster Griffin (3-0, 2.67 ERA, 4.34 FIP)
Harrison, who looked shaky in Detroit last week, bounced back last weekend in his best start as a Brewer and maybe the best start of his MLB career. Over six scoreless innings, he allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out 12, lowering his ERA to 2.28 through five starts. Harrison started against the Nationals back on April 11, taking the loss after being hit in the knee by a throw to first on the game’s first play. He went 4 1/3 innings in that one, allowing two runs and striking out one. For his career, he’s 0-2 with a 4.26 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 19 innings against the Nats.
Griffin, 30, is in his first season back in the majors after spending the last three years in Japan. He’s quietly found success with Washington this year, with a 2.67 ERA, 4.34 FIP, and 30 strikeouts over 33 2/3 innings pitched across six starts. Griffin’s last outing was also a good one, as he went seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts against the White Sox, allowing just two hits, two walks, and a hit batter. The former first-round pick made his first and only appearance against the Brewers back on April 11, when he went 5 1/3 scoreless innings with one strikeout in a winning performance.
Sunday, May 3 @ 12:35 p.m.: RHP Chad Patrick (2-1, 2.57 ERA, 4.30 FIP) vs. RHP Zack Littell (0-4, 7.85 ERA, 9.05 FIP)
Patrick has become a consistent piece of Milwaukee’s rotation over the last season-plus, as he’s made six appearances (four starts) this season, with a 2.57 ERA and 4.30 FIP over 28 innings. While he’s only struck out 16 and allowed 22 hits and 13 walks, he’s done a pretty solid job keeping opposing teams off the scoreboard. He picked up the win (while reportedly dealing with vomiting and some vision issues) against Arizona earlier this week in a blowout, as he went five innings, allowing two runs on one hit and five walks with a season-high five strikeouts. Patrick took the bulk role in Milwaukee’s April 10 game against Washington, pitching three innings in relief after Ashby opened the game. He went three scoreless, allowing just three hits and a walk with no strikeouts. That was his first and only appearance against the Nats.
Littell, who has become a dependable major league starter over the last few seasons with the Rays and Reds, has not had a great start with the Nationals. Through six appearances (five starts), he has a 7.85 ERA, 9.05 FIP, and just 16 strikeouts over 28 2/3 innings. He also leads the league in homers allowed at 13. His last appearance came on Tuesday against the Mets, when he got beat up for eight runs (just four earned) on five hits (two homers) and three walks, striking out one over 3 2/3 innings in his third consecutive loss. In those three appearances, he’s allowed eight runs in each (24 runs total, 18 earned), pushing his ERA from 4.20 to near 8.00. He pitched five solid innings against Milwaukee in their series finale on April 12, allowing three runs on six hits (three homers), striking out three over five frames. For his career, he’s 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA and 21 strikeouts across 30 2/3 innings against the Brewers.
How to Watch & Listen
Friday, May 1: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, May 2: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, May 3: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
Last time the Brewers faced the Nats, I predicted a series win because “the Brewers… have the advantage in just about every facet.” Instead, Milwaukee was swept as they struggled throughout the weekend. I’ll double down on my original prediction, though, and pick the Brewers to win two of three this time around.
NEW YORK CITY - MARCH 25: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addresses the media following the Board of Governors meetings on March 25, 2026 at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA has informed general managers about the new anti-tanking reforms it hopes to implement as soon as the 2027 season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The wideraging meassures are expected to have enough support from owners to pass.
The three worst teams in the league are in the “relegation zone,” which means they lose ping-pong balls.
Teams that finish 4th through 10th in the reverse standings get three lottery balls in the drawing.
Teams in the “relegation zone” get two lottery balls and can’t fall further than the 12th pick
“The Nos. 9 and 10 play-in seeds in each conference receive two lottery balls each, and the losers of the 7-8 play-in games receive one lottery ball each.”
The lottery is expanded from 14 to 16 teams.
Under the current system, lottery balls are only drawn for the top-4 picks. Now, the first 16 spots in the draft will be up for grabs in the drawing.
Teams can’t land the No. 1 pick in back-to-back years, and they can’t pick in the top-5 three times in a row.
How does the proposed lottery reform affect the Spurs?
The simplest answer to that question is, it doesn’t. Not in any meaningful way, anyway.
The Spurs owe the Kings a 2027 unprotected first-round pick from the De’Aaron Fox trade, but unless something truly catastrophic happens, they should still be a playoff team next season after winning 62 games this year. After that, San Antonio is in control of all of its picks, which should still not be in the lottery, considering how good and young their core is. The franchise already did its tanking and set itself up for the future.
What happens with the extra pick and the swaps the Spurs have? Not much, once again. There’s a chance the Hawks, who owe the Silver and Black their unprotected 2027 first-rounder, take a step back next season and land in the play-in, giving San Antonio a chance at the top pick. Considering how successful they were once they traded Trae Young, it doesn’t seem likely, but it’s not completely out of the question.
As for the pick swaps the Spurs have with the Mavericks, Celtics, and Timberwolves in 2030, they might not be affected at all. The league can opt out of this format after the 2029 draft, and who knows what could replace it. Even if they keep the format, 2030 is a long time away. Right now, it would be safer to predict that franchises that have superstars will be successful by then, but it’s impossible to be sure. Maybe one of those swaps becomes more valuable, but we won’t know until 2029.
So, if the reform doesn’t affect every team, why is it getting so much attention?
The changes seem like a massive overreaction
Were tweaks to the anti-tanking rules necessary? The answer is yes. Tanking had gotten to a point where something had to be done. Teams were sitting healthy players or having them suit up, play for a half, and then sit them out to ensure they would not win. Few people would agree that doing things like that is good for the league or the fans. But was such a drastic change needed?
The league had an instrument to use already that could have curbed the most blatant cases: fines. The Utah Jazz got fined half a million dollars for essentially point shaving back in February. It might seem like chump change for an NBA franchise, but getting consistently hit with them would hurt.
If fines felt not hefty enough to deter tanking, there are other ways to disincentivize monetarily in a targeted way. What if the franchises that finish in the bottom three in consecutive years don’t get to participate in revenue sharing? What if their salary floor gets raised to force them to spend more? Sanctions like that would directly punish the tanking teams without completely changing things with little notice and potentially creating a lot of unintended consequences because a few franchises were too blatant about their commitment to bottoming out.
To be fair to the Wizards of the world, this also seems to be a reaction to the success of the Spurs and other teams that built through the draft. San Antonio picked in the top five three years in a row, securing Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. They would not be allowed to do that with the new system. The issue is that while the Spurs made the most of their lottery luck, landing a high pick doesn’t guarantee success. And changing things now makes it harder for the teams that didn’t get to tank like the Spurs without actually punishing the Spurs. It all feels very reactionary.
There will be time after the playoffs to discuss the draft and the offseason. For now, the important thing to know is that even though such a deep reform doesn’t seem like a good idea at first glance, it shouldn’t hurt the Spurs in any meaningful way.
Jul 4, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A general view of Target Field during the National Anthem prior to the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
For the 10th consecutive season, the Detroit Red Wings are watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs from home.
Their fate was officially sealed after yet another late-season collapse, in which a once-comfortable lead above the playoff cut line vanished, culminating in a disappointing 5–3 loss and a chorus of boos from frustrated fans at Little Caesars Arena on April 11.
Following a 4–3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the penultimate game of the season, they were then throttled 8–1 in the regular-season finale by the Florida Panthers.
Head coach Todd McLellan was nothing short of incensed afterward and, during what was his shortest postgame media availability session of the campaign, said bluntly that the entire team should be embarrassed.
It was McLellan who decried what viewed as "jerseys" on the ice, or players who weren't making a difference and weren't giving a complete, total effort.
“Right now, for us, I think we have some players that are playing well and playing hard, and then we have some guys that are just jerseys,” McLellan said on February 28. “What I mean by that is they’re wearing jerseys. They’re skating around, they’re eating up some minutes, but we need more. We just flat out need more."
Which players, especially during the final third of the season, was McLellan referring to?
Jersey No. 1: Michael Rasmussen
There may be no player who better embodies Todd McLellan’s “jersey” critique than Detroit’s former first-round pick (ninth overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft
Built like a prototypical power forward at 6'6" and 220 pounds, Michael Rasmussen instead shies away from physical contact, is routinely knocked off the puck, and rarely ventures into the dirty areas of the ice. To see him drive to the net is about as rare as a solar eclipse.
He’ll occasionally show flashes of the player Detroit envisioned when they made him a first-round pick in 2017. Perhaps the most notable example came when he leveled Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils after scoring an empty-net goal, then stood over him in a pose reminiscent of Muhammad Ali towering over Sonny Liston.
Rasmussen appeared in 64 games this past season, and his 14 total points were the lowest of his career aside from the shortened 2020–21 campaign, in which he recorded 12 points in 40 games. Additionally, his hit total was less than half of what it was just a season ago.
He appeared to be coming into his own in 2021-22 and for much of 2022-23 before his season was ended because of a broken kneecap as the result of a shot block.
Since then, Rasmussen has resembled anything but the kind of power forward that his size affords him the opportunity to be.
He remains under contract for two more seasons carrying a salary cap hit of $3.2 million.
If GM Steve Yzerman makes good on his offseason outlook of improving the club's five-on-five scoring while making their bottom-six tougher for the opposition to face, don't be surprised to see Rasmussen be a roster casualty in the form of a trade or buyout.
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 30: Cam Smith #11 of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting a three run home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning in game two of a doubleheader at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 30, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You could hardly get a better representation of the 2026 Orioles season than the doubleheader that they played against the Astros on Thursday. In one game, they swung the bats well and got some pretty good pitching and they blew out the Astros. Check out Paul Folkemer’s recap of the first game. That one was much more fun than this second game, in which the Orioles combined pretty bad pitching, pretty bad defense, and hitting that, while fine, was not enough to overcome these other things. They lost, 11-5, to split the doubleheader and close out their month of April at 15-16.
There is a meme that goes around that begins with, “Inside you there are two wolves.” A legend of no fixed origin, this is a tale told by an elder to a young person about inner conflict, how our best selves are battling against our worst selves. Which one wins? Whichever one you feed. These 2026 Orioles feed their good wolves some days and their bad wolves other days. Then there’s this doubleheader, where they fed both. They are the same team that looks very different at different times. Only over a longer stretch of the season will we know which wolf will win.
The bad wolves appeared from the beginning of the game. To be sure, the Orioles were helped along by luck going the Astros way, such as when Houston got its first baserunner with one out on an infield single hit by Yordan Alvarez, of all people. Usually, getting Alvarez to hit a ball only 57mph is going to be a good thing. However, starting pitcher Brandon Young could not hold the Astros there, allowing another single.
With two men on base, Houston’s Dustin Harris floated a line drive out to right field in the direction of Tyler O’Neill. The Orioles right fielder gave just about the most ungraceful pursuit of the ball this side of Heston Kjerstad, then as it bounced up, he bobbled the bounce. Runners scored from second and third base on this two-out single. Harris scored when Yainer Diaz hit a ball back up the middle that Jeremiah Jackson was unable to field cleanly. If I had the power, I would have put this one in the error column.
So, at this point there are two runs in, two outs, and two men on base. The runs allowed by Young were not entirely his fault. He had the opportunity to limit the damage and get out of it. And he… gave up a home run to Cam Smith. Who is Cam Smith? Exactly. He came into the game with a .670 OPS for the season. Don’t give up a home run to that guy! On the other hand, who is Brandon Young? Exactly. He had a 6.24 ERA in the majors last season and after today’s clunker has a 6.75 ERA for 2026.
This was a classic of what I call the Jake Arrieta Memorial Inning – the Orioles version of Arrieta, that is. He was always getting into trouble that was not entirely his fault and then, presented with the chance to get out of it, he frequently failed. Bad luck, bad defense, and bad pitching put the Orioles down by five runs before they ever got to bat. Young allowed one more run for good measure because he gave up a homer to Alvarez. I can’t get too mad about that one.
That was only the first two innings worth of stuff happening to Young! Before he was done with, he was charged for ten runs, of which seven were earned. Four runs crossed in the fourth inning, many of which stemmed from an error in which Jeremiah Jackson, who delighted everyone with a grand slam in the first game, missed a catch at second base on a fielder’s choice. Again, the defense let him down but Young could not help himself.
One might have hoped to see a bit more from the Orioles hitters against Houston starter Lance McCullers. Whenever I write his name, I want to say Carson McCullers, but that’s an author, not the baseball player. Carson McCullers wrote a book called The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, maybe the most depressing book that I’ve ever read in my life. More depressing than this Orioles game, which is saying something.
Anyway, the baseball player McCullers brought a 6.75 ERA for 2026 into today. Did the Orioles make him look like it? Eh. They scored three runs in his six innings, so it could have been worse, but only getting two hits when batters have been OPSing .835 against McCullers this season is kind of a bummer. Also, it didn’t matter that much, since the Orioles gave up eleven runs. It’s tough to win when you give up eleven runs.
Now 31 games into this season, the Orioles are both the team that blew out a last place Astros team, 10-3, and the team that was blown out by a last place Astros team, 11-5. They are a team that hit two grand slams in one game and a team that keeps bungling stuff that shouldn’t be bungled, to say nothing of its challenges with guys in positions that require range only they don’t seem to possess the range or instincts to make up for a lack of range. Either one could win out as the season moves along. Or they will remain in tension and remain near .500. That’s still a lot better than last April and May.
Things get tougher for the Orioles starting tomorrow, when they begin a four-game set against the Yankees, the team that has, by far, the best record in the American League. The O’s will see the Yankees seven times in their next 16 games, with another three games against the first place Braves. It’s going to get harder. If the Orioles are actually bad, we’ll find that out in the next month.
As of this writing, there is no scheduled Orioles starting pitcher for the 7:05 Friday series opener. I’m guessing Cade Povich gets recalled from Norfolk. The O’s will be facing righty Will Warren, who has a 2.59 ERA up to this point in the season.
Apr 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) advances to third base during the fourth inning of the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Despite leading twice in this afternoon’s ballgame, the Royals fell behind in the bottom of the second and never again challenged the Athletics.
The Royals led off the scoring in the bottom of the first on a two-out RBI single by Starling Marte, the first of his three singles of the afternoon. Maikel Garcia, who doubled on the first pitch of the game, scored. Unfortunately, with the bases still loaded, Carter Jensen struck to end the frame. Jensen’s day at the plate would not improve.
In the bottom of the first, Garcia stayed in the spotlight, this time missing a grounder he normally snags, which turned into a double for A’s DH Shea Langeliers (Stephen King’s favorite Athletic) and men on second and third with none out. With one out, the A’s had the bases loaded, but Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron minimized the damage by giving up only one run.
Garcia homered in his second at-bat of the afternoon, this time in the top of the second, to put the Royals up 2-1. Garcia had an injury scare in the bottom of the first when the Athletics tied things, but he stayed in the game, later adding another double. He finished the day 3-for-5 with two doubles, a homer, two runs, a stolen base, and one RBI.
But the A’s took control in the bottom of the inning and never ceded it. Langeliers doubled in Lawrence Butler to tie the game before Nick Kurtz doubled in both Langeliers and Jacob Wilson. Kurtz would then score on a little dribbler hit to Loftin who made an off-line throw to Salvador Perez, today’s first baseman, who failed to handle it.
5-2, Athletics.
The game settled down after that. The A’s starting pitcher, Jeffrey Springs, threw a lot of pitches in a short period of time before leaving due to the injury. The A’s bullpen took over, tossing six innings of five-hit, two-run ball. In the bottom of the seventh, the A’s scored another run before Elias Diaz homered in the top of the eighth to cut the lead to 6-3.
That was pretty much it. Jac Caglianone reached base in the top of the ninth, and with the Royals down to their last out, Vinnie Pasquantino pinch-hit. Like a lot of Royals today, he hit the ball hard, but right at an Athletic.
Game, set, match. Oakland takes the day, 6-3, and the series, 2-1.
Now the Royals are off to Seattle to take on the Mariners in a weekend series.
ST. LOUIS, MO - AUGUST 17: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers slides safely after stealing second base in the third inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Saturday, August 17, 2024 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Curry/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In the biggest return to St. Louis Cardinals since Albert Pujols, Katie Woo made time in her Hollywood schedule to come onto Cardinals on My Time to talk the upcoming series! I know you all miss her, but she has been enjoying her well-deserved promotion to cover the most talked about team in baseball.
Don’t worry! Katie misses us too, but not as much as she misses the “best pretzels in the world” from Busch Stadium. We had an awesome time getting to talk to one of our all-time favorites and break down the differences between the two organizations, from the fanbase to ownership. We had a blast and hope you do too!
In this episode, we discuss:
The “Hollywood” Life: Katie addresses her transition to LA, her aggressive new driving habits, and why she still misses those Busch Stadium press box pretzels.
Shohei Ohtani & The Dodgers: What it’s actually like to cover the “Beatles of Baseball” and why there’s no ego in the star-studded LA clubhouse.
The Chaim Bloom Era: Katie’s perspective on the Cardinals’ front office shift and why she believes the “Runway” (we mean, rebuild) is heading in the right direction.
Young Core vs. Veteran Stars: Analysis of Jordan Walker’s growth and the pressure (or lack thereof) on the Cardinals’ young roster.
Series Preview: Which pitching matchups to watch and why Katie is leaning “Dodger Stadium” for the views, but “Busch Stadium” for the vibes.
We ended it with a little LA vs. St. Louis “This or That” and she made some tough decisions, but it was a fun way to head into the tough three-game series this weekend!
Apr 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics third baseman Darell Hernaiz (2) hits an RBI single against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
The Athletics and Kansas City Royals battled in the rubber game of their three-game series Thursday afternoon in West Sacramento. After exchanging early blows, the Athletics took the lead and never gave it back, fending off several Royals comeback attempts to win 6-3.
The Royals scored first against A’s starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs. The first batter of the game, third baseman Maikel Garcia doubled. With two outs and the bases loaded, outfielder Starling Marte singled to right, giving his team an early 1-0 lead. Springs proceeded to limit the damage by striking out Carter Jensen, the lone lefty in his team’s lineup, to end the inning and get out of the bases-loaded jam.
The A’s immediately answered back against Kansas City’s starting pitcher Noah Cameron. Shortstop Jacob Wilson singled to right and then designated hitter Shea Langeliers doubled down the left field line past Garcia at third. With one out, right fielder Colby Thomas walked to load the bases. That set the stage for third baseman Darell Hernáiz, whose hard-hit infield single off of Garcia’s hand scored Wilson to tie the game at one. Like his counterpart, Cameron got out of a bases loaded jam by retiring the next two A’s hitters.
Garcia showed his wrist was ok, hitting a two-out solo home run in the second inning that just eluded leaping left fielder Carlos Cortes to put his team back in front.
Once again, the A’s answered. Lawrence Butler walked, Wilson singled and Langeliers lined his second double in as many innings to score Butler and tie the game. The team’s potent offense was not done yet. First baseman Nick Kurtz, who struck out in an RBI opportunity in the first inning, crushed a two-RBI double to give the Athletics their first lead of the game.
With two outs, Kurtz scored from second when Royals second baseman Nick Loftin threw errantly to first after ranging to field the grounder off Hernáiz’s bat.
With the A’s holding a 5-2 advantage heading into the third inning, it was the Royals turn to rally. However, Springs finally turned in a shutdown inning, striking out Jensen for a second-straight at-bat as the Royals stranded two runners on base.
Following three laborious innings, right-handed reliever Luis Medina replaced Springs, who went to the clubhouse with the team’s trainer. According to the team’s MLB.com reporter Martin Gallegos, Springs exited the game with right hip soreness.
As a result, the team had to turn to their bullpen earlier than they would have liked. Medina got the first two hitters he faced out before the Royals loaded the bases via a double, walk and a hit by pitch. The A’s reliever averted disaster by getting first baseman Salvador Perez to harmlessly fly out to Butler in center field.
In the middle innings of this game, the Athletics offense went quiet, although Cortes did single in the fifth, extending his hitting streak to ten games. Cameron settled down after his early struggles. He allowed just two more hits and worked into the sixth inning before being removed with one on and one out.
Medina ended up getting the win. He threw 51 pitches over 2 2/3 scoreless innings. The Royals squared up several pitches against the A’s long reliever, but failed to bring a run home. Scott Barlow replaced Medina with two Royals on base and two outs in the sixth. He got Kansas City’s outfielder Lane Thomas to ground out as the Royals continued their struggles with runners in scoring position.
Seeking insurance runs, Langeliers led off the bottom of the seventh with his third double of the afternoon. Today was the first time he had ever hit three doubles in one game. With first base open, the Royals intentionally walked Kurtz, extending his record-breaking walk streak to 19 consecutive games. Hernáiz made the visitors rue that decision as his third infield single of the game scored Langeliers to pad the A’s lead.
In the top of the eighth, the Royals got one back. Facing left-hander Brady Basso, catcher Elias Díaz hit his first home run of the season over the right-field fence to trim the deficit to three. That was the closest they would come. Right-hander Jack Perkins only gave up one hit in a scoreless ninth, securing his third save and more importantly the series victory.
Tomorrow, the first-place A’s begins a weekend series against fan-favorite Stephen Vogt’s Cleveland Guardians. Right-hander J.T Ginn is scheduled to start for the A’s. He is good to go despite exiting his last start early with arm soreness. Ginn will be opposed by Guardians’ left-hander Joey Cantillo, who is 1-1 with a 2.97 ERA through his first six starts of the season.
The equation is simple. If Leeds beat relegated – and now managerless - Burnley at Elland Road on Friday they will reach 43 points and be extremely unlikely to meet the same fate as their opponents. Daniel Farke’s losing FA Cup semi-finalists are then scheduled to travel to Tottenham, but victory against Burnley, who they pipped to the Championship title last season, would settle nerves in West Yorkshire. Farke, though, does not necessarily expect a straightforward match. “There’s definitely no complacency,” he said, speaking before the news of Scott Parker’s departure. “I’ve got so much respect for Scott. I’d say there’s not one time this season Burnley were played off the field. They’re always very competitive, they’ve had many tight games.” As Mike Jackson takes caretaker charge at Turf Moor, Farke hopes another three points will persuade Leeds to extend his own contract. Louise Taylor
The Florida Panthers have had some very positive experiences on April 30.
Twice over the past several years, Florida has emerged victorious during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the final day of April.
Back in 2023 came one of the biggest and perhaps most surprising playoff wins not only in Panthers postseason history, but in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That’s because the eighth-seed Panthers, who snuck into the playoffs at the end of the regular season, took down the historically-good Boston Bruins in a seven-game shocker.
Boston not only won the Presidents’ Trophy that season, but they also finished with more wins and more points than any other team in the existence of the NHL.
Unsurprisingly, the Bruins jumped out to a 3-1 series lead on the Panthers, shipping back up to Boston after winning Games 3 and 4 in Florida by a combined score of 10-4.
A gritty overtime win in Game 5 was followed up with a comeback victory at home in Game 6, setting up the seventh game showdown at TD Garden.
The Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but by the first TV timeout of the third period, the Bruins had re-taken the lead and were trying to put the clamps down on Florida.
With goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky on the bench for an extra attacker, former Cats defenseman Brandon Montour fired a shot that snuck between the post and Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman, sending the game to sudden death overtime.
It took less than nine minutes for Florida to finish off the Bruins.
Picking up a loose puck at the side of Boston’s net, Sam Bennett found Carter Verhaeghe in the right circle, and he wired a wrist shot that zoomed past Swayman’s left ear and into the top of the net.
Ballgame. Series over.
Florida, as we all remember, went on a hell of a run that postseason, marching all the way to the Stanley Cup Final after reeling off wins in 10 of 11.
Fast forward a couple of years and we arrive at last season.
During the Cats’ 2025 run to the Stanley Cup Final, they dispatched their cross-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in a quick five-game series.
That Game 5 was played on April 30 at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
Defending the first Stanley Cup victory in franchise history, the Panthers entered the 2025 postseason as the third seed in the Atlantic Division.
Florida quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead, winning the first two games in Tampa by a combined score of 8-2.
After a split in Sunrise, the Cats headed back up to Tampa with a chance to knock out the Bolts and advance to round two.
The Panthers and Lightning went toe-to-toe for first half of the game, with each putting up three goals, before Florida slowly started to take over.
A goal by Bennett moments after the Panthers finished killing off his slashing penalty gave Florida a 4-3 lead late in the second period, one they would never relinquish.
Eetu Luostarinen fourth point of the night was a goal that put the Cats up by two, and a Sam Reinhert empty-net goal sealed the deal.
Following the five-game win over Tampa Bay, the Panthers went through familiar playoff foes – the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games and the Carolina Hurricanes in five – en route to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance and second straight championship.
So yeah, April 30 has become a good day to recall some Panthers playoff success.
We’ll have to wait and see if they can add to that list in the coming years.
Photo caption: Apr 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) reacts on the winning goal during overtime in game seven of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - APRIL 25: Bailey Ober #17 of the Minnesota Twins pitches in the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on April 25, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):6:40 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: Bluebird Banter
Bad news: The Twins keep losing extremely winnable games either due to offensive ineptitude, a bullpen built like it’s 2003, or a combination of the two.
Good news: every other team in the AL is also bad.
As I write this, there are only 3 teams in the entire American League with a record over .500, and none of them are in the AL Central. Despite this losing streak and sitting at 13-18 overall, the Twins sit just 2.5 games back of both the division and a Wild Card berth on the final day of April. The record isn’t ideal, but if you told me that going into the season, I would be absolutely thrilled.
Bailey Ober will do his best to keep the bullpen from factoring into the game, but he’ll have to do it facing Jays starter Kevin Gausman, who looks to have regained his All-Star form in his age 35 season. Ober has reinvented himself despite the lack of velocity, relying on movement and deception to induce weak contact rather than the strikeouts he used to generate. He’s walked way too many batters this season, especially compared to his historic numbers, but especially now that he doesn’t have the strikeout stuff he used to.
Toronto’s lineup has been ravaged with injuries early this year, but that is beginning to turn already with All-Star George Springer making his return after fracturing his toe in the last series between these two clubs. They’re still missing All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk, starting outfielders Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes and Anthony Santander, and an entire starting rotation that several teams would consider an upgrade.
Meanwhile, Austin Martin gets the start in right field as Matt Wallner continues to struggle. Gausman’s signature pitch is his filthy splitter, something that works much better against lefties than righties, so that also likely played into Derek Shelton’s decision to give Martin some run. His .476 OBP helps too, of course.
Wait a minute, the White Sox aren’t the worst team in baseball? It’s time for fans to pick their heads up and enjoy this moment. | (Patrick Gorski/Imagn Images)
Somehow, the White Sox have managed to meet the wildest of expectations in the first month of the 2026 season. Get embarrassingly swept? Check. Sweep the defending AL pennant-winner? Check. Lose several players for the season? Again, check. Be somehow one of the best but also worst teams in several hitting and pitching categories? You guessed it, check.
In the first article of a monthly series examining the health of the franchise from minors to majors, I’m diving into what has and hasn’t worked for Chicago in April, and realistic improvements the Sox need to make.
The gap between quality andquantity prospects still exists The Sox still haven’t figured out how to put “calculated” and “call-ups” in the same sentence. Only two of the 14 guys promoted from Triple-A seem to be panning out. Sam Antonacci assumed his role as the spark plug in the lineup and has repeatedly shown that sometimes you have to play the cards you’re dealt and walk your way to home plate. He has demonstrated that he can stay true to the player he was in the minors by avoiding strikeouts — only three in the month — and inducing walks, resulting in a .347 OBP that has helped keep offensive pressure and momentum going throughout the game.
Noah Schultz’s seven runs and 18 strikeouts/no walks in his first three games have led many to believe he’ll be a complementary lefty arm alongside Anthony Kay in the rotation. Every other call-up arm has gone through the cycle of being optioned back to Charlotte or outright DFA’d.
Braden Montgomery is the next top prospect awaiting a debut, and his arrival will make or break the next two years of the White Sox farm system. If he can stay afloat and contribute at least a 1.2 WAR or better, which would signal adequate contributions from a rookie, the South Siders will be able to wipe the carousel of failed prospects from their minds and feel confident that they can at least identify and maintain a semblance of a talent pipeline. If Montgomery, reasonably and humanly, struggles, there will be much more finger-pointing at the minor league brain trust.
Balance is the key to sustained success April has seen a turn away from extremes toward a more gradual balance. Chicago’s -3 run differential and 13-13 record mark the emergence of sustained, watchable baseball. For the first time since June 2023, the team’s monthly record was at .500 or better. These baby steps may seem rudimentary, but they are a big leap for the franchise.
Beyond the watch test, several key stats back this up. Only 33% of the lineup has a negative WAR, and no one has a WAR worse than -0.6 (cough, cough, Andrew Benintendi). And only one pitcher currently on the 26-man roster has a negative WAR — Jordan Leasure. Finally, the only category the Sox rank last in between team hitting and pitching metrics is doubles, which doesn’t say much about their ability to hit or get on base. Even after their 20 strikeouts against the Brewers on Opening Day, the Sox have surprisingly laid off pitches outside the zone to place 12th-best in chase percentage (28.7%).
Given where they were a year ago, this team has some good stuff going for them. It’s hard to nitpick when they’re playing how they are, especially after winning three of their last four series. Though Munetaka Murakami is by far the best player on the team, the rest of the pack isn’t that far behind. As the headline says, things could be much worse.
Summary Metrics
Prospect Confidence (Percentage of prospects that are contributing meaningfully?): 15%
Average Innings Watched (Average number of innings fans have patience for): 6 1/3
Rebuild Index (1 is full rebuild, 5 is sustaining current pace, 10 is aggressively pursuing the World Series): 4
The Sixers’ hope of storming back to win their first-round playoff series vs. the Celtics remain alive and well.
With a 106-93 victory on Thursday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Sixers earned the right to play a Game 7. They’ll visit Boston on Saturday and look for a third consecutive win.
Tyrese Maxey had 30 points and five assists in Game 6.
Paul George scored 23 points. Joel Embiid tallied 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Jayson Tatum posted 17 points and 11 rebounds for Boston. Jaylen Brown had 18 points.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ emphatic Game 6 victory:
Celtics tweak defense on Embiid
Embiid carried over the momentum from his stellar second half in the Sixers’ Game 5 win. He scored the team’s first five points with a mid-range jumper and an off-balance, and-one layup.
With three-pointers from George and Maxey, the Sixers jumped out to an 11-4 lead. The Celtics started 2 for 9 from the field.
Boston varied its defensive looks against Embiid and predictably showed him less pure single coverage than in Game 5.
While the Celtics’ changes weren’t dramatic out of the gate, they were clearly wary of Embiid’s post scoring and preferred to make him a passer. Embiid notched a first-quarter assist from the post after the Celtics double teamed him on the dribble. Kelly Oubre Jr. cut free and Embiid found him for a dunk.
Embiid got several good early mid-range looks off of his two-man game with Maxey. He was still a tad off as a jump shooter and went 6 for 18 from the floor in the game.
Brown runs into foul trouble, Sixers capitalize
Both Brown and VJ Edgecombe were called for their second fouls around the midpoint of the first quarter. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t take any dramatic steps to curb Brown’s first-half minutes, trusting he would avoid a third foul.
Crucially, Oubre drew Brown’s third at the 5:05 mark of the second quarter. The Sixers got the off-arm push call on Brown they’ve been seeking throughout the series. Brown protested the whistle but had to sit for the remainder of the first half. He was called for his fourth personal just 31 seconds into the third quarter on another offensive foul.
Also significant in the foul department: The Celtics had a poor start at the free throw line. They missed 6 of their first 8 foul shots, all on attempts by Brown and Tatum. That included three straight Brown misses.
The Sixers’ defensive energy and playmaking were pluses in the second quarter, too.
Justin Edwards returned to the rotation and worked hard in his possessions against Brown. Oubre picked up a block and a steal. George rotated over sharply and rejected big man Neemias Queta’s layup. Not much came easily for the Celtics, who committed nine first-half turnovers, and the Sixers were rock-solid on the defensive boards.
Sensational third quarter for Sixers
On the other end, Maxey poured in 21 points over the first two quarters. A Maxey runner with 3.5 second left in the second period gave the Sixers a 58-49 lead.
Maxey turned to his two-man game with Embiid a ton, including on plenty of side pick-and-rolls. As a pair, Maxey and Embiid struck a nice balance in the first half between probing the defense and attacking without hesitation when the moment was right.
The Sixers expanded their advantage early in the third quarter. In a crowd-thrilling sequence, Oubre swatted a Brown layup, leading to a fast break that finished with George dishing a behind-the-back pass and Edgecombe jamming the ball home.
The Celtics asked for timeout. They soon trailed by 17 points with a George pull-up triple. George’s high-quality two-way play and outstanding three-point shooting in this series continued Thursday night. He made five threes in Game 6 and has gone 19 for 35 (54.3 percent) beyond the arc.
Though the Sixers benefited from Boston missing some open jumpers, they maintained strong defensive focus and prevented the Celtics from eating into their lead late in the third quarter. The Sixers thought Andre Drummond beat the third-quarter buzzer with a corner three, but replays showed he didn’t release his shot in time.
Boston still found itself down 23 points early in the fourth quarter after Embiid fed George for a backdoor lay-in. Mazzulla called timeout again and played an all-bench lineup.
That unit fared well. The Sixers’ offense grew cold and sloppy. George was assessed a technical foul for his complaints about a no-call. Ron Harper Jr. drained a corner three. Luka Garza’s dunk cut the Celtics’ deficit to 88-76.
The Sixers eventually restored order and steered clear of a horrendous collapse. They didn’t close the night in especially clean fashion, but the final score is all that matters. The Sixers thoroughly deserved the win and a chance to complete their series comeback on Saturday.
