BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 12: Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers slides safely into first during a pickoff attempt in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on June 12, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored one run but the Boston Red Sox scored ten runs.
The Rangers collected three hits in their first four at-bats against tonight’s Boston starter Sonny Gray but because they’re now, paradoxically, a pop-less small ball team with slow baserunners, all three hits were singles and all three were required to score their first inning run that put them up 1-0.
If you didn’t watch the game or check the score or read the headline of this post or read the introductory sentence, yes, that was the only run that Texas scored on the night. In fact, the Rangers didn’t even have another hit until the top of the sixth and just three more total after the flurry to begin the game. By the time they got that fourth hit, it was 6-1 Boston.
It was 2-1 Boston after the first inning so that Texas lead didn’t even last very long. In fact, it was 2-1 Boston after their first hit of the game. Because they hit a home run.
Technically it wasn’t a two-run home run because Boston’s first run scored in part because the Rangers were poor at virtually every aspect of the sport tonight. In this instance Jack Leiter walked the leadoff hitter and, following a force out, Ceddanne Rafaela reached third base on a throwing error on a stolen base attempt and scored on a sac fly like 220 feet down the left field line.
The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Red Sox decided to pepper the Green Monster with bullets to further inflate Leiter’s ever-expanding ERA. By the end of the frame, Boston had scored four runs following three consecutive doubles and a two-base throwing error by Josh Jung.
Leading the way with three RBIs tonight was Wilyer Abreu (tied with Rafaela) who would be make Shohei Ohtani look like Justin Foscue if he were allowed to play the Rangers every night. The Red Sox scored three more in the eighth. The Nos. 2-4 hitters for Boston had nine hits and eight RBIs between them.
Anyway the Rangers are back below .500.
Player of the Game: It’s quaint comparatively but Wyatt Langford had two whole hits and drove in a run tonight!
Up Next: The Rangers will look to rebound with RHP Jacob deGrom on the mound against LHP Ranger Suarez for Boston.
Saturday’s first pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 3:10 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 12: Spencer Strider #99 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch during the first inning of the game against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field on June 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tonight has not gone well for the Atlanta Braves as they’re currently in a deep hole against the New York Mets in the opening game of this weekend series. They could be dealing with some more injury woes to their core players as Spencer Strider exited tonight’s game with trainer George Poulis following a concerning velocity drop.
Strider’s fastball was down to around 88-mph — a significant drop from his usual velocity of 95-mph so far this season. Following a disastrous three innings of work (including six runs given up on two dingers hit by Bo Bichette and one from Juan Soto), his efforts on the mound prompted a mound visit from both Walt Weiss and George Poulis and a visibly-frustrated Strider agreed to leave the game due to the issues that he was dealing with.
Spencer Strider's fastball is suddenly down to 87-88 here in the fourth and the Jeremy Hefner and Walt Weiss are both out to check on the Braves' righty.
Hopefully it’s nothing serious but at the same time, it’s tough to not be alarmed when you consider what was going on with his velocity once he was making his exit. We’ll update this post with any new developments so stay tuned.
UPDATE [10:16 p.m. ET]: The Braves are calling it “right arm soreness” for Strider as the cause for his exit. It’s vague but that’s also not the type of catch-all that you want to see. Let’s continue to hope for the best.
RHP Spencer Strider left tonight’s game due to right arm soreness.
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 12: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Adley Rutschman #35 after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Friday, June 12, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It is Friday night.
The Orioles have beaten the Padres, 7-3. Gunnar Henderson reached base four times, with three hits – including his 14th homer. It was his 100th homer of his career, making him the fourth-fastest Oriole to reach 100 homers with the franchise. Tyler O’Neill had a pair of hits (really!), and Shane Baz survived five innings despite not looking like he would for a while there, with four Orioles relievers combining to keep San Diego from scoring after that. The team won their third straight game as they took this series opener.
MILWAUKEE, WI - JUNE 01: San Francisco Giants pitcher Landen Roupp (65) pitches during a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Francisco Giants at American Family Field on June 1, 2026 in Milwaukee, WI. (Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants welcome the Chicago Cubs to Oracle Park tonight for a rematch of last weekend’s series.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Landen Roupp, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.00 ERA, 3.02 FIP, with 77 strikeouts to 30 walks in 69.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 3-2 loss to the Cubs on Saturday, in which he allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts and three walks in five and two thirds innings.
He’ll be facing off against Cubs right-hander Javier Assad, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.73 ERA, 4.37 FIP, with 19 strikeouts to eight walks in 32.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Cubs’ 2-1 loss to the Giants on Sunday, in which he allowed just one hit and one walk with five strikeouts in six and a third innings.
This is either the most hopeful or depressing statistic for Spurs fans watching the NBA Finals: Through four games, the point differential is Knicks +8.
It may be a little of both. This has been an intense, close NBA Finals, with three of the four games decided by four points or less. Yet San Antonio finds itself down 3-1 and on the verge of its season ending due to a combination of the Knicks' grit and maturity in the clutch versus the Spurs' self-inflicted wounds and mistakes of youth.
"There's no avoiding what's happened," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "There's no avoiding all four games have been winnable games. There's no avoiding we're down 3-1. There's no avoiding ways that we could be better. There's nobody that's going to be harder on ourselves and accountable to ourselves than the people in the locker room and each other. That's what helped us get to where we are, and how the group is built. There's no circumstance that will change that."
Will the NBA Finals end Saturday night in San Antonio, where the party from 7th Ave. in Manhattan would overtake the Riverwalk — there are going to be a lot of Knicks fans at the game — or can the Spurs finally win a game at home? There are two key things to watch in Game 5.
Can Spurs rebound emotionally?
I have a theory about NBA playoff series: There comes a point in nearly every series when one team realizes they are beaten, usually long before Game 6 or 7. They don't have the answers to the questions the other team is posing. The players and coaches never say it out loud — players don't make it to this level without being fierce competitors — but you can see it in body language and their eyes. They know.
The Spurs had that look after Game 4, a gut-punch loss in which they blew a 29-point lead (and, more disturbingly, a 20-point lead with 9:30 left in the game).
Usually, after a loss like that, the end comes pretty quickly, as it could for the Spurs in Game 5 on their home court. However, these young Spurs have shown a genuine resilience this postseason — they won Game 7 on the road in Oklahoma City. They won a game in Madison Square Garden. If you told me these Spurs showed that resilience on Saturday night and bounced back with a double-digit win, it would not be shocking. If San Antonio lost by double digits, that's not shocking either.
I've seen one team turn things around after having that defeated look: LeBron James and the Cavaliers against the Warriors in 2016. The Spurs are saying all the right things, exactly what you expect them to say, about following in the Cavs' footsteps and forging their own epic comeback.
"Absolutely. Everybody thinks, everybody knows, we're going to do it," Victor Wembanyama said, almost as if he was trying to manifest the outcome. "One game at a time. Just one game at a time..." Devin Vassell said. "So we need to go 1-0, and whatever we need to do for that to happen, we've got to do that."
Saying the right thing is one thing, doing it on the court — especially when adversity hits, as it inevitably will — is something else entirely. These Spurs have shown toughness and resilience throughout the playoffs, but can they do it when the Knicks smell blood in the water?
Because these Knicks have the feel of a team of destiny, a team on a historic run. On the other side of that coin, can the Knicks avoid human nature, which is to relax a little after a win, especially knowing they can head home for a potential coronation in Game 6? Like the Spurs, they are saying all the right things.
"The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present," coach Mike Brown said. "You have to be present. You can't think about the outcome. It's about the process, the next play, the next play, the next play."
We'll see which team shows more emotional maturity on Saturday night.
Touching the paint
There has been one defining factor in all four games: The team driving the lane, touching the paint or getting it inside to their big men, then scoring (and drawing fouls) or spraying the ball out to shooters is the team that takes control.
There was no better example than Game 4, when the Spurs scored 24 points in the paint in the first half on their way to a 27-point lead. Then they became less aggressive in the second half, settled for far too many 3-pointers and pull-up jumpers, Wembanyama became tentative after picking up a flagrant foul on Towns (leaving him one flagrant from a suspension), and the Spurs scored just four points in the paint in the second half. Meanwhile, it was the Knicks behind Jalen Brunson who got downhill and into the paint in the second half, sparking their comeback win.
By Game 5 of a series, there are not a lot of technical adjustments left to be made. Both teams know their opponent, the game plan and what they need to do. It's just that doing it against an elite defense in a very physical series is something else entirely. Both teams will execute their game plan for stretches, then not for others.
"I think what you can do when you do move the ball and allow the IQ to flow and the ball to flow is you allow great shots to happen, especially when you're touching the paint or having movement on the offense and allowing the defense to make a mistake, instead of us having to make a tough shot or a great shot," Karl-Anthony Towns said.
Which team touches the paint, moves the ball and plays to their strengths on Saturday night will determine whether the Finals head to another game in New York or whether the Knicks' destiny can wait no longer.
Jun 12, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) starts the game with the first pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
After a series victory at home against the Twins, the Tigers headed around the corner of Lake Erie to take on another division rival in Cleveland for a three-game weekend series. The Detroiters could only manage a pair of solo home runs in a losing effort, dropping the opener 3-2 on Friday night.
Jack Flaherty made his fifteenth start for the Tigers, and much has been said about his inconsistency. The good news coming into tonight was that, in his previous three starts, he hadn’t been that bad — pitched into the sixth, gave up a maximum of three runs, struck out at least six each time. With some starting pitchers due to come back from the Injured List soon, you have to wonder if Flaherty stays in the rotation with some of the young kids doing well.
Like Flaherty, Cleveland’s starting pitcher had a 1-7 record coming into tonight’s game, being one Tanner Bibee. But Bibee’s peripheral numbers look a lot better than Flaherty’s: ERA (4.09 vs. 5.31), WHIP (1.234 vs. 1.580), BB/9 (4.8 vs. 2.8). He’s in his fourth year with the Guardians, and he’s been a good, reliable part of their rotation since coming up in 2023 — not to mention a sensational start against Detroit in May. But these are the June Tigers, though, right?
The Tigers had an early squander: with one out in the top of the first, Bibee walked a pair of batters… and then both Dillon Dingler and Kerry Carpenter struck out, stranding a pair. As it turns out, that would be about as close to a sustained threat they’d have all night.
Cleveland got on the board first in the bottom of the second: Rhys Hoskins led off with a double, and Flaherty got the next two batters to fly out harmlessly. Up to the plate stepped a sub-.160 hitter, Patrick Bailey — great defensive catcher, not a world-beater in the batter’s box by any means — and he dumped a liner into left field to score Hoskins. Brayan Rocchio followed with a triple to right to score Bailey and put Cleveland up 2-0. By the end of the second, Flaherty had thrown 49 pitches, suggesting he might not go too deep in this game for any reason. But hey, Newest Tiger™ James Outman made a nice sliding catch.
Naturally, leading off the third, Outman — not known for his bat the past couple of years — crushed a no-doubter to right-centre to narrow the score to 2-1.
Flaherty’s night was shortened by injury, coming out after three innings — he grimaced while fielding a grounder to end the third with “left leg discomfort.” Other Newest Tiger™, Jacob Waguespack, started the fourth. He pitched in Toronto in 2019-20, pitched a couple of years in Japan, then spent a couple of years mostly at Triple-A, before being added to the Tigers today out of Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate in Nashville. He gave up a single and a walk but ended up getting three outs without any damage.
Drew Sommers took over for Waguespack in the fifth to face a few fellow lefties, and he gave up a harmless single but nothing more. Meanwhile, Bibee was cruising pretty easily: through six innings he’d only thrown 79 pitches, and Outman’s home run was the only hit he’d surrendered.
Drew Number Two (i.e., Anderson) relieved Sommers in the sixth and it didn’t go as well: with one out Angel Martínez doubled, and Steven Kwan — who’s lousy this year against everyone except us — singled to score Martínez and push the lead back up to two runs. Bailey legged-out an infield single (of course) to put a pair on, but a strikeout and a flyout prevented further damage.
The reliever parade continued with Ty Madden for the seventh, and he gave up a one-out double but the runner was stranded and the game carried on with a two-run gap ‘twixt the squadrons.
Spencer Torkelson had something to say about that, though, leading off the eighth:
That was the end of Bibee’s day; giving up two solo home runs as your only hits in seven-plus innings is a weird final line.
Cade Smith was brought in to nail down the save for Cleveland in the ninth; with two out Dingler made a bid for a game-tying home run but unfortunately the fly ball fell short of the fence, and that was the game.
The Yankees' outfield depth is about to be tested after Trent Grisham had to exit Friday's game against the Blue Jays with what the team calls right hamstring tightness.
While the nature of Grisham's injury isn't yet known, it seemed that the veteran outfielder pulled up lame rounding first and made an awkward slide into second on a throw home after he hit a two-run single in the sixth inning. Grisham finished 1-for-4, but that single cut Toronto's lead to 7-5 at the time.
A 2-run hit for Trent Grisham, but he’s coming out of the game after advancing to second base on the throw home pic.twitter.com/PeizHZm3ma
This is not the first time Grisham has had to exit a game against the Blue Jays this season. Back on May 20, Grisham had left knee discomfort legging out a double. The injury didn't land Grisham on the IL, but it's unclear if the same will happen this time around.
Grisham was replaced in the outfield by Max Schuemann, who moved to right field to allow Spencer Jones to man center.
The Yankees already have Aaron Judge and Jasson Dominguez on the IL, with the latter close to returning. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the plan was for Dominguez to get a couple of more rehab games this weekend with Triple-A before they decide on whether to activate him. If Grisham needs an IL stint, the Yankees may be forced to bring Dominguez back sooner than they originally planned.
Grisham is having a solid season. He's batting .232 with eight home runs with an OPS of .747 while playing great defense in center every day for the Yankees.
The New York Knicks huddle during a game against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
SAN ANTONIO — It’s right there.
It’s right freakin’ there.
The Knicks’ first championship since 1973 — and only third in franchise history — is right there. Etching their place in New York legend is right there. Glory is right there.
The Knicks just have to reach out and grab it.
They carry their 3-1 NBA Finals lead into Game 5 at the Frost Bank Center for Game 5 on Saturday, just one step away from immortality.
“The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present,” coach Mike Brown said on Friday. “You have to be present. You can’t think about the outcome. It’s about the process, the next play, the next play, the next play.
“Sometimes you can think about the process, and it not work out. But when you’re playing against other great teams especially, that’s how you have to take it because anybody’s mind can start wandering when you think about the outcome.”
The Knicks this postseason have bludgeoned their opponents in closeout games. Between Game 6 against the Hawks in the first round, Game 4 against the 76ers in the second round and Game 4 against the Cavaliers in the conference finals, the Knicks won by a combined 118 points.
Head Coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks talks to the media during 2026 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability on June 12, 2026, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NBAE via Getty Images
“I’ve said this multiple times, the hardest game to win is the one that ends someone’s season,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “So we’ve got to be our best version tomorrow.”
Despite Towns’ sentiment, the Knicks have made closeout games look like their easiest, not their hardest games. By the end of the first three rounds, they completely sucked the soul out of their opponents and left them with little will to keep competing. They left no doubt.
There is one characteristic that has given them that ability.
“Their level of maturity,” Brown said. “Obviously, we have some veteran guys on the team. But you can be a veteran and still have a little bit of immaturity about you, as we all know. From top to bottom, this group is pretty mature. That rubs off on the rest of the group. It makes my job easier.
The New York Knicks huddle during a game against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. NBAE via Getty Images
“We’ve been preaching all year that it’s about the next possession, the next possession, the next possession. We understand any time you try to play a closeout game, the level of desperation for your opponents increases, the level of desperation for the fans of your opponents is increased. You have to bring your best effort.”
That sense of desperation should be natural to the Spurs, who are trying to save their title hopes. But, when up 3-1 in the series, it would be natural for the Knicks to not have that same level of desperation, particularly after such an emotional, thrilling and historic comeback win in Game 4.
“I think whenever you win or lose a game, that night you’re going to think about it, think about the things you’ve done well or what you did wrong,” Jalen Brunson said. “I’ve always told myself when you wake up the next day, it’s time to turn the page. Yes, we won, but we still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot to learn. We didn’t play our best basketball. We still have a lot to revisit to make sure that we don’t really put ourselves in that position again.
“But honestly, we still have to continue to have the belief that we’ve had. It’s really important from that aspect.”
Playing with desperation first emerged when they trailed 2-1 in the first round. It carried them throughout their 13-game winning streak.
The Spurs, at least publicly, are steadfast that they have not yet lost their confidence like the Knicks’ previous three opponents did. Victor Wembanyama said “everybody” on the team knows they will — not can — come back in the series. Stephon Castle expects to make history.
And this series hasn’t exactly been straightforward — the Knicks have trailed by double-digits all four games and by as much as 29 in Game 4. All of the first four games of the series have been within four points in the final minute of regulation, the first time that’s happened in the Finals since 1973, when the Knicks beat the Lakers.
The series has been closer than perhaps the 3-1 lead indicates.
“We spoke about it multiple times,” Towns said. “We’ve got to approach every game like it’s 0-0. We’ve got to have that kind of desperation that it is to win Game 1 of a playoff series. We’ve got to go in there with the understanding of no comfortability, just really be desperate, execute at a high level. Gameplan discipline has to be at a high level.”
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - MAY 31: Bryan Baker #47 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on May 31, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 12: Sean Sullivan #85 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the the second inning of a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 12, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies are opening a six-game road trip tonight with three games against the Athletics in Las Vegas, where the A’s are playing a rare ‘home’ series away from their temporary home in Sacramento. After this series, the Rockies head to Wrigley Field for three against the Chicago Cubs.
The nomadic Athletics enter at 33-35, and only two games out of first place in a middling AL West. They are 5-4 to start June and are coming off taking two of three from the same Milwaukee Brewers team that swept the Rockies last week.
The A’s are not a complete team, but they can hit.
They rank seventh in baseball with a .735team OPS, led by Nick Kurtz (162 OPS+) and Shea Langeliers (135 OPS+). The pitching and defense have lagged behind, with Oakland ranking 27th in starter ERA, 21st in relief ERA, and 25th in Defensive Runs Saved.
Colorado enters the Vegas series at 26-43, but the Rockies are 4-5 through nine June games after taking two of three from the Cubs. That was a needed bounce-back after the Brewers series.
Sullivan, 23, has made 11 starts for Triple-A Albuquerque this season, posting a 5.60 ERA over 54.2 innings with 50 strikeouts, 19 walks.
Sullivan is not a power lefty. He works from a funky delivery and leans on a broad pitch mix: a four-seam fastball (40.1%), sweeper (25.6%), cutter (17.2%), changeup (14.3%), and occasional slider (2.7%). The fastball generally lives around 88-90 mph, with the cutter in the 85-87 mph range, the changeup around 78-80 mph, and the sweeper closer to 76-78 mph.
Sullivan has not missed bats at the same rate he did earlier in his minor-league career, and hitters have made frequent contact against him, especially in the zone. The contact has not been especially loud, though. His hard-hit rate is 30.1%, and his xERA is 4.81, which is more forgiving than the traditional ERA suggests.
He has limited hard contact and kept the walk rate manageable, but the lower strikeout rate and 10 home runs in 11 starts leave real questions about how thin the margin is. Tonight gives the Rockies a first look at how the pitch mix, deception, and contact-management traits translate against big-league hitters.
The Athletics will counter with another rookie left-hander in Gage Jump. Jump came into the year ranked as the No. 38 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline and the No. 3 prospect in the Athletics system. The 23-year-old southpaw is making just the fourth start of his major-league career.
Jump enters at 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 13 strikeouts, and five walks across 18.1 innings. After allowing four runs in his MLB debut, he has settled in quickly. He held the Cubs to one run on three hits over seven innings on June 2, then shut out the Astros over 6.1 innings on June 7, allowing just three hits while walking three. Across those two starts, he has allowed one run on six hits over 13.1 innings, though the strikeout total has been modest at five.
Jump brings more traditional left-handed power stuff than Sullivan. He has leaned on a four-seam fastball (49%) at 96.4 mph, while mixing in a slider (24%) at 87.7 mph, a changeup (10%) at 88.2 mph, a sweeper (9%) at 84.5 mph, and a curveball (9%) at 82.3 mph.
Jump’s xERA sits at 3.47, and hitters have not made a ton of loud contact against him, with a 30.2% hard-hit rate. His strikeout rate is only 17.8% in the majors with a 21.3% whiff rate, so the swing-and-miss has not fully carried over yet. That said, he struck out 56 batters in 38 Triple-A innings this season.
Sterlin Thompson and Carrigg both faced Jump earlier this season in Las Vegas on May 20th. Thompson went 1-for-3 with a single and a strikeout, while Carrigg went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a flyout. Albuquerque eventually scored six runs in the ninth inning to stun Las Vegas, 6-5.
Gage could create a tough matchup for a Rockies lineup that has had trouble with left-handed pitching. As a team, Colorado is hitting .239 with a .644 OPS against lefties this season. Jump has the velocity, five-pitch mix, and prospect pedigree to make this difficult if the Rockies let him settle in.
So, can Sullivan give the Rockies a useful debut, can the offense do enough against another talented rookie lefty, and can the Rockies pull out a late-night win in Las Vegas?
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 26: Gage Jump #61 of the Athletics pitches in the top of the third inning in his MLB debut against the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park on May 26, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a day off yesterday the A’s are back at it tonight, welcoming the Colorado Rockies to Las Vegas Ballpark for a three-game weekend series against the worst team in the National League. The Rockies sit at 26-43 and are already gauging the upcoming trade market to see what they can offload on contenders. A big weekend in a minor league, hitter-friendly ballpark could help boost some of their trade chips’ values but the A’s will be hoping for a dominant weekend against a lesser opponent.
Tonight’s starting pitcher for the Athletics will be rookie Gage Jump. The left-hander is set to make his fourth career start and first of many in Las Vegas. So far in the early going he’s been as advertised, especially in his last two contests. After having some debut jitters he’s fired off seven innings of one-run ball against the Chicago Cubs before pitching 6 1/3 shutout baseball against the Houston Astros. He’ll be tasked with keeping that going against a Rockies lineup that is short on big bats.
The starting lineup for tonight’s series opener looks like this:
The team welcomes shortstop Jacob Wilson back to the starting lineup for the first time in a month after he was activated off the IL earlier in the day. The team did lose usual DH Brent Rooker to the IL in exchange for Wilson though. Backup catcher Jonah Heim draws the first start without Rook and he could get plenty of at bats while the regular DH is down. The rest of the lineup looks about as you’d expect versus an opposing lefty. Colby Thomas over Lawrence Butlsr in right, and Zack Gelof over Jeff McNeil at the keystone. The only lefties in the starting lineup are Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom (though Heim is a switch-hitter).
That lineup will be facing Colorado rookie Sean Sullivan, who will be making his big league debut this evening. It’s a rough assignment for your first big league start as he’ll be pitching in a minor league ballpark where the ball absolutely flies. Add in he’s facing a hot A’s lineup and the expectations can’t be too high for the young left-hander, a former second-round pick and considered a top-10 prospect in a weak Rockies farm system. In 11 starts in Triple-A this year Sullivan has a 5.60 ERA in the hitter-friendly PCL.
And here’s how the Rockies will line up tonight against Gage Jump:
The Rockies don’t have much in the way of big bats. Catcher Hunter Goodman has 18 long balls and rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield is hitting well in his first big league action while outfielder Troy Johnson is holding his own, but they also come into this series down one of their better hitters in Mickey Monika. Jump can handle these guys but we’ll see how Las Vegas Ballpark plays tonight.
We gotta take all three of these games this weekend. Let’s go A’s!
Among those who reached out were several former teammates with the Raptors. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal Named June 11 “OG Anunoby Appreciation Day.”
OG Anunoby converts on a game-winning tip shot with 1.2 seconds left in the Knicks’ historic 107-106 comeback win over the Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at the Garden. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
“It’s really cool,” Anunoby said on Friday inside Frost Bank Arena, as the Knicks prepared for Saturday night’s Game 5. “Just everyone has been telling me how much it means, and obviously I can see how much it means. It’s just really cool to be a part of it, and I’m very grateful.”
It’s up there with the David Tyree’s helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII, Don Larsen’s perfect game in the World Series, Rangers captain Mark Messier making good on his prediction in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals with a hat trick, and the Mets’ 1986 World Series comeback in Game 6, among others.
“I tried to explain it to him, but you know OG barely gives you any reaction,” Karl-Anthony Towns said jokingly. “So I don’t know if he’s understanding it or not. Like you said, it’s a great moment. It’s one of the best sports moments in New York history. But we’ve got to solidify it with one more win.”
Towns called Anunoby’s flying tip-in, the “Right Hand of God,” after Game 4. On Friday, a reporter showed Anunoby a photo of his play next to the original “Hand of God,” Diego Maradona’s controversial goal in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals for Argentina in which he used his left hand to score.
The referees didn’t see him using his hand, and afterwards, Maradona said it was “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the Hand of God.”
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby #8 addresses the media in a post game press conference. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“I mean, it’s iconic,” Anunoby said.
This isn’t Anunoby’s first trip to the Finals. Seven years ago, he got there with the Raptors, but was unable to play due to an emergency appendectomy. He’s making an impact this time on the court.
In four games against the Spurs, he is averaging 23.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and shooting an absurd 55.6 percent from 3-point range.
In Game 4, he poured in 33 points and shot 7-of-9 from 3-point range, keying the stunning comeback. If the Knicks win the series, he is a leading candidate to be the series MVP.
A general view inside Madison Square Garden as the New York Knicks celebrate their 107-106 victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 in New York City.
The Knicks’ epic Game 4 comeback did monster viewership numbers for ABC.
Wednesday’s thriller against the Spurs averaged 20.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched NBA Finals Game 4 since 1998 — when Michael Jordan’s Bulls took on the Jazz with Karl Malone and John Stockton — and the most-watched Game 4 ever on ABC, according to numbers released by Nielsen on Friday.
And it hasn’t been just a one-game thing.
An overall photo of the NBA Finals logo before the game between the Knicks against the Spurs during Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. NBAE via Getty Images
Through four games, the Knicks-Spurs series is averaging 19.6 million viewers, up 116 percent from last year and good for the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998 and the largest Finals audience ever on ABC/ESPN.
Game 4 was also a hit online.
The NBA is calling the contest “the most-viral NBA game ever on social media” by reportedly “generating 3 billion views and counting.”
The latest numbers come after Monday’s Game 3 broadcast between the Knicks and the Spurs became the most-watched NBA Finals Game 3 in nearly three decades with 23.8 million people tuning in, and peaking at 26.3 million late in the fourth quarter.
Games 1 and 2 were the same story, having at the time been the most-watched NBA Finals games since Games 6 and 7 of the Raptors-Warriors Finals in 2019 when Kawhi Leonard led Toronto to the title against a injury-riddled Golden State team.
The viewership surge is being driven by the rare combination of the Knicks’ first Finals appearance since 1999, a starving, massive New York market, Victor Wembanyama’s arrival on basketball’s biggest stage and multiple dramatic finishes.
With the Knicks one win away from their first NBA title since 1973, the league could be staring at an even bigger number Saturday night in San Antonio.
NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor has started playing simulated games and New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns is hopeful the shortstop can return to the team by the end of June.
“Our expectation’s he’s going to play games for us this month,” Stearns said Friday before the Mets opened a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. “I don’t know exactly when this month, but that means we’re getting closer. We want to go as fast as possible and smart as possible, and that’s a delicate line.”
Manager Carlos Mendoza said Lindor, who suffered a strained left calf while running the bases against the Minnesota Twins on April 22, played a two-inning simulated game Friday.
Lindor took at-bats against a pitcher from Single-A Brooklyn, though he didn’t run after making contact. He also fielded ground balls.
“More like a controlled environment (where) we’re simulating game action but we’re controlling it,” Mendoza said. “He’s going to do that again next week here, where instead of two innings it’s more like three, five (innings). And then we’ll revisit at the end of next week to see what’s the next step.”
Lindor would still require a rehab stint in the minors following what will end up being his longest stay on the injured list, Mendoza said. Lindor has missed the last 44 games, during which the Mets have gone 22-22.
He missed just 52 games in his first five seasons with the team and played at least 143 games in each of his first four nonpandemic seasons with Cleveland.
Lindor will likely return to a club still trying to play its way back from a 12-game losing streak in April — the longest skid for the Mets since 2002.
New York, which is in the midst of a 25-game stretch against teams that began June with a winning record, is in last place in the NL East.
“There’s no question we’ve played better since April, but we still haven’t played consistent enough to get ourselves out of a hole that we dug in April,” Stearns said. “And we’re very aware of that. So we have to prove it. I continue to believe that we have people in the clubhouse who are capable of doing this.”
Encouraging signs for Senga
Pitcher Kodai Senga took an encouraging step in his return from lumbar spine inflammation on Thursday, when he allowed one hit over six innings for Double-A Binghamton.
Senga, whose start was pushed back two days due to ulnar nerve irritation, is expected to throw a bullpen in New York before making at least one more rehab start.
MAYBE TRY WINNING THE SERIES OPENER?: The Cubs have lost the first game in each of their last seven series and eight of their last nine. Since winning the final game of their second 10-game streak at Texas on May 8, their only first-game win was at the White Sox on May 15. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
MAYBE THIS WILL HELP?: The Cubs are 8-14 in all first games and 3-8 on the road. But they are 3-3 in first games on the road after having won the final game of their previous series. They are 11-11 in second games, 13-9 in third games and 3-0 in fourth games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE UNFRIENDLY CITY BY THE BAY: The Cubs went 1-6 at San Francisco the past two years, winning the last of four games in 2024. They lost the first game in six of their last seven visits to the Bay Area. The lone first-game win was in 2023, the only year they won a series there since 2013, when they swept three games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
STILL A HOT HITTER: Pete Crow-Armstrong is on a 15-game on-base streak in which he is batting .359/.423/.688 (23-for-64) with four doubles, a triple, five home runs, nine RBI, 12 runs scored and three stolen bases.
Javier Assad was magnificent against the Giants last Sunday — 6.1 innings of one-hit relief. He retired the last 15 Giants he faced.
Maybe it’s a bit much to ask but… Javier, can you do that again tonight?
Landen Roupp threw 5.1 innings against the Cubs last Saturday at Wrigley Field and allowed three hits and one run.
So you’d think maybe this will be a low-scoring game. But that’s not the way baseball works, right? Roupp got hit pretty hard in his previous start, June 1 vs. the Brewers.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
