VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Jim Rutherford is stepping down as the Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations following next month’s NHL draft.
“I’m going to get away from the day-to-day operations,” he said Tuesday at an unrelated news conference. “I’m going to stay with the team as an adviser and alternate governor. But as far as the day-to-day operations, we’re going to put together a really good staff here going forward.”
The 77-year-old, three-time Stanley Cup winner said Tuesday that he’s been thinking about his future a lot recently.
“This is something I’ve thought about anyways for a couple of years,” Rutherford said. “But it’s time for me to do that. I feel bad that I have to do it at such a young age, but decided to do it anyways.”
The news comes after the Canucks finished the season last in the standings with a 25-49-8 record.
Rutherford said the search for a new GM has involved more than 15 candidates, and the list has now been narrowed down to five. A final decision is expected by next week, he said.
How Vancouver’s front office is structured following the new hire remains to be seen, Rutherford added.
“I’ll help with the transition and the new person, new people, new positions, things like that,” he said. “But I’ll still be part of the organization. When someone wants to bounce something off of me, I’ll be happy to do it.”
Rutherford and Allvin orchestrated an era that saw the Canucks go from playoff outsiders to Pacific Division winners and back again.
Rutherford was initially hired as Vancouver’s president of hockey operations and interim general manager on Dec. 9, 2021, four days after then-general manager Jim Benning was fired.
A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builders’ category, he previously served as GM for the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2014 to 2021, and led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and ’17.
He was also Carolina’s general manager for 20 years, and helped the Hurricanes win the Cup in 2006.
After finishing at the bottom of the standings, the Canucks had the best odds at claiming the top pick in next month’s draft, but the balls did not fall their way in Tuesday’s lottery.
Instead, the Toronto Maple Leafs will get the first overall selection. Vancouver will pick third.
“Despite the fact that the Canucks aren’t going to pick No. 1, that doesn’t mean we need to be all upset over this,” Rutherford said. “This is a real strong draft. We really don’t know how the draft is going to fall. … But whatever way it falls, we feel very strong that we’re going to get a really good player. Who that player is, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the sixth inning against Jacob Degrom #48 of the Texas Rangers during their game at Yankee Stadium on May 05, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees were down 3-0 in the top of the first inning. There were runners on second and third with two out and a 3-2 count on Jake Burger. Struggling rookie pitcher Elmer Rodríguez was on the verge of being pulled as he neared 40 pitches. Before the Yanks even had a chance to bat, they were in danger of being out of it.
But so far, they haven’t quite been out of any game. Rodríguez got through the frame and made it to 4.2 innings in his second MLB start, giving the offense enough time to make up for leaving him out to dry in his debut. Home runs by Ryan McMahon and Jazz Chisholm Jr., along with a pair of RBI doubles by Cody Bellinger, gave Jacob deGrom his worst outing of the season as the Yankees opened this three-game set in The Bronx with a 7-4 win — their 15th in the last 17 games since splitting that strange mid-April series against the Angels.
Rodríguez’s primary pain point from his debut last week in Texas was his very inconsistent command, and that reared its ugly head early with a pair of walks to Evan Carter and Corey Seager to start the game. A single by Josh Jung and a long sacrifice fly by Joc Pederson put the Rangers on the board early, and they’d tack on with Ezequiel Duran’s RBI single and a spiked slider that got away for a wild pitch to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead.
After getting shut out and giving Rodríguez no margin for error in his last start, the Yankees jumped all over deGrom. Aaron Judge snuck a one-out double into the right field corner and scored one pitch later on a scorched RBI double by Cody Bellinger that once again teased us all by hitting the very top of the right-field wall, getting a run back immediately.
Aside from a Carter double with one out, Rodríguez worked a clean second inning, which allowed his offense to get back to work. Paul Goldschmidt, making a rare start against a righty because of Ben Rice’s hand injury, ripped a leadoff single to set up Ryan McMahon. The much-maligned third baseman is slowly heating up as the season goes along, and he deposited his third home run of the year into the short porch in right field to tie the game at three.
The Rangers were able to get baserunners against Rodríguez, but he did a great job at preventing damage while filling up the strike zone. After two relatively quiet innings, he looked to be rolling through the fifth when a pair of soft-hit singles put two on with two out before Jake Burger drew a walk to end his outing.
With the bases loaded and two out, Brent Headrick entered to strike out the pinch-hitting Sam Haggerty, ending the inning.
This will probably be the last we’ll see of Rodríguez for a bit with Carlos Rodón due back for his next start, but Elmer showed real poise in this one despite a worse line than his debut. To rebound after that unmitigated disaster in the first to being a hair away from getting through five solid innings is admirable, and he left with a no-decision.
deGrom really started to settle in after the McMahon home run, only walking Bellinger in the third before retiring 10 consecutive batters to get through 5.2 innings. Then he served up a 1-0 fastball to Jazz Chisholm Jr. that was crushed into the right-field bleachers to make it 4-3, Yankees.
Tim Hill was next out of the bullpen to pitch the seventh, and for once, he wasn’t an automatic ground-ball machine. A long single by Jung and blooper by Yankees legend Kyle Higashioka suddenly put two on with one out, prompting Aaron Boone to come out of the dugout and make the move for Fernando Cruz, whose splitter looked filthy as ever as he retired the next two batters to get out of trouble.
Some insurance would be appreciated, and Skip Schumaker’s decision-making after the seventh-inning stretch opened the door for it. Another good piece of hitting by McMahon and a bunt single by Caballero put two on with one out against a laboring deGrom, who was finally pulled for Jalen Beeks.
After he got Grisham to fly out, Schumaker took advantage of an open base to intentionally walk Judge, but was quickly punished for his misdeeds by the baseball gods, as Bellinger ripped a two-run double over the head of Burger to make it 6-3 after seven. That’s six runs charged to deGrom in 6.1 innings. Not too shabby.
Cruz stayed on to start the eighth and plunked Danny Jansen with one out. After looking great through three batters, he suddenly stopped throwing the splitter and fell behind the next two hitters, allowing a single before walking Carter to bring up Seager with the bases loaded. Boone called on David Bednar to escape a perilous jam, which he did by striking out Seager and inducing a quick pop-up out of the red-hot Jung.
The Yankees scored more insurance against MLB’s No. 1 bullpen, as Goldschmidt got an at-bat against the lefty Tyler Alexander and didn’t let the opportunity go to waste, smacking an 0-1 changeup into the right-field seats for his second home run of the season to make it 7-3.
Bednar came back out to finish off a five-out save, and he did his job, aside from a mostly-meaningless triple by Duran that wound up leading to a run. He’s now tied for the AL lead with 10 saves on the year. The Yankees’ 25-11 record is tied with the Braves for the best in baseball, though Atlanta is playing out in Seattle at the moment.
The Yankees will look to push this winning streak to six games and lock up another series victory tomorrow at 7:05 pm on Amazon Prime Video. To do so, Will Warren and company will have to beat the only pitcher to hand the Yanks a loss within the last week: old frenemy Nathan Eovaldi.
Leo Carlsson has been a huge shooting threat in the playoffs, leading a talented Anaheim lineup in shots on goal and scoring chances.
My Ducks vs. Golden Knights predictionsexpect his shooting prowess to be on full display again in Game 2.
Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for May 6.
Ducks vs Golden Knights Game 2 prediction
Ducks vs Golden Knights best bet: Leo Carlsson Over 2.5 shots (-155)
Leo Carlsson has taken his shooting to a whole different level in the playoffs. The star center has averaged 4.6 shots on goal and 6.4 attempts through seven games, clearing 2.5 shots in six of them.
The Vegas Golden Knights had a difficult time slowing him down in Game 1, allowing seven attempts, five chances, and four shots on goal.
They were clearly out-played during Carlsson’s 5-on-5 minutes, losing the shot attempt battle 19-7 and getting out-chanced by eight.
Look for Carlsson and the Anaheim Ducks' top line to cause Vegas problems in Game 2.
Ducks vs Golden Knights Game 2 same-game parlay
Carlsson is averaging more than a point per game in the playoffs and ranks second to Nathan MacKinnon in scoring chance contributions. It’s tough to keep him off the scoresheet once, let alone multiple times in a row.
Troy Terry is Carlsson’s partner in crime and facilitates a lot of chances for him at 5-on-5 and on the power play. Terry also had five points over three games against Vegas during the regular season, with four coming by way of assist.
Ducks vs Golden Knights SGP
Leo Carlsson Over 2.5 shots
Leo Carlsson Over 0.5 points
Troy Terry Over 0.5 assists
Ducks vs Golden Knights odds for Game 2
Moneyline: Ducks +135 | Golden Knights -155
Puck Line: Ducks +1.5 (-180) | Golden Knights -1.5 (+155)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+115) | Under 6.5 (-135)
Ducks vs Golden Knights trend
The Anaheim Ducks have hit the game total Over in 11 of their last 20 games (+4.00 Units / 16% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Ducks vs. Golden Knights.
How to watch Ducks vs Golden Knights Game 2
Location
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Date
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Puck drop
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
TNT, SN
Ducks vs Golden Knights latest injuries
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.
May 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) in the first half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Well, I missed the first few minutes of this game because we had to take our puppy to the pet urgent care after she found some chocolate on the floor of the pantry – just to turn right back around as soon as we got there to find out she didn’t eat enough chocolate for it to be toxic. Fun times!
Now, back to basketball.
Cleveland big man Jarrett Allen picked up three quick fouls early and Detroit was able to take advantage. After Cleveland started the game 5-0, Detroit responded with a 30-9 run to take a 30-14 lead late in the first quarter. Javonte Green drilled a buzzer-beating three to give Detroit a 37-21 lead after one.
Donovan Mitchell looked good early as he was the focal point of the Cavs offense. They opened the quarter on a 7-2 run, but James Harden was struggling against Detroit’s defense as the Pistons held a 49-35 lead with five minutes left in the half. Ausar Thompson chased down Keon Ellis in transition with one of the nastiest chase-down blocks I’ve ever seen:
Detroit was up 59-46 at halftime after leading by 18 late in the first quarter. Cleveland turned the ball over 11 times in the half as Detroit’s defense was giving the Cavs issues, particularly for Harden as he was guarded mostly by Cade. Cunningham led the way for the Pistons with 14 points while Tobias added 10 – the two combined to shoot 11-for-13 from the free throw line. Donovan Mitchell had 14, but no other Cavs player was in double-digits.
The Pistons opened the second half with back-to-back threes from Duncan Robinson, but Cleveland was battling back despite more Harden turnovers turning into Detroit points. After being up 16 early in the third, Cleveland cut the Detroit lead to four after a 23-10 run. The momentum looked to be shifting in the Cavs direction until a Ron Holland three at the buzzer ended the third with Detroit up 83-76.
In what should be an incredibly fun series, things got chippy after Dennis Schröder got a technical foul for standing over Robinson. Detroit responded with some incredible play from Jalen Duren. He had a great block at the rim on Thomas Bryant, then snagged an offensive rebound off a missed free throw to find Duncan for an open three. After Robinson followed that up with an and-one layup, both of them let James Harden hear about it – this picture captures it in all its glory:
Cleveland responded with an 11-0 run behind some Harden floaters and flopping free throws to tie the game at 93, but that’s when Cade and Duren took over. Cunningham found JD on three consecutive possessions for dunks, including two pretty drop off passes after Cade collapsed the Cleveland defense. It was too much for Cleveland to come back from and Detroit would go on to win Game 1 111-101.
Cunningham led the way for Detroit with 23 points despite not shooting it well, but five other Pistons were in double-digits to help him out. Tobias “Unc” Harris had another 20-point game along with eight rebounds and continues to wear the #2 scorer’s hat for the Pistons this postseason. Duncan Robinson had 19 points and added five threes while Daniss Jenkins provided some quality backup PG minutes off the bench with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren both had 11 points, but Detroit does not win this game without their effort, rebounding, and defense. Duren added 12 rebounds and four assists while Thompson had eight rebounds and five assists. If you only check the box score, it’s going to severely underscore the impact that Duren had on this game. He had some fantastic contests at the rim and had multiple sequences that helped Detroit maintain the lead – the few that come to mind are the block on Thomas Bryant, the offensive rebound and pass to Duncan for three, and his three consecutive dunks late in the fourth. This was JD’s best game of the postseason.
It was way more of a team performance for Detroit in their first game of Round 2. They were able to force 19 Cleveland turnovers to turn that into 31 points, and I believe them turning their defense into offense was what carried them to beating the Cavs tonight. We’ll see if they can repeat this performance in Game 2 Thursday night on Amazon Prime.
DETROIT — Cade Cunningham scored 23 points, Tobias Harris had 20 and the Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their second-round series.
Duncan Robinson added 19 points for the top-seeded Pistons, who ended an NBA record-tying 12-game postseason losing streak against a single opponent, a drought that dated to the 2007 Eastern Conference finals.
Game 2 is Thursday night in Detroit.
Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points, ending his NBA-record streak of scoring 30-plus points in nine straight series openers.
James Harden had 22 points and Max Stus scored 19 for the No. 4-seeded Cavs, who pulled into a tie midway through the fourth quarter after trailing for most of the night and by as much as 18 points.
Cleveland center Jarrett Allen was limited to two points and three rebounds, coming off a 22-point, 19-rebound performance in an elimination game against Toronto.
May 5, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) looks on during the ninth inning against the Athletics at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
After two innings in Tuesday’s series opener against the Oakland Athletics, it looked like it might be another frustrating night for the Phillies’ offense. One night after squeaking out a 1-0 win over the Marlins, the Phillies seemed determined to leave as many runners on base as possible.
They loaded the bases against A’s starter Luis Severino in the first inning but couldn’t get any runs home. In the second, the first two batters reached base, but once again, Severino escaped unscathed.
In the bottom of the third, Bryce Harper realized that the best way to avoid being stranded on base was to drive himself home. For the second straight night, a Harper solo shot got the Phils out to a 1-0 lead.
After they stranded another three runners over the next two innings, it looked like they might have to win a second straight 1-0 game. However, the way that Cristopher Sanchez was pitching, he seemed capable of pulling that off. After retiring the first eight batters he faced, Sanchez allowed a couple of baserunners but worked around them.
Sanchez didn’t allow another hit until the seventh inning when Colby Thomas led off with a single. When Zack Gelof followed with another single, it appeared that Sanchez’s night might soon come to an end. Instead, he retired the next three batters, showing some real emotion when he fanned Darrell Hernaiz to end the inning.
At that point, the Phillies’ offense finally decided to give him some breathing room. Trea Turner led off the seventh with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a Bryce Harper walk, Adolis Garcia hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. A Brandon Marsh and J.T. Realmuto double extended the lead to 4-0, and Bryson Stott topped off the inning with a solo home run to make it 5-0.
Despite sitting on the bench during the Phillies’ lengthy at bat, Sanchez came back out for the eighth inning. And he finished his night off with a flair, retiring the A’s in order. It was an exemplary showing for the Phillies’ ace lefthander.
In the ninth, Jhoan Duran made his return from the IL, and was a bit rusty, losing the shutout thanks in part to three walks. But a nine-run lead is a good time to work out rust, and he was eventually able to finish things off.
This whole stellar pitching from the starter and home runs from the franchise hitter thing seems like a good formula for victory. Hopefully the Phillies can continue to apply it going forward. They’ll get their first opportunity in game two of the series on Wednesday night.
May 5, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda (8) reacts after hitting a double against the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Rays have taken small ball to new extremes, winning today on 1 double (a bloop that fell into no man’s land) and 10 singles. When your small ball is this small it maybe needs a new name: tiny ball? wee ball? But the key point is that 10 singles and a double added up to a come from behind W.
The only big blast today came in the first inning, when the Blue Jays Okamoto put his team up with a solo home run. The Blue Jays scored their second run in the second inning, with a series of singles, one a bunt RBI. The Jays tried yet another bunt to score run number three, but the Rays were able to cut the runner down at the plate and then get out of the inning.
Gausman kept the Rays guessing with his splitter, but they too were able, eventually, to piece together singles to tie the game. In the third inning, Simpson got a 2 out infield hit, Junior walked, and Aranda singled. With Simpson as the runner on second moving with the pitch, that was an easy RBI.
The Rays second run came in the fourth inning, and again without benefit of an extra base hit. The bases were loaded on two singles and a Mullins bunt that was misplayed by Gausman to load the bases. Feduccia grounded into a double play, which is hardly ideal but it did score a run. At the end of 4 the score was tied, 3-3.
The Blue Jays regained the lead in the fifth inning. A single and a walk put runners on first and second with no outs. Springer flied to center, and both runners tagged. Mullins threw into second and, honestly to my surprise, was able to nail the trailing runner for a double play that looked like it could get the team out of the inning unscathed.
But a seeing-eye single scored the runner from third to give the Blue Jays their third run.
The Rays, however, were able to string together — stop me if you’ve heard this one — a bunch of singles (OK, Aranda’s bloop was a double) first to tie the game and then to go ahead for good. By then the Blue Jays had removed Kevin Gausman and the Rays were facing side arm pitcher Tyler Rogers. Aranda doubled with one out, and Taylor Walls came in to pinch run. He then scored easily on Yandy Diaz’s single. Fraley followed with a single, and Ben Williamson then singled Diaz home for the go ahead run.
Cole Sulser polished off the Blue Jays in the ninth to earn the save.
This was a funny game to watch. It was low scoring but didn’t feel like a pitcher’s duel; neither pitcher seemed to have his best stuff. I can’t even count how many hits — for both teams — were ground balls that managed to sneak over second base for a single. It seems like the laws of probability would suggest that this exact hit can’t happen nearly a dozen times in any one game, yet here we are.
Ben Williamson had two hits and an RBI; he seems to figure so often in important rallies, every time I check stats I’m expecting to see a .900 OPS. He’s at a respectable .670 but his performance somehow feels bigger.
Finally, I would like to go back to the first week of the season and tell my earlier self that the bullpen would indeed find its way. Wow they have been good, complementing what has so far been a pretty effective starting staff. In fact the broadcasters were noting that it’s been nearly two weeks since the Rays have given up more than 3 runs in any game.
The Rays close out the series tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be at the game but I’m too superstitious to bring a broom.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 3 : Colorado Rockies fans celebrate home opening day against Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on Friday, April 3, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) | Denver Post via Getty Images
There was nothing close to a consensus on where the 2026 Rockies record would end up with the range predicted extending from 55 all the way up to 82 wins.
We now have a little over a month of games on the books, which is enough time for opinions to have started to shift.
What are the biggest changes in how you see the season unfolding now as opposed to your predictions before Opening Day?
Are there any of your predictions that seem to actually be coming true?
Have any of your predictions already failed to come to pass?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Andrew McCutchen #4 of the Texas Rangers cannot get to a home run by Ryan McMahon #19 of the New York Yankees in the second inning during their game at Yankee Stadium on May 05, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored four runs but the New York Yankees scored seven runs.
Yankees starter Elmer Rodriguez has had a peculiar beginning to his big league career. The 22-year-old has been a big leaguer for just two games in which he has played and both have been starts against the Rangers, a team not in his division and one that will face New York just six times this year.
Predictably, in his first outing at Yankee Stadium, Rodriguez let the nerves get to him in his first time on the mound in front of the home fans as he walked the first two batters and faced a bases loaded, no outs situation to start the game. By the end of the top of the first, he had also hit a batter and thrown a wild pitch that scored a run.
Overall, the Rangers benefitted with three runs off Rodriguez during his shaky first home frame but even that felt like a let down. It felt like the Rangers had allowed Rodriguez to escape when they had him and the Yankees on the ropes.
At the time, up 3-0 early, it might have seemed greedy to not be ecstatic about three runs for a club that often has a devil of a time just scoring at all, but not capitalizing on a youngster handing out baserunners with a bigger inning felt like a wasted opportunity to bury the Yankees from the jump, something that could have impacted not only this game but the series going forward.
And, of course, wouldn’t you know it, the Rangers waited until all the way until an out in the ninth to score again and the Yankees — having basically the only productive lineup in the American League — methodically chipped away at the lead until they eventually overtook Texas before blowing the doors open late to essentially render the final few innings an afterthought.
The Rangers had two hits with RISP in the first inning — their first two chances, no less! — to go along with all their other baserunners against a deer-in-the-headlines rookie starter and only one of those hits scored a run.
After that, the Rangers went 0-for-7 with RISP until they eighth inning when they again had a hit with RISP. That runner didn’t score either and they eventually left the bases loaded with the potential winning run at the plate. The Rangers finally did score again in the ninth. On a groundout.
All told, they went 3-for-13 for RISP and left a ghastly 12 on base for the night.
At this point, LSB might as well stand for LOB Statistic Briefing.
Player of the Game: Josh Jung had three more hits but was also the batter that ended the bases loaded threat in the eighth. Sequencing, surely, but this has to be in their heads by this point.
Nevertheless, we’ll go with Ezequiel Duran who is making the most of more regular playing time as he collected three hits including a triple, drew a walk to reach base four times, and had the only hit that scored a run for Texas tonight.
Up Next: The Rangers and Yankees will play again tomorrow with RHP Nathan Eovaldi set to make the start for Texas opposite RHP Will Warren for New York.
The Wednesday evening first pitch from Yankee Stadium is scheduled for 6:05 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network. Tune in to see how many the Rangers can strand tomorrow!
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 05: Gavin Williams #32 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Gavin Williams had a rare stinker of an outing. He pitched 6 innings, allowing 5 runs and giving up 8 hits and walking 2 batters. Despite the crooked number put up against him, Gavin still struck out 7 batters.
Kansas started scoring early with Salvy Perez hitting a 2-run single to center field. The Guards offense suffered from a chronic case of “going 1-2-3” tonight. The sole bright spot coming in the top of the fourth.
Chase DeLauter hit a lead off single. José Ramírez grounded into a forceout, leaving CDL out at second and José safe at first. Kyle Manzardo slapped a single to center, putting two on for Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins launched a homer to left field, putting the Guards ahead.
Unfortunately the lead didn’t stay with Cleveland for long. The Royals came back in the bottom of the fourth to tack on two runs and retake the lead.
Colin Holderman held it down for the Guardians bullpen. He pitched 2 innings, replacing Gavin going into the seventh inning, and did not allow a baserunner. An overturned hit by pitch gave Holderman the chance to send the Royals down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth.
Cleveland was unable to rally in the top of the ninth. Chase DeLauter’s single continued his impressive 13 game on base streak and Kyle Manzardo is continuing to show some ramping up in his hitting. The Guards can still split the series, and at least the Tigers lost worse.
The Yankees mashed three homers to overcome a three-run deficit against Jacob deGrom in New York's 7-4 win over the Rangers on Tuesday night in the Bronx.
The Yankees (25-11) extended their winning streak to five games.
Here are the takeaways...
-Elmer Rodriguez's control was an issue in his major league debut, and that reared its ugly head early in this one. Rodriguez walked the first two batters and then a hit to load the bases with no outs. A sac fly and an opposite-field single put the Rangers up 2-0. A fielder's choice and a hit batter loaded the bases again, this time with two outs. A wild pitch allowed the third first-inning run to score before Danny Jansen grounded out to end the frame.
It took Rodriguez 37 pitches to get out of the first.
But the young right-hander settled down. He stranded runners and was a lot more pitch-efficient, getting ground ball outs with his sinker to make it into the fifth inning. It seemed as if Rodriguez would pitch five innings, but a two-out infield single to Ezequiel Duran, followed by a Jake Burger walk, loaded the bases and spelled an end to his night.
Brent Headrick came on to strike out a pinch-hitting Sam Haggerty to get out of the jam. Headrick, making his 19th appearance this season, has inherited 13 baserunners and has not allowed any to score. The most by a pitcher without allowing a run this season. (h/t @Katie Sharp)
Rodriguez pitched 4.2 innings (94 pitches/55 strikes), allowing three runs on six hits and four walks while striking out just two.
-The Yankees got one of those runs back in a hurry thanks to a one-out double by Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger following with a double of his own, that nearly missed being a two-run homer.
Ryan McMahon would tie the game at 3-3 in the second on a two-run shot off of deGrom on the eighth pitch of the AB. The blast went 359 feet. Over his last 12 games, McMahon is hitting .324 with four extra-base hits and seven RBI. He finished 2-for-3 on Tuesday.
-Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a 413-foot blast off of deGrom in the sixth to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead. New York added on in the seventh after McMahon and Jose Caballero singled, Judge was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs and runners on the corners. Bellinger made the Rangers pay, lining a double to right field and plating two to put the Yankees up 6-3.
DeGrom had his moments against the Yankees, but he allowed six runs on seven hits (two home runs) and one walk across 6.1 innings while striking out seven.
Paul Goldschmidt, starting at first base for the injured Ben Rice, homered in the eighth to put the Yanks up 7-3.
-The Yankees used four relievers to lock down the win. Tim Hill struggled a bit in the seventh, allowing two hits and only recording one out, but Fernando Cruz picked up the final two outs to come away unscathed. But Cruz faltered in the eighth, allowing three of the four batters he faced to reach. David Bednar was brought in to get out of the bases-loaded jam, and the Yankees' closer struck out Corey Seager and got Josh Jung to pop out.
Here's how the relievers did on Tuesday...
Headrick: 1.1 IP, 3 K
Hill: 0.1 IP, 2 H
Cruz: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K
Bednar: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 K
Game MVP: Headrick and Bednar
The Yankees' bullpen was mostly good, but Headrick and Bednar got out of jams that could have sunk New York.
Highlights
Cody Bellinger barely misses out on a home run, but brings in Aaron Judge for an RBI double pic.twitter.com/ZGxRhnHiWb
DETROIT, MI - MAY 5: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Detroit Pistons during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 5, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to win a playoff series in the Donovan Mitchell era after losing Game 1. They hope that trend ends after they were defeated by the Detroit Pistons 111-101.
Cleveland had plenty of chances to win this game, but a poor start and too many turnovers allowed Detroit to come away with the win.
The Cavs found themselves down early. They opened the game on a 5-0 run, but quickly relinquished all the momentum from there. The Cavs turned it over six times in the first quarter, which led to 12 points going the other way.
Meanwhile, Detroit didn’t turn it over once in the first quarter.
This meant that the Cavs had to work for everything offensively in the half-court, while the Pistons were able to supplement their offense with easy transition baskets. This all added up to Detroit taking an 18-point lead in the first quarter and closing the frame up 16.
Cleveland settled down a bit in the second quarter. They closed the gap to nine midway through the quarter, but couldn’t get it lower than that. Turnovers, particularly from the guards, remained an issue.
The Cavs got back into the game in the third. A 7-0 run at the start and middle of the quarter allowed Cleveland to chip away at the deficit.
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Max Strus provided a scoring spark in that frame. He had 10 points on 4-6 shooting, which included going 2-3 from beyond the arc with a steal.
The Cavs cut the Pistons’ lead down to three, but a strong close to the quarter, which included a Ronald Holland buzzer-beating triple, gave Detroit a seven-point lead heading into the fourth.
Cleveland carried the momentum into the fourth quarter. They pulled even midway through the final frame with seven-straight points by James Harden, after he had an awful first three quarters.
Detroit’s offense responded from there. After coming up empty on their next trip down the court, the Pistons scored on their next six possessions. The Cavs couldn’t keep pace as the Pistons came away with a 10-point victory.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson has stressed the importance of winning the possession battle all year. This game showed why.
The Cavs lost this one with their careless turnovers and inability to secure defensive rebounds.
Cleveland gave it away on 21.3% of their possessions (5th percentile). This translated to 20 turnovers, leading to 31 points for Detroit.
Harden was the worst offender. He gave it away seven times of his own. That’s unacceptable from a veteran starting point guard who was brought in to help in high-leverage situations.
This was coupled with the Pistons retrieving 34% of their missed shots (77th percentile). This allowed them to win in second-chance points 19-11.
The Cavs weren’t able to overcome these issues with their star backcourt
Donovan Mitchell wasn’t great by his standards. He was held to just 23 points on 9-19 shooting and had just two attempts at the free-throw line. Mitchell has yet to register 25 or more points or shoot better than 50% from the field in a road playoff game this season.
Harden provided 22 points, seven assists, eight rebounds, and seven turnovers in the loss. He shot just 6-15 from the field, which included going 1-7 from three. Most of Harden’s scoring came at the line, where he went 9-9.
Strus had 19 points on 7-13 shooting with five rebounds and two assists.
Evan Mobley was good for spurts, but couldn’t establish a consistent scoring rhythm. He had 14 points on 6-11 shooting with nine rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.
Foul trouble limited Game 7 hero Jarrett Allen to just 18 minutes. He had just two points on 1-4 shooting.
The Pistons were led by 23 points from Cade Cunningham on 6-19 shooting with seven assists. Tobias Harris and 20 points on 6-14 shooting, while Duncan Robinson provided 19 points on 5-8 shooting from three.
The Cavs had chances to win this game, but they couldn’t make the plays on either end when they needed to.
Chayka now had a gift fall into his lap a day later as the team tries to get back to the playoffs quickly after the end of its nine-year run.
The Maple Leafs won the draft lottery and the right to pick No. 1 overall for the first time since selecting Auston Matthews in 2016.
The San Jose Sharks won the second drawing and will choose second.
Here are the winners and losers of Tuesday's NHL draft lottery:
WINNERS
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs can choose between Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg in June. Both have the talent to make a quick impact on the franchise and help with the scoring. And adding someone of that caliber to the team could help sway Auston Matthews' decision when he's eligible for a contract extension on July 1, 2027.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks showed massive improvement in 2024 No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini's second season. They finished four points out of a playoff spot and now will add Stenberg or McKenna to a young team that already has Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa.
Draft lottery show presentation
Last year's show was dull and reminded people why it's done offstage. But there were different touches this year. Having New York Islanders No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer and Matt Martin's kids explain how the lottery works was cute. They also didn't show each ball being loaded into the chute, as they did last year. They cut to commercial and showed it as an inset. Overall, the production values were better.
The Canucks never have chosen No. 1 overall and they won't again. Not only that, the NHL's worst team in 2025-26 dropped to third place. They'll get a very good prospect but not as good as McKenna or Stenberg.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blachawks, the league's second-worst team, could have had Stenberg or McKenna to play alongside Connor Bedard and Anton Frondell. But they drop to the fourth pick.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins acquired the Maple Leafs' 2026 No. 1 pick in the Brandon Carlo trade. The pick was top-five protected, so Boston won't get it in what is considered a deep 2026 draft. Instead, the first-round pick transfers to a future year and is unprotected.
Athletics pitcher Luis Severino gave up just one run in the loss to the Phillies. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Athletics were back in the City of Brotherly Love today to start a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizen Bank Park. Luis Severino took the mound for the A’s this afternoon against Cristopher Sánchez for Philadelphia.
Severino worked his way in and out of trouble in the first two innings but escaped both without giving up a run. But the leadoff hitter in the third, Bryce Harper, homered for the eighth time this season to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.
Headed into the bottom of the fifth, Sánchez has held the A’s to one hit, no walks and has logged five K’s. Scott Barlow replaced Luis Severino in the bottom of the sixth. Severino’s final line was 5.0 innings, one earned run on seven hits and two walks. He struck out three. In the top of the seventh, Thomas and Gelof led off with back-to-back base hits. But with two outs, Darell Hernaiz struck out swinging to end the threat. Mark Leiter Jr. replaced Scott Barlow in the seventh. Trea Turner led off with a double to left field and after a Harper walk, Adolis García drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center. Brandon Marsh singled to right, to drive Harper to third with two outs. J.T. Realmuto doubled to left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, scoring Harper and Marsh, and chasing Leiter Jr. Tyler Ferguson replaced Leiter, and on his second pitch, Bryson Stott homered to deep right center. That brought the score to 6-0. Ferguson continued to show why he belongs in the minors, giving up another run in the seventh after a double by Justin Crawford and a single by Turner, making it 7-0. But the Phillies weren’t done in the bottom of the eighth, when Harper hit his second homer of the game to clear the bases and make it 9-0.
That was all for Sánchez who was totally dominant tossing eight scoreless innings, giving up three hits and one walk while striking out ten. Jhoan Duran replaced him and quickly loaded the bases in the top of the ninth. Wynns struck out for the second out of the inning leaving it up to Hernaiz to get the A’s on the board. He walked to drive in Colby Thomas for what would be the only run of the night for the A’s.
