BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 11: Luke Raley #20 of the Seattle Mariners bats during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Thursday, June 11, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last week, I sent two condolence cards and a “congratulations on your new baby” card. This afternoon, while distracted by a flock of teenage goslings, half-grown and ugly as all get out, I tripped over the corpse of what used to be some sort of creature. Life doesn’t need to dabble in subtleties, it beats you over the head repeatedly, hollering “What is the point?” in alternatingly thoughtful and abrasive tones.
As I was once again turning over the well-worn Meaning of Life stone, Cole Young opened the game with a leadoff home run and for two innings that one run mattered significantly as Bryan Woo sat down the first six Orioles he faced. Shortly after Aaron Goldsmith mooed in the bottom of the third, that one run mattered even more, as it kept the Mariners tied with the O’s after Colton Cowser’s solo shot. Soon though, Young’s swooping scoop of a home run felt inconsequential at best as Baltimore showcased one of the Big Innings that has been their trademark this season, piling on six runs just about every way you can – singles, a wild pitch, a double, another home run.
Before all that, though, there was a 3-2 pitch to Gunnar Henderson. Coby Mayo had flown out after Cowser, and while Jackson Holliday and Taylor Ward had hit back-to-back singles, Henderson has had a miserable season at the plate. Hope beat its bedraggled little wings and Woo pumped a 98.7 MPH four-seamer right on the inside edge of the plate. It matched a 3-2 pitch he threw to Cody Bellinger on July 10, 2025 as the fastest pitch he’s ever thrown. Bellinger rolled over on the offering, grounding into a double play; Henderson fouled it off. Ball four was an easy take, and within seconds that career-high velocity didn’t matter at all.
In the top of the fourth, Randy Arozarena walked, which was nice but anticlimactic amidst a five-run deficit. But then Luke Raley homered, and Dom Canzone homered, and this time when Colt Emerson walked it was invigorating. Young, en route to a three-hit night, singled, Julio Rodríguez singled, and the Mariners were suddenly only trailing by one.
When it comes to meaning, baseball is a chorus of perpetual dissonance. For those of us outside, the wins and the losses do not technically matter; our careers, our finances, our relationships don’t change in response to victory or defeat. But I don’t think any of us would be here, reading these ramblings, if baseball was meaningless to us. In fact, my career, my finances, my relationships are all fundamentally altered because of this game. Not by the Mariners’ record, fortunately, but in the way that I have chosen to care about it, to jam its stake into the ground and let my life grow up and intertwine with it. In our massive, yawning abyss of a world, there is such beauty and freedom and silliness in choosing to structure some of life’s meaning around this game.
At some point around the sixth inning, lightning split the sky and rain started to soak the field. Maybe, after all this, none of it would actually matter, at least for today? But the rain abated, the Mariners could not score anymore, and they leave Baltimore with a series split. Just one of many games that matters because it happened, and also not at all.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 11: Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period in Game Five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 11, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes dominated the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night, 4-2, to take a 3-2 series lead and come within one game of lifting the Stanley Cup.
After struggling for the majority of the postseason, both the power play and two of Carolina’s top three regular season scorers — Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho — carried the Canes to a big win on Thursday night. Svechnikov scored two power play goals while Aho found the back of the net for the first time in the Stanley Cup.
Nikolaj Ehlers gave the Knights a power play a little less than seven minutes into the first period on a delay of game penalty.
The Knights, after being just 1-for-12 on the power play in the first four games, capitalized courtesy of Pavel Dorofeyev, who found the back of the net on a cross ice pass from Jack Eichel.
It didn’t take long for Carolina to respond, though. And who else but Jordan Staal. After getting the penalty, Ehlers redeemed himself with a great shot-pass to the front of the net that was tipped in by Staal for his sixth goal of the Stanley Cup so far.
After the first, the score was knotted at 1-1. Uncharacteristically, the Canes were outshot, 8-5, by the Knights.
There wasn’t much offensive action for either side in the first 10 minutes of the second period, but two straight Vegas penalties changed that.
The Golden Knights killed the first, but it was Svechnikov who went five-hole on the second power play, giving the Canes a 2-1 lead in the second period. In the first four games, Carolina was outscored 9-1 in the second, but it was a different story tonight.
That was all that was needed to get the top line for the Canes going it seemed. With a little over two minutes in the second, a great forecheck from Jordan Martinook led to a goal from Aho, who went high over Carter Hart. It marked Aho’s first goal of the series, giving the Hurricanes a 3-1 lead in the second.
For the first time in the Stanley Cup, Carolina outplayed Vegas in the second period, entering the third with a 3-1 advantage and just 20 minutes away from their first series lead.
Carolina picked up right where they left off in the third period. After Mark Stone was called for a double minor for high sticking Jalen Chatfield, Svechnikov scored his second power play goal of the night on a great pass from Ehlers.
Dorofeyev added his second of the game with a little over six minutes left in the game to cut Carolina’s lead to two goals.
The Canes were able to hold the Knights off and secure the big win, with Bussi saving 22 of 24 shots.
The Stanley Cup will be in the building as the Hurricanes have a chance to lift it for the first time since 2006 on the road Sunday at 8 PM.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — William Karlsson left the ice, and the Vegas Golden Knights' night went south. He may not be back to help them recover.
With Karlsson knocked out of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final because of injury, the Golden Knights took four penalties that turned into two power-play goals against. Carter Hart allowed four goals for a fifth consecutive game in the series, and now his team is on the brink of elimination after losing 4-2 to Carolina on Thursday night.
“When we lose Bill, it kind of screws things up," coach John Tortorella said. “We lost momentum when we went back to back in penalties. It was about the same time that we lost Bill. We’ve got to find a way.”
Karlsson appeared to injure his left arm or shoulder after getting knocked into the boards by Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker a little over eight minutes into the second period. He got medical attention on the bench briefly, skated off and never returned and Tortorella foreshadowed that being the end of Karlsson's series.
“He’s not going to be with us, probably,” Tortorella said. "We’ve got to find a way to fill that void, not with just one guy but as a team.”
But the void left by Karlsson’s departure was all too clear, especially on the penalty kill. Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov scored the first of his two power-play goals less than four minutes after Karlsson left, then added another in the third.
“He’s an important piece to us: up the middle of the ice, a penalty killer, power play guy," Tortorella said. “He’s a winner."
Fourth-liner Nick Dowd called Karlsson one of the team's best players. Defenseman Brayden McNabb, who along with Karlsson and Shea Theodore are the only players who have been around for Vegas’ entire nine-year existence, said Karlsson was a big leader in the locker room.
Karlsson is also nearly impossible to replace.
“He means so much," fellow center Jack Eichel said. "He’s a world class player. He plays in all situations. He’s extremely reliable in our own zone, and he creates a lot of offense. ... It's tough. You lose someone like Karl who’s so valuable to our team and playing so well. But it just means everyone else has to step up.”
Tortorella expects that to happen, promising there will be a Game 7 in Raleigh on Tuesday night.
“We’ll be back here. We’re just going to do it in a different order," Tortorella said. "I’m going to leave my clothes here, that’s for sure. They’ll be in the hotel.”
To do that, they'll have to win Game 6 back home in Las Vegas on Sunday. Hart is expected to be in net again despite a save percentage of .856 in the final.
Asked if he considered going to backup Adin Hill — who backstopped Vegas to the Cup in 2023 — in the third period, Tortorella scoffed and said, "That could be the stupidest question I’ve heard.”
Taylor Swift, Este Haim, and Mariska Hargitay cheer during NBA Finals Game 4 on June 10, 2026. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
“But I knew everything was going to be alright, because I was wearing my Jalen Brunson Kobe 5 Protos that Jalen gave me a few months ago.”
Hargitay’s show had a 2 p.m. matinee and a 7 p.m. evening performance on Wednesday before the Knicks game.
The late show ended at 8:27 p.m., just three minutes before Game 5 was supposed to start.
After arriving at the game just before tip-off, Hargitay changed into a blue-and-orange shirt that read “Stevie Knicks” to match her seatmate, Taylor Swift.
“I love my husband, and our wedding night was great and all, but I think it might have been the greatest night of my life,” Hargitay said.
Taylor Swift and Mariska Hargitay at the NBA Finals. Getty Images
The SVU actress has been courtside at multiple games throughout the Knicks’ playoff run, largely due to her surprising relationship with star guard Jalen Brunson.
The former Villanova Wildcat grew up watching SVU with his dad, and now watches the show to calm himself down before games.
“The game was so brutal, down 29 at the half, but I’m telling you, to watch this team fight and claw their way back — to see that look in Jalen’s eyes — there are just endless life lessons in there,” Hargitay said.
“And then OG comes flying in, his orange and blue cape fluttering behind him, and then it’s just pandemonium.
“It‘ll get replayed again and again, not just as an epic moment in basketball, but on the highlight reel of the best moments in sports. And all I could think was ‘THAT JUST HAPPENED!!!’ And ‘OH MY GOD, I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!”’ And ‘OH MY GOD, I LOVE THIS CITY!!!’”
Jun 10, 2026; OG Anunoby makes a game-winning shot Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
When a writer tells a story from beginning to end, proceeding in order, it is called linear narrative or chronological narrative. More formally, it’s referred to as ab ovo narration (Latin for “from the egg”), a term from Horace’s Ars Poetica, meaning the story begins at the very origin of events and unfolds in sequence.
Conversely, starting from the end and working backward is called reverse chronological narrative or simply reverse chronology. A famous example is the film Memento.
But when a story opens specifically at the ending or a dramatic moment and then explains how events led there, it’s often described as beginning in extremis or using an analepsis (a flashback structure).
Yesterday, I was at work and could not watch the game live. My plan was to head home, retreat into my bubble, and watch it from beginning to end. Unfortunately, a friend texted me the score at half-time. I was annoyed and asked for no further updates, but at the same time, it felt good. Our Spurs were leading by 27 at half-time at the MSG, in the pivotal Game 4. We were on our way back to San Antonio with a chance to restore home-court advantage.
When I got home, I decided to tune in from the start of the 3rd quarter. I didn’t feel I needed to revisit the first two quarters to understand how we’d built such a momentous lead, one that could have written NBA history, and so I bypassed this beginning in extremis…
I suppose you all know the ending anyway, no spoiler needed here. But the real question is no longer the result; it’s how we got there. How do you end up on the wrong side of history in just two quarters when, just 24 minutes earlier, you were firmly on the right side of it?
<p>Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn</p><br> | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
My disappointment, let’s be honest, my fury, was overwhelming last night. I could barely sleep. So I decided to rewatch the game in full, this time with a linear narrative.
Before I get to the autopsy, though, I need to share a conversation I had with a friend in the hours before tip-off. I tried to explain how difficult it is to predict outcomes in basketball, but that it is sometimes possible to foresee the conditions that shape them. I pointed out that Karl-Anthony Towns was due for a bounce-back game, if Jalen Brunson could find ways to involve him more. KAT can direct the offense from the top of the key like almost no other player on the Knicks, and his elite three-point shooting makes him a genuine triple threat. However, I also noted that Brunson had been quite stubborn in this series, grinding to draw fouls through heavy dribbling in traffic which had led to turnovers and low shooting efficiency. The player I singled out as the most dangerous Knick was OG Anunoby. And finally, I voiced my concern about Victor: he had logged heavy minutes and would likely run out of gas in the second half. That, I feared, could determine the outcome, though I still expected the Spurs to win, by three.
As it turned out, KAT removed himself from the equation with two very quick fouls. The young Spurs exploited this early and took flight. Mike Brown threw everything at Victor Wembanyama, Mitchell Robinson (literally), Ariel Hukporti, and even Jeremy Sochan but none of it stopped the first-half onslaught.
From the end of the first quarter through to the end of the third, the Spurs’ lead sat between 19 and 15 points, with a peak of 29. During that entire stretch, Victor Wembanyama played 32 of a possible 36 minutes. I’ll come back to that shortly.
The first three quarters unfolded much like the rest of this playoff run. Anyone can push, shove, and grab Victor with relative impunity. The Spurs accepted this reality some time back and decided to apply the same treatment to Karl-Anthony Towns. The reasoning is simple: if refs were to whistle this type of plays in favor of KAT, they would have to do the same for Vic.
As a basketball fan, I am growing genuinely disillusioned with NBA officiating. On one side, you have players like Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and, to some extent, Jalen Brunson, who rely heavily on theatrics to earn calls in their favour. On the other, you have blatant physical intimidation that diminishes KAT and Vic’s impact and, in turn, the quality, flow, and fairness of the game. Mobile bigs who can shoot the three, rebound, dribble, and pass bring something genuinely special to the modern NBA, something that studio personalities like Shaq and Charles Barkley seem incapable of appreciating, apparently out of jealousy.
Victor Wembanyama has been on the receiving end of this treatment throughout the entire playoffs. And we have also come to understand that Vic is troubled by what he perceives as persistent injustice. Under fatigue and pressure, he has repeatedly crossed lines: a Flagrant 2 on Naz Reid, a shove on Brunson, and taunting Mitchell Robinson early in this game. The pattern is clear, a tired and frustrated Victor struggles to keep his emotions in check. The coaching staff and front office have surely taken note.
The other major lesson of this playoff run concerns Victor’s stamina. It is genuinely remarkable that a 7’5 player who was struggling to play more than 28–30 minutes earlier in the season can now sustain 35 and beyond. Full credit to Vic and his training staff. That kind of physical progression ahead of a Finals run is extraordinary. However, it is equally clear that Vic, who deploys enormous energy on both ends of the floor, often arrives at the fourth quarter running on empty. We know he needs to impose himself early: the alley-oops, the drives, the post positioning if the Spurs want to start strong. And the Spurs have indeed managed by leads in the opening of each of their four Finals games in that way. But Vic also needs reserves to close games when it matters, as Game 2 demonstrated all too painfully.
Which brings me to my central grievance with last night’s loss: the management of Victor’s minutes. It is absolutely unimaginable that the coaching staff had Vic on the floor for 32 minutes across the first three quarters while the lead was never below double digits. To claim that Kornet is unplayable is an insult to the man. Is Kornet less playable than Ariel Hukporti? Than Sochan? And what about Harrison Barnes? The Spurs were up 29 at some point and he didn’t see a single minute?
The irony of Mitch Johnson’s minute management against the Knicks is almost too rich. Tom Thibodeau was held responsible for New York’s “disappointing” seasons between 2023 and 2025. The charge? He ran his players into the ground with relentless minutes and short rotations.
Having watched enough of Mitch Johnson in these playoffs, I am convinced he needs to learn how to better manage his rotation, before his star player ends up injured.
This loss falls squarely on the coaching staff, and on Mitch Johnson above all. We now know Vic cannot play 44 minutes and sustain the same intensity on both ends of the floor. We also know that an exhausted Vic is a less composed Vic and that composure is precisely what leads to flagrant fouls. One more, and he faces a one-game suspension.
With a 27-point lead at half-time, and a double-digit advantage held for more than 32 consecutive minutes, the decision to deny Victor Wembanyama meaningful rest before the fourth quarter was a massive mistake.
There’s a reason I titled this piece after Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or-winning film. Anatomy of a Fall opens with a man already dead at the foot of a chalet, and spends two and a half hours asking a single question: how did we get here? The courtroom never delivers a clean verdict. The film trusts you to sit with the ambiguity. Last night’s Game 4 offers no such comfort, the verdict was final, the scoreboard unambiguous. But the question is the same. A 29-point lead. Two quarters. A fall. How did we get here? Mitch Johnson owes us an answer. It is not a trial. I expect a reaction and some changes.
Jun 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) runs on a hit and run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Charles LeClaire/Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani hit his 13th homer of the season before leaving the game due to left knee inflammation and Los Angeles beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-6 on Thursday night.
The reigning NL MVP hit a solo homer in the third inning. He also had a single and walked twice, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning.
It was not immediately clear when Ohtani began feeling discomfort in the knee.
Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski left the game in the fifth inning with a left hamstring contusion. The left-hander was hit by a line drive off the bat of Bryan Reynolds. The ball ricocheted off Wrobleski to first baseman Freddie Freeman. Wrobleski collided with Reynolds while taking Freeman’s toss at first base.
Andy Pages also had two hits for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who took two of three in the series. Kyle Tucker hit a two-run single, and Miguel Rojas drove in two more runs.
Pirates rookie Rafael Flores Jr. hit his first MLB home run, and Brandon Lowe also went deep. Flores, Nick Gonzales and Spencer Horwitz had two hits apiece.
Wrobleski allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings. Mitch Keller (5-4) was tagged for five runs in four innings.
Jack Dreyer (3-1) pitched a scoreless seventh inning and Tanner Scott got the last four outs for his seventh save.
Up next
Dodgers: RHP Roki Sasaki (4-3, 4.03 ERA) pitches against White Sox LHP Anthony Kay (5-1, 4.40) on Friday night in Chicago.
Pirates: Host Miami on Friday night with RHP Braxton Ashcraft (5-3, 3.28 ERA) facing Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (5-4, 4.33).
Jun 11, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Colton Cowser (17) celebrates after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Kyle Bradish and Bryan Woo could have given tonight’s national audience a pitcher’s duel, but that thought went out the window with the very first batter. The Orioles scored six runs in the third, Seattle countered with four runs in the fourth, but the O’s did enough to outlast the M’s 7-5 in the series finale at Camden Yards.
Seattle took an early lead when Cole Young launched a leadoff homer. The Orioles did not reach base in either of the first two innings, but Colton Cowser sparked the offense in the third. Cowser took a 2-1 fastball the other way and sent it 416 feet from home plate. The Oppo Taco evened the score at one, but Baltimore had plenty of offense left in the tank. Coby Mayo lined out sharply, but Jackson Holliday and Taylor Ward both singled. Gunnar Henderson worked a one-out walk, and Adley Rutschman stepped in with the bases loaded.
Woo jumped ahead 0-2, but he spiked a slider in the dirt. The ball trickled to the backstop, and Holliday raced home to secure a 2-1 lead. Woo left his next pitch up, and Rutschman yanked in down the right-field line for a two-run double.
Baltimore kept its foot on the gas when Pete Alonso ambushed the first pitch of his second at bat. Woo hung a middle-middle sweeper, and Alonso hit a ball “to a place where baseballs simply do not go.” MASN’s Kevin Brown provided a familiar feel with the call for ESPN, and the Orioles held a 6-1 lead after three.
Bradish sat for an extended period before returning to the mound in search of a shutdown inning. He did not deliver. The righty walked the leadoff hitter before surrendering a two-run homer to Luke Raley. Dominic Canzone followed with a solo shot of his own, and the Mariners trimmed the lead to two before recording an out in the fourth. Bradish rebounded with a pair of ground outs, but a two-out walk led to more damage. Julio Rodríguez delivered a clutch single to make it a 6-5 ball game.
Both teams went scoreless in their next at bats, but Baltimore delivered a crucial insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Ward reached after being hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a grounder by Gunnar Henderson, and came around to score on a base hit by Rutschman. The run-scoring knock was enough to swing the momentum back into Baltimore’s direction. Rutschman finished 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs.
Tyler Wells replaced Bradish in the fifth and delivered three scoreless frames. Wells struck out four, walked one, and did not allow a hit. The bulk relief allowed Craig Albernaz to save Rico Garcia for the eighth. Garcia recorded a pair of outs but also surrendered two singles. Albernaz summoned Grant Wolfram to escape the frame without allowing a run.
The Orioles bats went quietly in innings six through eight, and Albernaz sent out Andrew Kittredge to earn the save. Kittredge was projected to play a high-leverage role along with injured closer Ryan Helsley, but things haven’t exactly gone as planned for the veteran reliever. The decision to send out Kittredge may have said more about the state of Baltimore’s bullpen than it did about Kittredge, but the Spokane native delivered.
Kittredge generated four ground balls to work around a fielding error by Blaze Alexander and secure the save. Baltimore salvaged a series split with a 7-5 victory over the Mariners on national television. The Orioles are 33-37. They play the Padres tomorrow at 7:05 pm.
Cowser got the rally started, Alonso launched a ball 439 feet, and Rutschman recorded the only multi-hit game for the Birds. Wells bailed out the bullpen, and Kittredge prevented any real drama in the ninth. Who is your pick for the Most Birdland Player of the Day? Let us know in the comments below!
Jun 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (44) greets designated hitter two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) crossing home plate on a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Despite a few scares in the late innings, the Dodgers were in control of this one for the vast majority, taking the lead in the third and holding it all the way into an 8-6 win in yet another high-scoring affair, routine for this series. However, the result takes a backseat to the concerns surrounding Shohei Ohtani and Justin Wrobleski, both having left this game early due to injuries—Ohtani in the seventh inning with what was described as left knee inflammation and Wrobleski with a right hamstring contusion after a collision trying to cover first. However, even in a game he couldn’t complete, Ohtani made sure to leave his mark by starting the scoring with a solo shot in the third, doing this a day after throwing over 100 pitches in a quality start.
The scoring in the third inning wasn’t done after Ohtani’s homer, though, as the two sides of batted ball luck appeared. Firstly, Mookie Betts narrowly missed out on a two-run shot with a fly ball that would’ve left the yard in 27 out of 30 MLB parks, only to be robbed of what would’ve been his seventh homer on the year. Then, a couple of hitters later, Kyle Tucker found the right spot to land his 62.1 MPH exit velocity lazy fly ball for a two-run, two-out single. Success with two outs became a regular thing for the Dodgers in this game, as in the fourth, Los Angeles added two more runs with five straight reaching after the Pirates retired the first two hitters to open the frame.
Unluckily for the Dodgers, the two-out action seemed to be a factor on both sides. Similarly to what happened in the previous two games, the team trailing pulled a rally out of the hat, and in one inning, the Pittsburgh cut what was a 5-0 deficit into a 5-4 game. The Pirates did so by scoring three of those runs with two outs with a pair of home runs from Rafael Flores Jr. and Brandon Lowe, the latter of whom is number one in baseball among second basemen for homers with 16. Making matters worse, Wrobleski, who before those two homers was sailing along smoothly, injured himself colliding with Bryan Reynolds trying to cover first. Pittsburgh’s rally continued with Will Klein on the mound, but the right-hander was just able to preserve the then-5-4 lead with a bases-loaded strikeout of Jake Mangum.
It didn’t take too long for the Dodgers to respond, and despite having Santiago Espinal pinch-hitting for Ohtani—who left the game with left knee inflammation—Los Angeles added a couple of runs in the seventh with a pair of RBI from Miguel Rojas and Espinal himself. Crucial runs as the Pirates’ comeback attempts weren’t over, cutting the lead to 8-6 in the eighth and bringing the tying run up in the form of Lowe. Showcasing the importance of this game, Dave Roberts went to Tanner Scott for a two-out save for only the second time this season, and the left-hander got the job done, punching out the side in the bottom of the ninth.
Game particulars
Home runs— Shohei Ohtani (13), Rafael Flores Jr. (1), Brandon Lowe (16)
The road trip against teams whose 2026 season campaign represents a big step forward from their recent failings continues, as the Dodgers leave Pittsburgh and head to the south side of Chicago to face the White Sox. Starter Roki Sasaki will be on the mound for Los Angeles, with Chicago yet to announce their starter officially. That matchup will start an hour later than the games in Pittsburgh, at 4;40 p.m. PT.
It's safe to say that Red Sox relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman still has beef with Yankees GM Brian Cashman.
In an interview conducted by ESPN Deportes, Chapman acknowledged that he's aware of his name circulating in trade rumors. After all, the Red Sox currently sit in dead last of the AL East standings with a paltry 27-39 record, six full games out of a playoff spot.
"Every day you see social media and also people in the press talking and commenting about it," said the hard-throwing southpaw.
Assuming the Red Sox can't right the ship ahead of the MLB's trade deadline on Aug. 3, it's hard to imagine Boston not taking the opportunity to cash in on the stellar form of their 38-year-old closer, who is currently on a $13 million contract set to expire at season's end.
The Yankees will likely be in the market for a high-leverage reliever to add to their ranks as the trade deadline approaches, so many have been wondering whether a reunion between Chapman and the Yanks could be in the works.
Trading with their archrivals would be a tough enough task for Cashman, but there's another hurdle he apparently would need to clear for this potential deal to become a reality: making amends with Chapman.
After two stints with the Yankees, Chapman's exit from the organization was an ugly one. After losing the closer role to Clay Holmes after developing an infection due to a tattoo, then missing a mandatory workout ahead of the 2022 ALDS, leading Cashman to leave Chapman off the team's postseason roster.
Chapman is clearly still bitter about that decision from his former GM, telling ESPN that he wants an apology.
"What happened, happened," Chapman said. "If something like this were to happen, I believe someone from this organization should apologize first."
A follow-up asked if that "someone" was Cashman, and Chapman confirmed.
In 19.2 innings pitched this season, Chapman has struck out 26 batters and is sporting an incredibly minuscule 0.46 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.
For what it's worth, Chapman didn't entirely rule out a trade back to the Bronx, admitting that he'd be willing to "sit down and talk and see what would happen."
Chapman arrived in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in December of 2015, forming the "No-Runs D.M.C" triumvirate in the Yankees bullpen alongside Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. In July of 2016, ahead of the 2016 MLB trade deadline, Chapman was dealt to the soon-to-be-champion Chicago Cubs for a package of prospects highlighted by Gleyber Torres. Funnily enough, just six months later, in December of 2016, Chapman rejoined the Yankees as a free agent on a five-year, $86 million contract.
That second go-around donning the pinstripes spanned six seasons and was tumultuous for Chapman. He was a three-time All-Star selection, but battled injuries throughout.
The Golden State Warriors have seemingly been in conversations to make a splash move this offseason. The question that remains is, what exactly will they do?
"Somebody that would know that's close to (James) suggested to me that he thought he was staying in Los Angeles," Spears said.
Spears said that the Warriors would need to get creative to bring another veteran to their organization. He threw out numerous names Golden State should target, players he believed could help improve the Warriors going into next season.
"You got to see if you could move up in the draft, just got to see what you can potentially do," Spears said. "Is Anthony Davis available? Would (the) Warriors want somebody like that, like Kyrie Irving? I've been watching these videos lately. He looks amazing. I'm not sure if Dallas wants to keep him or not, although Masai (Ujiri) sounds like he does. New Orleans is always looking to retool."
"I think the thing with (GM Mike) Dunleavy, just going to have to sit down with him and Larry Harris, the rest of their crew, and just be really creative," Spears said. "I do think they should try to bring Kristaps, obviously Draymond back, and all that, but I do think it's going to be on the Warriors front office to come up with something creative to help put them back in the mix."
Spears also believes the Warriors should go to California's capital and knock on the doors of the Sacramento Kings and see what they would want for DeMar DeRozan.
"I know a guy you could potentially get that I think it would again, you got to be creative, but like, why not look at a guy like DeMar DeRozan," Spears said. "Think he certainly could help bring some depth when Jimmy gets back, or takes the load off of him when Jimmy gets back. I think DeMar would be really happy to come, not saying there's anything there, but my whole point is, I just think that the Warriors need to be creative from a veteran standpoint to bring somebody else in that could give an extra boost to this team offensively."
Here are players the Warriors could look to target during the offseason.
Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
A deal for Kawhi Leonard would be seen as a game changer for Golden State and keep it in contention for the playoffs, and keep that slim window for a championship cracked open. Former Warriors assistant Jerry Stackhouse believes Leonard would move the needle for Golden State.
"I’ve been hearing Kawhi (Leonard). You’ve been hearing Lebron (James). Maybe getting a piece like that can rejuvenate everybody and can fill in the gaps," Stackhouse said in an appearance on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back." "Steph’s going to be 39 this year and Father Time is undefeated. You have to find a way for him to be a compliment, not be the guy that you’re solely depending on."
Anthony Davis, Washington Wizards
Spears said it's worth taking a stab at the Wizards' recently acquired forward-center. Rumors swirled that Davis wanted out of Washington the moment he was traded to D.C. However, in an interview with The Athletic, Davis expressed intent to be the nation's capital ... but left open the desire to go elsewhere.
"Whether we figure something out in the summer, good or bad, whatever. … If it doesn’t get figured out, then come October, mid-October, late October, I will have a Washington Wizards uniform on, and I will go out there, and I will do everything I can to win a basketball game. That’s never going to change," Davis said. "In the summer, right now, I’m going to compete, train and have the mindset that I will be here next year. Not only because I’m under contract, but also, I like these young guys. I ain’t going to lie. I feel like they’re all my children."
Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
This one feels highly unlikely. It's hard to imagine Irving and Curry, who were in heated battles for NBA championships a decade ago, now as teammates. But for basketball purposes, how exciting would it be to have a backcourt of these two going tit-for-tat? Irving missed the entirety of the 2025-26 season while recovering from reconstruction surgery on his left ACL. He was seen giving work to high schoolers at the NBPA Top 100 camp and it looked like Uncle Drew is back. As Spears said, Ujiri, the Mavericks new president, probably has no intention of moving on from Irving.
Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
The Warriors need more wings and two-way players. That's where the league is at. Murphy fits the exact mold. The 25-year-old has three years remaining on his deal that will pay him $31 million in the 2028-29 season. The downside is that the Pelicans have been reluctant to deal him, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Dalton Johnson. Murphy seems to be untouchable, but stranger things have happened in the league to players that were believed to be untouchable.
Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
Porter would be ideal for the Warriors. He's a 6-foot-10, versatile forward who can score, catch-and-shoot and still defend multiple positions. He's a floor spacer, which would bode well for the Golden State offense. Should the Warriors make the move for Porter, it could be an underrated pickup for the Bay Area.
DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings
DeRozan is a consistent scorer and would be the perfect fill-in for Jimmy Butler as he recovers from his season-ending torn ACL. DeRozan deserves to be in a place where he can play meaningful basketball, although he has relished his veteran leadership role with the Sacramento Kings. He still has more left in the tank and should be on a team playing for an end of season goal, rather than just focusing on development and progression. He played in 77 games with Sacramento averaging 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 49.7% field goal shooting in 31.2 minutes per game.Like Spears said, there might not be anything there, but overall it's worth the shot for Golden State.
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 11: Julio Rodríguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners warms up in the on-deck circle before batting against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 11, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Orioles 7, Mariners 5
Cloudless blue sky and sunshine: Julio Rodriguez (0.2 WPA)
Paul DePodesta, Josh Byrnes, and Ian Levin look on at Rockies spring training. | Kyle Cooper | Colorado Rockies
As a reminder, last weekend, Colorado Rockies president of baseball operations talked with media about where the Colorado Rockies are at this point in the season. On Monday, we ran DePodesta’s comments related to prospects. Tonight, here are his comments on a range of other subjects.
Some comments that have been lightly edited for clarity.
Pitching
DePodesta addressed Rockies pitching with a focus on Kyle Freeland and Michael Lorenzen.
Kyle Freeland and Michael Lorenzen
We have a lot of belief in those guys, and we’re sticking with them. There’s no doubt about it. They have long track records of success, and we don’t expect them to have super-low ERAs. They’re pitching in this environment. This is going to be challenging — there’s no doubt — but we know there’s more in there with both those guys.
I think stuff-wise, Michael Lorenzen, it’s all there. He’s throwing hard.
Kyle still is getting strikeouts and whatnot, so we know it’s still in there, and we’re sticking with him, and we believe in him. We know it’s going to better at some stretch. This is just their lull right now, and they’re fighting through it, and we’re going to be right there with them, fighting through it.
I think both those guys are fantastic competitors. It’s part of the reason they’re here. I think I think Free has always embraced this challenge and always wanted it. Michael absolutely did. He wanted to attack this challenge.
They’re intense competitors, so I think it’s tough for them to not be as successful as they expect to be, and they’re trying to figure it out. But the least we can do is be right there by their side and fighting along with them and believe in them, and we do.
Look, again, this is a tough challenge, I think, for anybody, and there are going to be some tough stretches, but that’s just part of it. Again, we’ve talked about some of these other guys already, they’ve had some ups and downs through the course of the season, and these guys may have had some down moments recently, but there are going to be ups here coming. We believe that.
Pitching depth
I think we certainly felt we were going to need it through the course of the season, and even as we get into the summer here at Coors, and I think the elements are even tougher on the on the pitching staff.
We didn’t expect to have this many injuries in the rotation, but it certainly has proved to be helpful in that circumstance. But even now, it gets to a point where it’s just hard to come up with that many guys that are that are prepared and ready to either take on the starting role or the or the bulk roll. We certainly feel like we have a couple more in Triple-A, but not as many as we’d like right now.
Baseball at elevation & improved hitting
In addition, DePodesta was asked if he had been surprised by anything when experiencing baseball at elevation up close and personal. He also answered a question about the best kind of hitter for Coors Field.
I don’t think [there were any unexpected surprises about playing baseball at elevation], but largely that’s because I’m pretty close with a lot of people who’ve been here for a long time, so I think they prepped me pretty well for what this was going to be like.
Undoubtedly, there are some real challenges, not only on the field but even off the field. I think that might be the one that doesn’t get talked about very much, is just the recovery aspect of this — not just for pitchers, but even for position players.
I’ve actually been really pleased with our position player club, especially recently, going on the road. I think they’ve outperformed what they’ve done in recent years, especially those first couple days on the road, which can be really taxing.
But, like I said before, there are unique challenges, but I don’t think they’re ones that are at this point unexpected.
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I’m not entirely sure [about the Rockies’ improved road numbers]. I wish I could pinpoint it exactly.
I do think our hitting coaches have done a terrific job with our guys trying to get them locked in. I do think plate discipline certainly does have something to do with it as well.
We saw it certainly on this last road trip, those first — really all six — games. I think we showed as good discipline as we had all year, and we scored a lot of runs as a result.
But I think our preparation, and I — this isn’t a comment on what it was ever like in the past because I have no idea what it was like or even the players we’ve had in the past — but I do think our hitting coaches have done an excellent job of getting our guys prepared, both mentally and physically, when we get on the road.
And they’ve tried a lot of different things, and I think we’re going to continue to try more, even in terms of drill packages and things like that, once we first get on the road, just to acclimatize as best we can.
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Ideally we’d have both — walks and homers. Let’s do it, right? I’m all for it.
You know, it’s interesting. You go back to the Blake Street Bombers — everyone talks about the power of those clubs. I think that’s absolutely right.
What sometimes doesn’t get talked about is those guys were great hitters. They were great hitters first, right?
They did have good plate discipline, they did put the ball in play, they also happened to hit the ball over the wall. So I think that would be the ideal scenario.
But I think foundationally, we as an organization needed to have more plate discipline. This past year, our chase rate was the highest in baseball — not just in the big leagues, but also in Triple-A, also in Double-A, also in High-A, also in Low-A. So we have a lot of room to make up just to be on par with some of our competitors in that space.
And, again in this field, we just need to take advantage of all the holes that are out there in the outfield. We need to be able to put more balls in play. In order to do that, we need to swing at better pitches to hit, and we’ve started to do that, which I think has been really encouraging.
The trade deadline
The nearing trade deadline was also a topic of conversation, but DePodesta wasn’t showing his cards.
This is probably around the time of year where those conversations are beginning. They’re still very preliminary, so we certainly haven’t canvassed the league or anything like that, but we’re starting to have some conversations out there to see if there’s a potential match.
I think we just need to be opportunistic, so whatever might be available to us — whether it’s helping the big-league team, whether it’s helping the upper levels, or whether it’s something dynamic at the at the lower levels — I think we have to be open to all of them.
There would be certain guys that would be really, really hard for us to move. I think that’s probably true for any team.
There are guys that we feel are, hopefully, foundational players for us going forward. At the same time, like I just said, I think we need to be opportunistic. We’re not where we want to be, right? So, if there are opportunities for us to get better, certainly both in the short term and long term, I think we need to look at that. I think it’s our responsibility to look at that. But there are a lot of guys that we’re not going to be active in shopping, that’s for sure.
Where the Rockies are now
DePodesta also attempted to assess the current state of the Rockies.
Probably right around now, 10 weeks in, or thereabouts, I think our biggest problem is we just have a lot of guys out. And that’s not an excuse. It’s just that’s our reality.
So, we haven’t really been able to see our team together as we viewed it, and we hope maybe what it will be before the end of the year, but we’ll see.
I think we have a decent feel for a handful of players. As you can see through the course of these first two-and-a-half months, there are players who’ve been up and down at different times, but I think they’ve shown certainly what they’re capable of. And I think what we’re anxious to see is when our pitching, our hitting, defense, it sort of all comes together because we’ve had stretches of each of those performing really well.
For the first month, I thought our pitching did an excellent job, really carried us to a large degree. I think, in the last, even the last week-and-a-half or so, I’ve really been pleased with what our offense looks like, but our pitching hasn’t been as good as it was early. And part of that student injury and whatnot.
But so I am anxious to see us put it all together because I think we flashed it on both sides of the ball.
Phil Mickelson has reportedly had his membership cancelled at a San Diego golf club following alleged “inappropriate contact” with a female employee.
Golf Digestfirst reported that Mickelson has had his membership terminated at The Farms following an alleged incident before he played there in the spring. The report, citing multiple sources, said the employee accused the 55-year-old of “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact” towards her before a game of golf. Mickelson is said to have been challenged on the incident mid-round and duly left the property.
Dodgers lose Shohei Ohtani, Justin Wrobleski to injuries in game against Pirates
PITTSBURGH –– Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani left the team’s 8-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday with left knee inflammation, but is not believed to have suffered any serious injury and could be back in the lineup as soon as Friday, manager Dave Roberts said.
“Not high,” Roberts said when asked about his concern level with the four-time MVP. “Just wanted to be smart and not push it. So I feel good about him being in there tomorrow.”
While it wasn’t exactly clear when Ohtani got hurt, Roberts said he believed it happened on a stolen base attempt in the fourth inning, when Ohtani broke hard from first on a pitch that wound up being fouled off.
Around the sixth inning, Roberts said he got word from the training staff about Ohtani’s discomfort –– which was in the back of his leg around where the knee meets the hamstring.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani left the team’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday with left knee inflammation, the team announced. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
At that point, the Dodgers decided to be “proactive,” Roberts said, and remove Ohtani from the game.
When Ohtani’s spot in the batting order came up in the seventh, it was Santiago Espinal who came to the plate as a pinch-hitter.
“We’ll just kind of see how he comes in [tomorrow],” Roberts said, with the Dodgers set to travel to Chicago for the start of a three-game series against the White Sox on Friday. “He’ll get there, do his routine, play catch, push off, land on it, see how it reacts. And then obviously take swings and see how it reacts, too.”
Ohtani’s injury was the second one to force a Dodgers player from Thursday’s game, after starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski exited in the fifth following a comebacker that struck him in the leg.
The team announced that Wrobleski, who was charged with four runs in his 4 ⅔-innings start, had suffered a right hamstring contusion.
However, the left-hander also appeared to avoid anything serious, with Roberts saying he was “very, very confident” that Wrobleski would be able to start in his next turn through the rotation.
“I’ll get some treatment, get the swelling to go down and I’ll be good to go,” Wrobleski echoed. “It’s a little bruise right now, but I’ll be fine.”
The team announced that Wrobleski, who was charged with four runs in his 4 ⅔-innings start, had suffered a right hamstring contusion. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Prior to Ohtani’s departure, the two-way star was putting together another banner night.
He led off the game with a walk in the first, then lined a solo home run to right field to open the scoring in the third inning –– giving him his 13th home run of the year, and two in as many nights.
Ohtani then got a two-run rally started in the fourth with a two-out single; beginning the sequence that Roberts believes led to his injury.
With Andy Pages at the plate, Ohtani attempted his steal of second early in the at-bat. Then, after the foul ball sent him back to first, he raced all the way to third on a single Pages hit to left field.
“I haven’t talked to Shohei yet, but my assumption is it was trying to steal second base,” Roberts said. “Obviously, I think that you just gotta be smart on the bases and not take chances we don’t really need to. But if that was the cause, I don’t really know right now.”
Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) walks to the dugout after handing the ball to manager Dave Roberts (30) during the fifth inning. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
Ohtani later scored in the inning on another base hit from Freddie Freeman, able to jog across the plate without a throw coming home.
He took one more at-bat in the top of the fifth, when he drew a two-out walk and was left stranded at first.
Thursday marked the first time in more than a month that Ohtani was playing the day after a pitching start. On Wednesday, he pitched 6 ⅔ innings in a loss to the Pirates, and also had a home run in the ninth inning as a hitter. Unlike his past four trips to the mound, the Dodgers decided not to rest him the day after, a decision Roberts said earlier this week was based in part on the team having just recently had a day off on Monday.
Ohtani’s left leg is the one he lands on when he pitches, though Roberts noted “you could argue that it’s better [being] the landing leg versus the push off.”
Ohtani also has had an injury to his left knee before, undergoing surgery in September 2019 to repair a bipartite patella.
However, Roberts said Thursday’s issue was in a different spot.
“He’s the best player in the world, [so] hopefully he’s okay,” Freeman said. “I have no idea about anything. I just saw Santiago go up there. Hopefully he’s alright.”
The source of Wrobleski’s injury was much easier to pinpoint, as he took a 96.2 mph comebacker from Bryan Reynolds off his leg in the fifth inning before getting tangled with Reynolds at first while covering the base.
Wrobleski immediately bent down in discomfort, then walked off the field alongside a trainer.
“He’s fine,” Roberts said. “He’s just more frustrated with his performance tonight, and wanted to go deeper in the game.”
Indeed, in the at-bat prior to getting hurt, Wrobleski had allowed a three-run home run to Brandon Lowe. And after Reynolds came around to score later in the inning, what had once been a 5-0 Dodgers lead was trimmed to 5-4.
Alas, the team held on to secure its first series victory at PNC Park since 2021, getting a couple of insurance runs from Miguel Rojas in the seventh (on a run-scoring grounder) and the eighth (on a sacrifice fly) before Tanner Scott locked things down with a four-out save.
“It’s always good to win a series,” Roberts said.
Even better when –– they hope –– they were able to avoid two potential injury concerns to two starting pitchers, one of whom is also their most fearsome bat.
