WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 29: Jackson Merrill #3 celebrates his two run home run with Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres during the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres finally found some offense in their series opener against the Washington Nationals. They slugged two homers and scored seven runs. It was the first time the Friars scored more than three runs in their last five games.
Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr.’s bats continued to heat up, with Tatis going 3-for-5 and Merrill hitting a go-ahead, two-run home run.
Starter Lucas Giolito had his first rough start, only making it through 2 2/3 innings before Yuki Matsui replaced him. Giolito gave up four runs but the Padres were able to back him up. The Friars will hope for a bounceback performance from Michael King in order to win the series in today’s game.
Taking the mound
Foster Griffin (WAS) v. Michael King (SD)
Griffin has had a great start to the season with Washington. He boasts a 3.63 ERA and a .219 opponent batting average. His recent outings have been rough, giving up 14 runs across his last three appearances.
The lone advantage he has against the Padres is their lack of experience against the young left-hander. Only Ramón Laureano has faced Griffin, with the plate appearance ending in a walk.
The Padres ace has had a resurgent season after King’s injury-plagued 2025. He’s off to a 2.76 ERA in 62 innings. King has been dominant for the Friars but has struggled with consistency.
After his best outing of the season—maybe his career—against the Los Angeles Dodgers (0 ER, 7.0 IP), King had the worst start of his season, going just 3 2/3 innings and surrendering four runs. He struggled with command and will hopefully be able to turn things around against the Nats.
Batter up!
The offense finally surged in Friday’s opener, with Manny Machado, Merrill and Tatis going a combined 5-for-13 with two walks and four RBI. Gavin Sheets also rebounded from his recent slump, hitting 2-for-3 with a walk.
Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
Gavin Sheets, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Manny Machado, 3B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Miguel Andujar, DH
Ty France, 1B
Nick Castellanos, RF
Rodolfo Durán, C
France had a similarly great game yesterday, going 2-for-3 with a homer. His offensive contributions have been major for the Friars in their hot start to the season. Hopefully he’ll able to continue that.
Relief corps
The bullpen picked up Giolito splendidly after his tough start, with Matsui pitched two innings while the Padres were down before giving way to the high-leverage relievers when the score got closer.
Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Mason Miller covered the final four innings of the game. Adam was the lone struggler, only recording one out in the eighth inning before giving up two hits and being replaced by Miller. Miller pitched a four-out save but made things interesting with some command struggles trying to get out of the eighth.
That leaves Ron Marinaccio, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez available for Game 2 today. Only Rodriguez has been a traditional high-leverage reliever this season, but Peralta has performed just as well recently.
The St. Louis Cardinals ended their four-game losing streak on Friday, but the Chicago Cubs will look to even things up in St. Louis.
The Chicago bats seem to be heating up, meaning the Cubs just need some help on the mound.
With Ben Brown, who has been effective starting and out of the pen, starting for the Cubs against Kyle Leahy, who has struggled for St. Louis, my Cubs vs. Cardinals predictions and MLB picks call for the Cubbies to get revenge.
Who will win Cubs vs Cardinals today: Cubs -1.5 (+127)
The Chicago Cubs scored 5+ runs for the third straight game, including one against Paul Skenes, and lost while scoring 5+ for the second time in six contests.
Things should be different with Ben Brown starting.
A converted reliever, Brown started his last four, never allowing more than three runs. All Brown's stuff ranks in the top third of MLB, including a 99th-percentile breaking ball. He's up against a St. Louis Cardinals club that scored two runs in three games before Friday.
The Cardinals start Kyle Leahy, who ranks in the bottom third in every pitch and is worse than 92% of MLB pitchers in overall run value.
COVERS INTEL:The Cardinals shuffled the rotation to give Leahy an extra day of rest. His four-seamer is down 2 MPH, and all of his breaking stuff is shedding spin rate compared to last year. However, in two starts with extra rest, he's posted an 8.10 ERA and 1.900 WHIP.
Cubs vs Cardinals Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-122)
The Cardinals broke out for six runs on Friday, but that performance looks more like an exception than a trend. Before that game, St. Louis had scored one run or fewer in five of its previous 10 contests, and the offense had struggled to generate consistent power.
Chicago should have opportunities against Leahy, but the Cardinals may have a tough time holding up their end of a high-scoring game. Brown gets the start for the Cubs, and Chicago's bullpen has posted a 0.66 ERA over its last three games. Expect St. Louis to continue to struggle at the plate tonight.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 17-20, -2.06 units
Over/Under bets: 19-22, -4.51 units
Cubs vs Cardinals odds
Moneyline: Cubs -127 | Cardinals +115
Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+125) | Cardinals +1.5 (-145)
Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)
Cubs vs Cardinals trend
The St. Louis Cardinals have hit the Team Total Under in 15 of their last 23 games at home (+5.40 Units / 19% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Cardinals.
How to watch Cubs vs Cardinals and game info
Location
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Date
Saturday, May 30, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Cubs starting pitcher
Bruce Brown (1-2, 2.02 ERA)
Cardinals starting pitcher
Kyle Leahy (5-3, 4.44 ERA)
Cubs vs Cardinals latest injuries
Cubs vs Cardinals weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder meet in a decisive Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. The winner will advance to face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. Oklahoma City is favored in Game 7 with a -151 moneyline compared to San Antonio's +127, with a spread of -3.5 and an over/under of 212.5.
How to watch San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
On this day 112 years ago, Buck Weaver clubbed the first leadoff home run in White Sox history. | (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
1914 Leading off a doubleheader opener at Cleveland, Buck Weaver clocked the first leadoff home run in White Sox history, a deep blast to left field against Naps starter Willie Mitchell. It spurred the White Sox to a 6-3 win and supported Eddie Cicotte in his fourth win of the season.
Interestingly, Weaver hit just 21 career home runs in the majors — and in two weeks, would also became the first player with a leadoff home run in Comiskey Park history, just two weeks later.
1951 In front of 34,856 fans packing Comiskey Park for a Wednesday doubleheader, the White Sox swept the St. Louis Browns, 5-2 and 8-1, to win their 13th and 14thconsecutive games. It’s the second longest winning streak in franchise history. To commemorate the streak — which ran the team’s record to 26-9 and put it in first place in the AL by two games — Chicago mayor Martin Kennelly presented vice president Chuck Comiskey, manager PaulRichards and the White Sox the keys to the city in a ceremony.
The Sox would go from “Rags to Richards” in 1951, ending their string of desultory seasons and pointing the way to the “Go-Go” 1950’s. The White Sox would end the year 81-73-1, good for fourth place and their first winning season since 1943.
1960 Outfielder JimmyPiersall, who would later broadcast White Sox games and coach the club’s outfielders in the late 1970s and early 1980s, went on a rampage against the scoreboard and Comiskey Park during a doubleheader.
In the opener, Piersall was on second base and felt home-plate umpire Cal Drummond made a bad strike call on a Cleveland hitter at the plate. Drummond tossed him — so Piersall tossed the contents of the Cleveland dugout on to the field. He then went into the Sox dugout, grabbed a bucket of groundskeeper GeneBossard’s sand and dumped that on the field.
In the nightcap, Piersall didn’t move when a ball hit by MinnieMiñoso came right at him. It went over his head for a double, and adding insult to injury the White Sox stadium operations thought it was a home run and set off the scoreboard! As a result, when Piersall caught the final out of the game, he took the ball and threw it at the scoreboard (which he hated).
All in a day’s work, as Cleveland took the twin bill, 4-1 and 9-4.
1966 White Sox pitcher Jack Lamabe fired a one-hitter at Comiskey Park, beating the Red Sox, 11-0. Lamabedidn’t allow a hit until Joe Foy singled leading off the eighth inning — after Lamabe shook off catcher J.C. Martin. Lamabe faced 30 batters, striking out six and walking two.
It was a sweep on the night for the White Sox, who shut out Boston in both games of a doubleheader. Chicago had won the opener, 1-0, behind pitcher Johnny Buzhardt’s five-hitter.
In addition, this was the club’s third consecutive shutout, as the day before, TommyJohn blanked the Yankees, 2-0.
1985 In a night game at Comiskey Park, CarltonFisk belted a rooftop home run off of Kansas City’s Charlie Leibrandt. It helped TomSeaver and the White Sox win, 4-3. It was the start of a four-game sweep of the Royals, and a week in which Fisk would hit five home runs and drive in 12. That season, Carlton would set career highs with 37 home runs and 107 RBIs.
1989 Exactly four years later, Dan Pasqua drove a ball 495 feet the other way against southpaw Frank Tanana, landing it on the left-field roof. It was the only roof shot of Pasqua’s career, and the 21st-ever by a White Sox player.
The blast, with the White Sox down, 6-2, in the bottom of the seventh, failed to turn the fortunes of the game — an eventual 10-3 loss dropped them to 18-32. Chicago was in the midst of losing 15 of 17 games, a stretch that would lock them in the AL West basement for the rest of 1989.
1993 In an era where complete games were becoming more and more rare, Jack McDowell thumbed his nose at the trend and completed his fourth straight game for Chicago, a 6-3 loss at Yankee Stadium. Despite a 2.83 ERA in the stretch, McDowell went 1-3 during his streak, losing its last three games by giving up 11 runs in those losses. He “couldn’t” really lose the first complete game of the streak, back on May 14 at Texas, having thrown a 4-0 shutout.
Despite the anomaly of losing these complete games in May, McDowell was the ace of the AL West-winning 1993 White Sox and won the Cy Young at season’s end.
Two sub-.500 teams struggling to hit meet for the second game of a weekend series in Texas.
The Kansas City Royals have lost four straight and 14 of 17, managing just five runs in the last four games. The Rangers had lost six of seven, scoring just 23 runs, before breaking out in Friday's series opener.
Both teams have also struggled on the mound. The Rangers have the edge in Saturday's starter matchup. That's why my Royals vs. Rangers predictions and MLB picks call for Texas to roll.
Who will win Royals vs Rangers today: Rangers -1.5 (+178)
The Kansas City Royals have been losing big all season. K.C.'s runline and moneyline records are the same, meaning that giving up the 1.5 runs against them isn't a big risk.
The Royals have covered the spread twice in their last 22 losses and in just three losses all season. The Texas Rangers -1.5 is +178, and that's a strong price for spotting Kansas City 1.5 runs.
The Royals' pitching allowed 41 runs in five games. While starter Seth Lugo started the year strong, May was rough, posting a 5.27 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in five starts. Rangers' starter Kumar Rocker has two scoreless outings in the last three.
COVERS INTEL:Lugo's two most thrown pitches are his sinker and four-seamer, and batters are hitting over .300 against both this year. He's lost about 50 revolutions on his sinker's spin and almost 100 off the four-seam.
Royals vs Rangers Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-117)
This isn't a vote in favor of either offense as much as an indictment of both pitching staffs. Kansas City has the worst bullpen WHIP in baseball and the third-worst ERA.
The pen allowed four homers in the last three games, posting an 8.71 ERA. The Rangers have been better in relief, but Texas allowed 5+ five times in the last eight games.
The Rangers have put up at least nine runs twice in the last five, while K.C. scored 5+ twice this week. So there are signs of life on both offenses. The weak pitching they'll be facing should help nurture that.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 17-20, -2.06 units
Over/Under bets: 19-22 -4.51 units
Royals vs Rangers odds
Moneyline: Royals +108 | Rangers -113
Run line: Royals +1.5 (-186) | Rangers -1.5 (+178)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-117) | Under 7.5 (+113)
Royals vs Rangers trend
The Texas Rangers have hit the Run Line in 13 of their last 23 games at home (+5.55 Units / 19% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Rangers.
How to watch Royals vs Rangers and game info
Location
Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
Date
Saturday, May 30, 2026
First pitch
4:05 p.m. ET
TV
FS1
Royals starting pitcher
Seth Lugo (2-4, 3.74 ERA)
Rangers starting pitcher
Kumar Rocker (2-5, 3.96 ERA)
Royals vs Rangers latest injuries
Royals vs Rangers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Rube Oldring, leftfielder for the Philadelphia Athletics, at bat.
In the early, pre-Babe Ruth days of the franchise, the New York Yankees/Highlanders often featured great players who had or would go on to have championship success at the big league level. The issue was often that they just didn’t have the right combination of players, have them at the right age, or didn’t figure out how to correctly use them.
Case in point is Rube Oldring, who fits the second of those categories. The three-time World Series champion played the very first and then what would be the penultimate season of his 13-year career with the Yankees. The first time around, he was a victim of circumstance, and the second time around, he was past his best.
On what would have been Oldring’s 142nd birthday — were such a thing medically possible — let’s look back at the Yankees and MLB career of the outfielder.
Reuben Henry “Rube” Oldring Born: May 30, 1884 (New York, NY) Died: September 9, 1961 (Bridgeton, NJ) Yankees Tenure: 1905, 1916
Oldring was born in New York City in 1884, as one of eight children. Like was the story of many of the era, despite being the children of immigrants, Oldring developed a love and skill for baseball, and soon became good enough to play for semi-pro teams all over the New York and New Jersey area. That eventually led him to be discovered by the professional ranks, and the Southern Association’s Montgomery Senators picked him up in 1905.
In Alabama, Oldring very quickly impressed, and his contract was purchased by the Philadelphia Athletics by the end of his first season in the pro ranks. Oldring reported to Philadelphia after the deal, but the A’s were in a battle for the American League pennant, and not in a position to try out a rookie. Manager Connie Mack told him to go find some semi-pro games to play in to stay in shape. Oldring did so, leading to a real “only in the early 1900s baseball” story.
Oldring went back to New York City and played for a semi-pro team in an exhibition game against the then New York Highlanders. He homered in the game as his team beat the Highlanders, impressing manager Clark Griffith. Despite him having a contract with the A’s, Griffith somehow managed to pick up Oldring, and he played for New York for the rest of the 1905 season. In eight games, he hit an impressive .300/.344/.467, which equated to a 146 OPS+. Impressed by the rookie, Griffith and the Highlanders attempted to sign Oldring for the following year, only for it to emerge that he was signed with the A’s, where he would return for 1906.
Impressing in spring training that year, Oldring eventually earned the Athletics’ third base spot in 1906. However, he had a strong arm and a tendency to airmail throws to first base. Mack decided to take advantage of that attribute and moved Oldring to center field, where he would play the majority of his career.
After some up and down seasons in his early career, Oldring settled became a key player for the A’s by the time the 1910s began. He had his best career year in 1910, putting up what added up to 4.3 fWAR and a 141 OPS+. He also helped the Athletics become a dynasty of the era, winning World Series titles in 1911 and ‘13. He became a fan favorite in Philadelphia, and even starred in a silent short film called “The Baseball Bug” in 1911.
Following an upset loss in the 1914 World Series, Mack began to tear down the A’s, which eventually led the likes of Home Run Baker, Bob Shawkey, and Herb Pennock to ioin the Yankees as they began their ascent. That tear down didn’t include the likes of Oldring at first, but after a slow start to the 1916 season, Philadelphia gave the outfielder his unconditional release. Oldring had already been considering retirement and elected to do that and settle on the farm he had bought with his wife. But later that season, the Yankees convinced Oldring to join them, as they were dealing with a host of outfield injuries. He struggled there too, leading to the Yankees releasing him in September. Mack later got Oldring to return to the A’s for the 1918 season before his major league career ended for good.
Oldring would spend some time as a player/manager at various minor league stops before leaving baseball for good after 1923. He settled back in New Jersey, where he lived until his death in 1961.
In two separate directions, the Yankees missed out on the best years of Rube Oldring. The Yankees have had plenty of successful player acquisitions over the years, but you can’t win them all.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Mike Gansey, the right-hand man to Koby Altman in Cleveland, is set to take over as the 76ers' new president of basketball operations, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark.
Source confirms the Sixers new president of basketball operations is Cleveland GM, Mike Gansey pic.twitter.com/zHHnTBZEGk
Gansey has been in the Cavaliers' front office since 2011 and, in 2022, took over as the general manager and right-hand to Altman (the Cavs' head of basketball operations). During his time in Cleveland, Ganesy was in charge of the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers' D-League affiliate (as the league was then called), and was named the 2017 D-League Executive of the Year.
Gansey takes over for Daryl Morey in Philadelphia, who was let go by the 76ers after they were swept out of the playoffs by the Knicks (as were the Cavaliers in the next round).
While Gansey was Cleveland's GM, the team has been willing to make bold moves — they traded for Donovan Mitchell in 2022 and for James Harden this past season.
That's a good sign because it's going to take bold moves to help the 76ers pivot to the future.
It became clear this season that the young, energized Tyrese Maxey and VJ backcourt is that future. However, the team is locked into a contract with 32-year-old Joel Embiid, who has not played in six straight games since December of 2023, and is guaranteed $188.3 million over the next three seasons. That makes him virtually untradable without attaching young players and picks. The playoffs also showed that when Embiid is healthy and rested, he can still be a force in the league, the team just can't rely on him to be that player consistently.
Then there is Paul George, who is guaranteed $54.1 million next season and has a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28.
Gansey has a big task ahead of him, but he can also see the path he wants to take. It's going to lead to an interesting next couple of years in Philly.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had some really good chances to win Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Final series against the Toronto Marlies on Friday night, but it wasn't meant to be.
Game 2 went to overtime before a strange puck bounce found the back of the net, giving the Marlies a 2-1 win and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Michael Pezzetta took a shot from the blue line before WBS goaltender Sergei Murashov and Marlies forward Marc Johnstone tried to get the puck. It was a weird deflection and was originally ruled no goal, but the officials huddled and reversed the call.
It also looked like Murashov was interfered with by Johnstone in the crease.
Here's a look at the play:
Sergei Murashov clearly tangled with Marc Johnstone at the net.
Before that goal, former Penguin Alex Nylander opened the scoring for the Marlies in the first period before Tanner Howe tied the game in the third period. It was a classic Tanner Howe goal as he collected the loose change around the crease and fired the puck home.
Outside of the weird overtime goal, the story of the game was Marlies goaltender Artur Akhtyamov. He was sensational in the net, making 33 saves, some of which were highway robbery. He's been fantastic in the first two games of this series.
Murashov has also been great for the Penguins, but they simply aren't giving him goal support like they were in the first two rounds.
The series will now head to Toronto for Game 3 on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.
Glasgow Warriors will face the Bulls in their URC semi-final at Murrayfield, after the South African side bested Munster in Pretoria.
Johan Ackermann's side were big winners at Loftus Versfeld, as they ran in six tries to rack up a 45-14 victory.
The Warriors secured their place in the semis on Friday night as they eventually overcame a stubborn Connacht side 33-21 at Scotstoun.
They will now head to Murrayfield, as Scotstoun is unavailable as it prepares to host the Commonwealth Games later this summer.
The Bulls only visited Glasgow last month, with Franco Smith's men running out 25-21 winners in a tight game.
It's been two years since the Warriors visited Pretoria for the URC final and, at it's famous altitude, reached their highest high as they won their second title.
As for the Bulls, they've finished runners-up in the previous two URC seasons and will be hoping third time is the charm.
His four-seamer has been crushed (.348 xBA, .614 xSLG), and he won’t be able to throw many get-me-overs against a Philadelphia Phillies lineup with the fourth-most WAR (5.3) against fastballs.
Jesus Luzardo (2.80 FIP), on the other hand, is lethal. He generates whiffs (90th percentile), and when teams do make contact, it’s usually on the ground (83rd percentile ground ball rate) and hit softly (95th percentile hard-hit rate).
Buy to +105.
COVERS INTEL:Roki Sasaki allows loud contact (11th percentile barrel rate, 11th percentile hard-hit rate), which is a concern against a Philadelphia lineup with the fifth-highest hard-hit rate (35.6%) in the last 20 days.
Phillies vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-107)
Luzardo has limited LA’s projected starting lineup to a .168 AVG and .558 OPS across a large sample size of 107 at-bats. Behind him is a strong bullpen in excellent form, posting a 2.07 SIERA in the last 20 days.
While Sasaki’s numbers are poor, he can take solace in the fact that Philadelphia has been ice cold, plating no more than four runs in any of its last nine games while sporting a 53 wRC+.
LA has also been lights out in relief (2.96 FIP in the last 20 days), and both pens are well rested.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 18-18, -5.53 units
Over/Under bets: 27-10, +16.41 units
Phillies vs Dodgers odds
Moneyline: Phillies +118 | Dodgers -130
Run line: Phillies +1.5 (-195) | Dodgers -1.5 (+170)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)
Phillies vs Dodgers trend
Philadelphia has cashed the Under in seven consecutive games. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Dodgers. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Phillies vs Dodgers and game info
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Saturday, May 30, 2026
First pitch
10:10 p.m. ET
TV
NBC Sports California, SportsNet LA
Phillies starting pitcher
Andrew Painter (1-5, 5.40 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Roki Sasaki (3-3, 4.93 ERA)
Phillies vs Dodgers latest injuries
Phillies vs Dodgers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 14: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates breaking 50 points against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter in game seven of the 2023 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals at TD Garden on May 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Bill Russell famously once said: “The two greatest words in sports are ‘Game 7.’”
With the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder soon tipping off a Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals tonight, I thought it would be the perfect time to reminisce on some of the best Game 7’s in Celtics history. You can go into any era of Celtics history and find an all-time performance when the lights are at their brightest.
Russell was undefeated in his career in Game 7’s with a perfect 10-0 record with five of those wins coming in the NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics as a franchise have played the most Game 7’s in NBA History at 38, the most recent a month ago when they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite this season, Boston has been pretty great in these do-or-die contests historically with a 27-11 record.
1957 NBA Finals: Hawks vs. Celtics
The first Game 7 played in both NBA and Celtics franchise history came in the 1957 NBA Finals when they faced off against the St. Louis Hawks on April 13th, 1957. With under a minute to go in the game, Bill Russell made a basket to tie it up and blocked the Hawks attempt to take the lead and eventually force overtime.
With the game still tied at the end of the first overtime, Bill Sharman had a chance to give the Celtics the win, but his jumper rimmed out and they headed for a second overtime. In the second overtime, Boston had a two-point lead with 2 seconds left and St. Louis had possession. They drew up a play for Bob Pettit who had 39 points up to that point, but both of his game tying attempts missed, giving the Boston Celtics a 125-123 win and their first NBA championship.
The 1957 Rookie of the Year Tom Heinsohn was remarkable in this game and carried the offense for Boston with 37 points and 23 rebounds on 17-33 shooting in 45 minutes played. Russell, also a rookie, finished with 19 points and 32 rebounds in 54 minutes. In later years, Heinsohn would call it the best game ever played which is high praise given that he was the Celtics coach during Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals in what was deemed “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”
1965 Eastern Division Finals: 76ers vs. Celtics
The 1965 Eastern Conference Finals was the definition of a back and forth series where both the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics traded victories going into Game 7. This was a battle of the big men as Wilt Chamberlain was trying to take down Bill Russell for the first time in his career. Wilt would have 30 points and 32 rebounds while Russell had 15 points and 29 rebounds. Sam Jones led the way for Boston with 37 points, but it was John Havlicek who was the hero of this Game 7.
In the final seconds of the game after Russell threw the ball out of bounds on an inbound play, the 76ers had the ball with the Celtics leading 110-109. Hal Greer went to inbound the ball for Philadelphia and when he threw it in play, John Havlicek intercepted it and Jones dribbled out the clock to propel Boston to collect their seventh straight NBA championship. This game will be remembered most for the iconic radio call from Johnny Most as he exclaimed in excitement: “Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball!”
1981 Eastern Conference Finals: 76ers vs. Celtics
In an inverse of the 2026 series between the Celtics and 76ers, Philadelphia jumped out to a quick 3-1 series lead over Boston in the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics were able to battle back into the series behind two huge games by Larry Bird to force a Game 7 back in the Boston Garden on May 3rd, 1981.
This game started with Boston trailing by 7 points at halftime, but this didn’t deter them as they were able to tie it up late in the fourth quarter. Boston’s defense would swarm Philadelphia in the paint and that led to Larry Bird hitting a huge bank shot to give the Celtics a 91-89 lead with 1:03 left in the game. With 29 seconds left, Maurice Cheeks would have a chance to tie the game at the free throw line, but he missed the first and the 76ers couldn’t get a last second shot off. Boston would win 91-90 and go on to the NBA Finals where they defeated the Houston Rockets for their 14th title.
1984 NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Celtics
Out of all the Game 7s on this list, the matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics in the 1984 NBA Finals might be the biggest of them all. The best rivalry in basketball history, the clash of the titans between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, all culminating in their first head-to-head Finals matchup. This series started with the Lakers stealing home court from Boston in Game 1, but the Celtics would bounce back to take a 3-2 series lead going into Game 6. Los Angeles won Game 6 at home, setting up winner-take-all battle in Game 7 back in Boston on June 12th, 1984.
Boston took the early advantage in this game, leading by 6 points at halftime, but the third quarter saw them start to pull away. They outscored the Lakers 33-26 and took a 91-78 lead going into the fourth quarter. Los Angeles didn’t roll over; they locked in defensively and held the Celtics to only 20 points in the final frame and cutting Boston’s lead to three points on a James Worthy jumper with 1:14 to go in the game. This would be the Lakers final basket of the game as the Celtics rattled off a 9-0 run to put the game out of reach and earn Boston their 15th championship.
2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cavaliers vs. Celtics
Jumping ahead to 2008, this was the first playoff series that LeBron James would face the Celtics as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Boston was powered by their Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Keven Garnett, and Ray Allen and they were giving the 23 year-old James fits throughout this entire series. The Cavaliers were able to play some strong defense to support James, and after they beat the Celtics in Game 6, they were in for a fight in Game 7 back in TD Garden on May 18th, 2008.
Game 7 saw an all-time duel between LeBron James and Paul Pierce who decided that they were going to be the one who sent their team to the Eastern Conference Finals. James scored 45 points on 14-29 shooting and was dominating Boston for most of the game and made it a one-point game with 2:20 left in the fourth quarter.
However, the Celtics did not let up in this game as PJ Brown hit a clutch midrange jumper with 1:21 to go make a three-point game. After that Pierce took over, playing elite defense on James on every possession. He hit two clutch free throws to finish the game with 41 points. Boston would go on to beat the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals to claim their 17th championship.
2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Wizards vs. Celtics
The 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup between the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards is one of my all time favorite series. Every game saw both teams battle tooth and nail, being led by two All-Star point guards in Isaiah Thomas and John Wall. Thomas made his impact felt in Game 2 when he scored 53 points on his sister’s birthday who he tragically lost at the beginning of these playoffs to give Boston a 2-0 advantage in the series. Wall would make his impact in a win or go home Game 6 for the Wizards where he hit a game-winning three to help bring Washington to a Game 7 in TD Garden on May 15th, 2017.
The first half saw both teams keep the game close with Washington taking a 55-53 into halftime. Bradley Beal went off for Washington, dropping 38 points on the night and the Wizards would open up their biggest lead of the game at 6 points midway through the third quarter. However, the Celtics would respond with a 9-0 run at the end of the quarter to take a 85-79 lead going into the fourth. Once the fourth quarter started, Kelly Olynyk became a folk hero in the city of Boston forever. He exploded for 14 points in the quarter and finished with 26 points on 10-14 shooting to lead the Celtics to a 115-105 win and a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.
2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Bucks vs. Celtics
On the five year anniversary of the game Kelly Olynyk knocked out the Wizards in the 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals, another unlikely role player would have his own special moment in a Game 7. After a heartbreaking Game 5 loss at home to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Celtics were down 3-2 going back on the road. Jayson Tatum would put up a heroic 46 point Game 6 performance, setting the stage for Game 7 on May 15th, 2022.
The Bucks shot out to an early 10-point lead towards the end of the first quarter but that was before the Celtics started to pull away thanks to the help of Grant Williams having the game of his life. Williams would finish with 27 points on 10-22 shooting from the field and 7-18 shooting from three. Boston would ride the hot hand of Grant Williams to a dominant 109-81 victory and use this series as a stepping stone to eventually making the 2022 NBA Finals. Williams put out a video on his Instagram reminiscing on this game and said, “These were such cool moments to look back to because it shows that you had some type of defining moment in your career.”
2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals: 76ers vs. Celtics
Not only is the final Game 7 in this article the most recent victory for the Celtics, but it is also my all time favorite performance. A year after Grant Williams’ heroics, the Celtics found themselves experiencing deja vu in the playoffs once again. Down 3-2 in the series going on the road in the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals, this time against the Philadelphia 76ers. Jayson Tatum once again came up big in Game 6 on the road and this time was going to make his mark on Game 7 in TD Garden on May 14th, 2023.
The similarities continued into Game 7, where the 76ers took a 6-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but Jayson Tatum had 11 points for the Celtics. Once the second quarter hit, Tatum continued his hot shooting first half with 14 points in the second quarter and Boston had a 55-52 lead at the half. Boston would leave Philadelphia in the dust in the second half, led by Jayson Tatum dropping an NBA Game 7 record with 51 points on 17-28 shooting from the field and 6-10 shooting from three and the Celtics would win 112-88 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - OCTOBER 04: (L-R) Jake Allen #34 and Jacob Markstrom #25 of the New Jersey Devils sit in their stalls in the locker room prior to the 2024 NHL Global Series-Czechia game between the New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres at O2 Arena on October 04, 2024 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
HI!
Hope everyone had a lovely fake Spring and now real Spring so far. Not sure if you are all watching the playoffs, but there have been some fun games and fun young teams. I did not have Vegas beating Colorado in my bracket, let alone sweeping, so definitely pretty shocking. Although I had Ottawa beating Carolina so what do I know.
As annoyed as I am that we are on the outside looking in, stress free playoff hockey can be the next best thing. Ok, I’m lying, it sucks, I cannot believe we are back here again – I’d much rather be a pasty ball of anxiety, ignoring my family and friends, work, life etc. Some of these young fun teams (Utah, Anaheim, Philly etc) got invaluable experience we should’ve gotten the past 2 seasons.
Back to the Devils. There have been a few major themes plaguing this team the past few years: scoring, injuries, and goaltending. Our scoring woes and injuries are interconnected; when your good players get hurt and you have worse players on the ice, those worse players are going to score less. Jack has obviously been the main problem here, but don’t discount how much other injuries affect scoring (Pesce playing playing half a season, Glass and Grits missing time). Goal scoring is the biggest issue this summer and I plan to get more in depth about scoring like I did here once the marketplace for players becomes a little more apparent.
So, that leaves goaltending which I do think can be talked about now to see if there are any viable paths to fix the goaltending. And by “fix the goaltending” I am talking exclusively about Markstrom as Allen is on a great contract and was mostly good in contained deployment. Daws will also be in the mix as an RFA with arb rights, and with his contract status I would be surprised if he isn’t in Utica again next season.
Quick Look at the Future
First, It is instructive to consider how our future goalie pipeline looks, with Yegorov and Malek projected to be good NHLers with Daws as a serviceable backup/1B. Now, obviously you can take “future looks bright in goal” with a grain of salt since Goalies are strange magical creatures and always very difficult to project.
Every goalie drafted in the first two rounds in the 2010s visualized by the primary place they played in each season of their careers so far: pic.twitter.com/Km5i701PTX
Often it takes highly drafted/rated goalies until their D+5 or D+6 year year to pan out as NHL goalies, with the best coming up and staying around the D+4 year: Oettinger, Knight, Vasilevskiy, Gibson. On the other hand you can see the sheer volume of guys that never set foot in the NHL (blue/red) that were high picks and/or never really established themselves in the NHL.
So if I were to guess if there was some sort of plan, it was to run Markstrom/Allen until Yegorov and/or Malek were ready. Or knowing Fitz, he was just going to extend Markstrom until the end of days, who knows if anything was an actual plan. In 2026-27, Jakub Malek will be entering his D+5 year and Mikhail Yegorov will be entering his D+3 year and will be returning to BU for his 3rd season, so we are close or at the “ready” portion of their careers if they are going to pan out. One thing I agree with Jared on, is that that both Daws and Malek should at minimum be qualified, and I would be surprised if either went anywhere.
Also, Environment Matters
I promise at some point I will get to what we could potentially do with goalies. But first, I think it’s also important to understand the environment in front of them. For the most part, goalies are a product of their defensive environment, and how good or bad the structure in front of them will have an outsize effect on the goaltending results.
Below is the 2025-26 season of xGA vs GA per/60 at 5v5 via JFresh’s hockeystats.com. xGA is a great proxy for “how good is this team defensively” since it accumulates and weights all of the chances given up, regardless of goalie. There is a linear correlation between xGA and GA – which is why defensive environment is so important. If your defense can’t prevent chances, you’re gonna get scored on a lot unless you have an all-world goalie (Washington Boston, Islanders) or you can get scored on a lot despite a stingy defense (Ottawa and Vegas).
2025-26 Devils Goaltending: A Retrospective
All of Tim’s fun math aside, we had two very differently performing goalies (I’m not including Daws for this exercise). Of Goalies with 30 or more games played, Markstrom was the 6th worst in terms of GSAA at -11.4 for a full season and -.27 per/60. Jake Allen, on the other hand, was 33rd at +9.8 and +.27 per 60.
Below is how those numbers accumulated by game as visualized by hockeystats.com. I’m including because this site is awesome and I highly recommend playing around in it ($$). I’m also including it to note that a massive chunk of Markstrom’s cumulative -11.4 GSAA came in 2 games: Colorado in October (first game back from his early injury) and the infamous 9-0 Islanders game. Otherwise he was basically break even over the course of the season.
Now before I get dangerously into “defending Markstrom” territory by pointing that out, let’s take a deeper stroll into these numbers. In only 18 of his 44 starts was he positive for GSAA, so basically 60% of his games he was below league average. Further, he gave up 3 or more goals in 28 of those 44 games, and in ONLY 4 of those was he positive for GSAA. If he gets one more save in each of those 24 games (28 minus 4), we are having a different conversation (or no conversation).
Piling on a bit here – when your goalie gives up bad goals at bad times and you’re chasing the game it can be defeating. I am so tired of hearing “he battled” – I don’t want my goalie to battle, I want him to stop pucks. Batting implies it was a struggle, which it often seemed like it was. He gave up the first goal of the game in 24 of his starts, more than half his games, and the devils were 9-14-1 in those games. You can see this in his below goalie card under “quality starts” which is when he had a GSAA above 0. Also, don’t be fooled by the excellent start percentile, he had 2 in total (above 2.0 GSAA). He notoriously overcommits and often is flat out swimming out there – I can’t remember the last time I got so nervous so often for a wrister from the point. Maybe our TBD new goalie coach can have that conversation with him: “hey, you’re too old to rely on athleticism, so use your size more. You’re a giant Viking.”
Further, the most glaring thing about Markstrom is his clear decline, as evidenced by his JFresh card. Take a look at the top right box which is his overall Wins Above Replacement (WAR) trend. Fitz decided 2 more years with this trend line was totally worth an extension. Extrapolating this through his new contract, he will be at -50% WAR by the end of 27-28:
I could also get into his low danger save percentage (26th percentile and 2nd to last) or his average goal distance against (3rd worst, 22.9 feet) but that would really be beating a dead horse.
There are a few ways to get out of Markstrom, and the second buyout window has been laid out here. We can also flat out waive him to the minors – his extension transitions to a modified NTC and is not an NMC starting in 26-27. Also, and while I highly doubt he is tradeable, but he does have a 20-team no-trade list in 2026-27 and a 5-team no-trade list in 2027-28.
Here’s the problem, though. Finding an alternative upgrade that can start 50ish games this offseason could prove extremely challenging. We would obviously have to dig into the UFA/RFA/Trade market which means utilizing precious trade assets or cap space that we don’t have a lot of.
Also of note, I’m largely going to rely on JFresh cards as a snapshot of each goalie below. The “main number,” Proj WAR, is a three year weighted average, and the top right provides a WAR trendline. All percentiles for each stat are how they compare to the league.
Stu Skinner – Honestly, not a terrible idea, he is better than Markstrom and only 25 and can handle the workload. He does come with some baggage, and when it goes badly for him it goes BADLY. However, in Edmonton he was largely a product of his environment and “Darnell Nurse” and he was mediocre at best for Pittsburgh.
Connor Ingram – He’s a backup and while he did take the starter job from Jarry in Edmonton, he is not a guy that can be relied on for 50+ games. I do like his age and potential and he’d be cheap.
Danil Tarasov – Career backup, and could be a possibility and was signed in Florida – basically the only reason I highlighted him amongst the UFA goalies. Every time Florida signed someone I always perked up, but they also signed Vanacek, so there’s that. If I were to guess, Florida basically ran the numbers and determined they could just find a warm body behind Bob for 15-20 games.
There are also a few non-NHL options and admittedly, I had to rely on the ole internet machine for the two below and the summaries are cut and pasted. But if you want to think outside the box, there are two KHL goalies that are regularly reported as the best in the league:
Bilyalov is statistically one of the most efficient goaltenders in KHL history. He set the KHL record for the longest modern shutout streak (316 minutes, 9 seconds) and won the league’s Best Goaltender honors. His high-end .927 career SV% comes over a substantial heavy-workload sample size.
Isayev has been the league’s top lockdown technical goaltender over recent seasons. He carried Lokomotiv to the Gagarin Cup finals behind an elite postseason where he averaged a tiny 1.65 GAA.
RFA Options
Similarly, it is slim pickings for RFA Goalies, and we are entering offer sheet territory here. As I will get into below, we are very light on legitimate trade assets, and coughing up assets and picks where our biggest need is scoring punch may be ill advised – and as Jared wrote here, offer sheets are fun in theory but rarely ever happen. However, Yegorov and Malek are no guarantees and finding a viable long term solution here could, in turn, make one of them a very valuable trade chip.
Trade Options
I’m not bringing up Hellebuyck here, even though there was some offhand mentions of him after the Jets brutal season and they are in limbo moving forward. However, I don’t see a world or a mechanism where the Devils can take a run at him. What I did focus on was teams with crowded creases that will likely need to make decisions on their goalie room.
The other consideration here is our limited assets to actually swing multiple trades and I will scream from the rooftops that we need more scoring help first and foremost. Some of these guys might not need major packages, and a good baseline comp is Logan Thompson who was acquired by the Capitals for 2 3rd rounders from Vegas.
Anthony Stolarz – Stolarz is a popular name around the Devils fanbase, probably heavily influenced by sentimentality as he is NJ born and bred. He is an excellent goalie, but he has a hard time staying healthy and hasn’t made it through a full season – he has had 2 knee surgeries, a brutal concussion, a scary incident after taking a puck to the throat, and a groin injury this past season. He has a 4-year, $3.75MM extension kicking in next season and with Woll and Hildeby signed through 27-28, he is the guy that should fall out as Toronto retools. I would definitely take the risk knowing we have Daws and Malek as call-ups.
Alex Lyon – Lyon has 1 more year at $1.5MM and has shown time and again that he can rise to the occasion. He was the main reason Florida even got into the playoffs 2 seasons ago, and he took over for Lukkonen as the primary starter this season (although he lost the crease in the playoffs). With UPL signed long term, Ellis and Levi waiting in the wings, I can see a world where Lyon is the guy who falls out of the mix. He’s also a bit of a psycho which I enjoy.
Filip Gustavsson – Is Minnesota going to trade out a goalie? Rumors were abound that they have floated Wallstead in multiple trade offers, but he wound up taking over the net in the playoffs, so does that leave the Gus Bus on the outs? He has a 4-year $6.8MM extension that kicks in next season, so making this work would be difficult. Do they want to give the keys to Wallstead, and could we actually give Minnesota our own Swedish Goalie veteran mentor in return with a pick or two?
Sebastian Cossa – Cossa has been recently rumored as available according to several insiders, as the “Yzerplan” is going about as well as the “Fitzplan.” They already have Gibson signed as the starter and I have read that they see Augustine as the better prospect. I would absolutely take a look at him if he is really available. He has done nothing but win and stop pucks:
Devin Cooley – For some reason Cooley doesn’t have a JFresh Card, but he is a rising star in this league, put up a .909 sv pct for an atrocious Calgary team and is currently carrying USA’s D team to the knockout stage at Worlds (.930 sv pct). He has 1 more year at $1.5MM and with Dustin Wolf having 4 more years at $7.5MM, and Calgary in full tear down mode, I can see him getting an opportunity elsewhere.
So, After All That
The goalie market isn’t great from a UFA and RFA perspective, but there are some intriguing trade options. The question then becomes, do we have enough assets to bring in more scoring help AND a goalie upgrade? If Sunny can pull off a Logan Thompson style robbery, I’m all for it but once we get into the 12th overall/Nemec/Mercer territory, I think I more inclined to stand pat for one more year and offload Markstrom after this upcoming season.
One thing I will also point out is the analytics community views goaltending as a means to an end, and not the lynchpin of a team – the best example of this is Carolina. I alluded to it above when talking about environment, there is a major correlation between how good the team in front of a goalie is, and the results that goalie sees with few outlier exceptions. So maybe just play better defense? Get Keefe on the phone, I cracked the code.
How about you, gang? Do we NEED to get out of Markstrom and find anyone else in your opinion? Do any of the above options intrigue you? Anyone on team “play better and our current guys will be fine”? Or are there any other goalies that are on your radar that I missed?
Jun 16, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks center fielder Justin Thomas Jr. (4) hits a single against the Murray State Racers during the eighth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (23-32) lost 6-1 (BOX SCORE)
The offense got on the board in the first inning on a Strahm RBI groundout. Brown made a rehab start for Sugar Land last night and was great striking out 5 over 3 innings allowing just one hit, a solo home run. He touched 99.3 MPH. Hendrickson relieved Brown and allowed 5 runs over 5 innings and the offense was stifled the rest of the way as Sugar Land fell 6-1.
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (23-26) lost 8-1 (BOX SCORE)
Swanson got the start for the Hooks and was pitching well until the 4th inning where he allowed 5 runs. After scoreless outings from Santos and Torres, Leach allowed 3 runs as the Mission extended their lead. The offense got on the board in the 8th inning on an Encarnacion RBI groundout but that was it as the Hooks fell 8-1.
A+: Asheville Tourists (10-38) won 13-8 (BOX SCORE)
Smith got the start and allowed 4 runs, all in the first inning, over 4 innings of work. The offense got on the board in the third on a Batista solo home run. The offense added 6 more runs in the 4th inning on a Garcia 2 run double, Batista RBI single and Thomas 3 run home run. They picked up another run in the 6th on an error. In the 8th inning, Moss connected on a 2 run single. The offense got 3 more runs in the 9th on an error, Frey RBI single and Call sac fly. The pen allowed a few runs late but held on for the 13-8 win.
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (21-28) lost 3-2 (BOX SCORE)
The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning on an Ochoa 2 run home run. Weber got the start and pitched really well allowing 1 run over 6 innings with 3 strikeouts. The Howlers tied the game in the 7th getting a run off of Rosario. The game would go to extra innings and in the 10th, the Howlers walked it off as Fayetteville fell 3-2.
Note: Alvarez is hitting .375 over his last 9 games.
It was that kind of day in St. Louis. The Cubs jumped right on top with three runs in the top of the first, then gave three runs right back in the bottom of the inning. They got a run in the second, but allowed single runs in the fourth and fifth, then chased the remainder of the game, coming up short. The Cub bullpen did throw 2.2 innings of one run ball to end the game, but Cub starter Shōta Imanaga allowed five runs in just 5.1 innings. That and the one run allowed by Phil Maton out of the pen were too much for the Cub offense on this night. They did manage 11 hits, but only drew one walk and one hit by pitch. All together, it just wasn’t enough. For what has been all too frequent an occurrence recently, the Cubs came up short.
Five runs isn’t too bad of an outcome for the offense, but the six runs allowed by Cub pitching are just too much. Shōta Imanaga was all too vulnerable in 2025 and after a nice resurgence in April, he’s been very beatable in May. The calendar is going to turn to June, but stop me if you’ve heard this before, I’m not sure the warmer weather is going to do him any favors. Compounding matters for him were a walk and a hit by pitch in the first inning. He only allowed five hits, which isn’t awful, but one was a three-run homer.
Each team had a three-run homer allowed in the first inning. Imanaga’s gave away all of the momentum of the first inning and for that matter the last two days. When Cade Horton was hurt, Justin Steele was reinjured and Matthew Boyd was sidelined, you had to wonder how the Cubs would get enough outs. It didn’t surface right away, but this team is way too bad at run prevention. The cherry on top was the run allowed by Phil Maton in the eighth. To be fair, the bullpen can’t be expected to have to always be perfect. For Maton, though, it’s been anything but. He had a disastrous April, but even looking at his numbers solely in May, he’s allowed seven runs, all earned, in just 13 innings of work.
We’ve started to talk a little about the lack of high leverage situations for Cub relievers. I’m generally talking about being up a run or two late. But I guess this is a different kind of leverage spot, a one-run deficit late. The kind of game where you have to shut the door and hope the offense comes through. Of course, ex-Cub Nelson Velázquez was right in the middle of most of the scoring. He started the eighth inning rally with a one-out single and ultimately scored the decisive run. Maton had two strikes and two outs before Masyn Winn extended the inning with a single. José Fermín then followed with a single on an 0-2 pitch. Twice Cardinal hitters wriggled off of Maton’s hook when he couldn’t put them away with two strikes and favorable counts.
Velázquez had a nice game, with two hits, one a homer and three runs driven in. This was, of course, his first game as a Cardinal. After an unremarkable stint with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds (.232/.344/.420), the Cardinals called him up and dropped him right into the four spot in their order. You would have to be happy for Nelson literally any other day.
Just another frustrating day as a Cub fan. All too many of them these last few weeks.
Three Positives:
Ian Happ had a three-run homer in the first and added a double. He homers for the third straight game for the second time this year. He owns NL Central pitching.
Seiya Suzuki had three hits in four chances.
Michael Busch had three hits in five chances, driving in two and scoring one.
Game 58, May 29: Cardinals 6, Cubs 5 (31-27)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Ian Happ (.247). 2-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, R
Hero: Seiya Suzuki (.092). 3-4
Sidekick: Ethan Roberts (.066). 1.2 IP, 6 BF, H (0.60 ERA on the season)
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Shōta Imanaga (-.296). 5.1 IP, 23 BF, 5 H, BB, 5 ER, 2 K, 2 HBP (L 4-6)
Goat: Michael Conforto (-.165). 0-4
Kid: Carson Kelly (-.123). 0-4
WPA Play of the Game: Ian Happ’s three-run homer with two outs in the first. (.250)
Pirates Play of the Game: Nelson Velazquez’ three-run homer with one out in the first. (.232)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 57 Winner: Ian Happ with 134 of 179 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Michael Busch +21
Ian Happ +12.5
Alex Bregman +9.5
Nico Hoerner +9
Michael Conforto +7
Jameson Taillon/Phil Maton -9
Matt Shaw -10
Dansby Swanson -12
Seiya Suzuki -24.5
Current Win Pace: 86.59 wins
Up Next: Game two of the three-game series. Ben Brown (1-2, 2.01, 44.2 IP) makes his fifth start of the year. He’s 0-1 with a 1.89 ERA since becoming a starter. That’s just 19 innings of work as he gets fully stretched out. But he’s been pretty terrific in every role they’ve used him in this year.
Kyle Leahy (5-3, 4.44, 50.2 IP) makes his 11th start of the season. The 17th round pick of the Cardinals back in 2018 (513th overall) has made just 11 starts in his young career. Last time out, the Reds scored five runs in five innings against him.
This is a matchup the Cubs should win. You’d like to have a split in hand before sending Jordan Wicks to the mound for the finale. Wicks was knocked around pretty good in his first 2026 MLB game.
BINGHAMTON, NY - MAY 26: Franklin Arias #50 of the Portland Sea Dogs celebrates on first base after hitting an RBI double in the 10th inning during the game between the Portland Sea Dogs and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Kylie Richelle/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The lone winner in the organization Friday night, the WooSox and Michael Sansone were hit around by the Rail Riders (Yankees AAA) to start and needed some late offense to bring them home, where Tommy Kahnle again slammed the door in the ninth. That late offense was an eighth-inning leadoff triple by Allan Castro and subsequent knock by Jason Delay. Allan Castro may be hitting just over .200, but on Friday, he was the driving force in the win.
Franklin Arias had yet another multi-hit game. So, too, did Miguel Bleis, who’s recovering okay but not great after some early struggles. And Caden Rose, the 24-year-old outfielder out of Alabama, had three hits, but still, the team stranded ten runners and the Rumble Ponies (Mets AA) ended up walking Portland off in extras. This was despite Portland outhitting Binghamton 11-6.
Shea Sprague got taken for a ride in the fourth inning, as Asheville (Astros High-A) scored six runs against the Drive. Despite scoring four runs in the bottom of the first including Mason White hitting his ninth home run of the season, after that early defensive melt down, Greenville never got closer than 3 runs down after the fourth and, even when they put more offense on the board, it was only in response to Asheville also putting some runs up earlier in the inning.
Salem and Hickory (Rangers A) traded fourth-inning runs, the RidgeYaks’ coming off the bat of a home run from Skylar King. Jose Bello let walks get the best of him to start the fifth and Salem found themselves down by three runs, and then answered with two of their own. Still a winnable game… until Harry Blum let five runs cross in the eighth and Salem simply couldn’t answer.
COVERS INTEL:
