May 8, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) scores during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
It was an electric night in San Diego as a brilliant start by Michael McGreevy and a “Little League grand slam” from JJ Wetherholt led the St. Louis Cardinals to another victory over the San Diego Padres.
It would be easy to start drawing some conclusions that are likely overreactions from Friday night’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres. Let’s start with the possibility that Michael McGreevy is the current ace of the Cardinals staff. He held the Padres hitless until the bottom of the 4th inning when Jackson Merrill managed a single off of him. It’s also probably too early to start thinking of the Cardinals as a team of destiny but there was another sign that might be the case based on what happened in the top half of the 5th inning.
For the first 4 innings, Ivan Herrera was the only Cardinal with a hit (and he had four of them on the night), but it wasn’t until the 5th inning that the Cardinals started mounting a serious threat (which they followed through on admirably). Masyn Winn singled to start off the top of the 5th. Nathan Church reached on an infield single and Masyn advanced to second. After Prieto struck out, Victor Scott II drew a walk to load the bases and that brought up JJ Wetherholt who did not disappoint. In typical JJ fashion, he did something productive that turned into a play that broke the game open. On the third pitch of his at-bat, he ripped a single to right field which went under the glove of Fernando Tatis Jr. and it was off to the races.
Technically, it was a single and a 3-base/2-run error, but for the rest of us, it was a Little League grand slam that gave the Cardinals a 4-0 lead with JJ getting credited for 2 RBI’s. St. Louis wasn’t done, either. Ivan Herrera snuck another single between third base and short followed by a double that was lanced down the left field line by Alec Burleson which advanced Herrera to third. Jordan Walker followed that with a nice 4-pitch walk to load the bases again and Nolan Gorman came through with a single to score Herrera that made it 5-0 Cardinals. Masyn Winn managed a sacrifice fly to score Burleson and make it 6-0 St. Louis. The Rally Dawg had to be proud of the Cardinals 5th inning.
The real story Friday night was Michael McGreevy. Six innings allowing just 1 hit and no runs with 9 strikeouts and just 2 walks is ace stuff. He did not allow the Padres to create any kind of momentum. Big offense from the Cardinals grabbed the headlines, but Michael McGreevy’s performance deserves its own standing ovation.
Gordon Graceffo pitched a solid inning of relief in the bottom of the 7th and also pitched the bottom of the 8th allowing no Padres baserunners. A nice bounce-back from his last outing. Ryne Stanek was brought in to close out the Padres in the 9th inning and he did it without drama giving Riley O’Brien a night of rest. Cardinals pitchers collectively threw a 1-hit shutout. Very nice.
Dustin May will get the Saturday night start at Petco Park for the Cardinals as he’ll do battle with Randy Vásquez who will take the mound for the Padres. First pitch is set for 6:15pm central time and the musical chairs broadcast schedule has the game being broadcast on Fox Saturday night.
PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Brunson had Knicks coach Mike Brown referencing “Peanuts” to describe his impact.
The Knicks trailed by as many as 12 points in the first quarter of their 108-94 Game 3 win over the 76ers on Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Brunson had started the game 0-for-4 and finished that first quarter 2-for-8. It looked like, without OG Anunoby, this was a night where the 76ers could make it a series.
But Brown never worried. Brunson is the security blanket that makes him feel at peace.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after he hits a 3-point during the fourth quarter of Game 3 on May 8, 2026. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
“What’s the dude’s name on Snoopy? Linus? He’s got a blanket? I’m Linus and Jalen is my blanket,” Brown said. “He helps me relax a lot of different times throughout the course of the game. That’s what great players do. They keep you poised, they make the game easier for everybody else, and they help you get through the [tough] stretch.”
Brunson responded with 10 points in the second quarter as the Knicks turned their deficit into a double-digit lead. He had nine points in both the third and fourth quarters and finished with a game-high 33 points on 11-for-22 shooting from the field. That means that after the first quarter, he went 9-for-14 from the field.
He also added nine assists for good measure.
Jalen Brunson delivered a Game 3 gem for the Knicks on Friday. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Without Anunoby’s scoring impact, and with Karl-Anthony Towns on the bench for large stretches due to foul trouble, Brunson had to carry the offense for long spells.
The 76ers have not figured out an answer to slowing down Brunson this series. VJ Edgecombe was his primary defender on Friday, and Brunson went 5-for-8 against him, per the league’s official tracking stats. Kelly Oubre guarded him second-most, and Brunson torched him — he went 4-for-5 against him.
Jalen Brunson takes a trey during Game 3. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
At one point Kelly gestured with his hands to poke fun at Brunson’s big head — something he mentioned earlier in the series. Poking the bear certainly didn’t work.
“His usage is very high,” Oubre said. “It’s tough on VJ, it’s tough on me to just pick him up [full court] every single possession. … JB’s a great player and he’s gonna figure out how to be effective, because his team needs him to be.”
The 76ers tried doubling him. They tried picking him up full court. None of it worked.
When Brunson is in rhythm, there is little that ever slows him down.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) passes the ball as Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) defends during Game 3 on May 8, 2026. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
Asked if he was frustrated by the officiating, Towns responded, “What do you think?”
There was one call that could’ve gone either way. With 8:20 remaining in the first half, Joel Embiid was called for a loose ball foul against Towns. The 76ers challenged the call, and it was reversed. Towns was assessed his third and sat the rest of the half.
“I’m not surprised at anything anymore,” he said.
Towns ended the evening with eight points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
“It’s something I’ll revisit in the offseason,” he said before notching 12 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes. “There’s people that played through this and people who played through it and got a championship. Something that’s doable.”
76ers forward Paul George steals the ball from New York Knicks guard Josh Hart. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
An X-ray revealed it wasn’t broken, and Hart doesn’t see the point of an MRI exam. Hart had the thumb taped up for the game.
He is having a strong postseason, averaging 9.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals. Hart went 0-for-4 from 3-point range Friday, but when asked about the thumb, said it was a non-issue.
“Thumb’s cool,” he said.
Embiid returned for Game 3 after being held out of Wednesday’s Game 2 with a sprained ankle and hip soreness. Embiid missed the first three games of the playoffs after undergoing emergency appendectomy late in the regular season.
Embiid scored 18 points on 7-for-17 shooting, along with six rebounds, five assists and three blocks. ks.
Miles McBride started in place of the injured OG Anunoby and scored three points in 21 minutes.
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 02: Charlie Blackmon #19 and DJ LeMahieu #9 of the Colorado Rockies celebrate defeating the Chicago Cubs 2-1 in thirteen innings to win the National League Wild Card Game at Wrigley Field on October 2, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the first time in 15 seasons, second baseman DJ LeMahieu finds himself without a Major League team. After injury plagued 2024 and 2025 campaigns, the former Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award winner is a free agent.
LeMahieu, 37, spent seven seasons as the franchise second baseman for the Colorado Rockies. While donning the purple pinstripes he won three Gold Gloves, was a two-time All-Star, and even took home the 2016 batting title when he hit .348/.416/.495 while being worth 5.5 wins above replacement.
After the 2018 season LeMahieu left Colorado as a free agent and joined the New York Yankees. In the Bronx he won another batting title, two Silver Slugger Awards, a fourth Gold Glove, and made his third All-Star appearance.
LeMahieu has yet to officially announce his retirement and is still open to playing opportunities. In the meantime, he is exploring his next steps in his baseball life: coaching.
The Royal Oak Leprechauns, a collegiate wood bat team in LeMahieu’s native Michigan, have announced that LeMahieu will be the team’s manager for the 2026 season.
“DJ has been hands-on throughout the entire offseason, and that’s meant everything to our staff,” Leprechauns general manager Danny Weiss said Wednesday. “As he steps into the field manager role, that same commitment carries over to the players he leads. He cares deeply about building a culture players want to be part of — and that’s going to set the standard for everything we do in 2026 and beyond.”
LeMahieu has been a long-time financial backer and supporter of the Leprechauns.
With his move into managing, LeMahieu joins a list of former Rockies players who pursued managerial efforts after their playing career.
Former third baseman and current special assistant Vinny Castilla has managed in his home country of Mexico.
1993 Opening Day catcher Joe Girardi has been the skipper for the Miami Marlins, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies.
Former shortstop Walt Weiss managed the Rockies for a few seasons and took over for longtime Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker this season.
Plenty of other former Rockies over the years have pursued Major League or collegiate coaching careers after they hung up their cleats.
What current or former members of the Colorado Rockies do you think would make a good manager or coach? Let us know in the comments!
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 3: AJ Dybantsa #3 of the BYU Cougars looks on during the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena on March 3, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This Mother’s Day is probably the most consequential Mother’s Day in Utah Jazz history (I haven’t checked, I’m guessing, okay). The thing the NBA doesn’t realize is that it’s going to be consequential for the entire league, as well.
Utah, even if they somehow lost their pick this year, would still be a playoff contender. While the league was punishing the Jazz for doing things everyone else was doing, the Jazz were doing something only Jazz fans saw: playing winning basketball.
Utah started the season with a blowout win over the Los Angeles Clippers and went on to post some impressive wins throughout the season. Here are some playoff teams Utah won against: Clippers, Suns, Celtics, Rockets, Pistons, Spurs, Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Heat, and Warriors. Each one of these drove me crazy throughout the season, by the way. And the reason they had to start tanking earlier than the apparent unspoken rules allow was that the Jazz had a breakout season from Keyonte George and improved play across the roster. Utah had Cody Williams looking like a rotation player, they found a real player in Blake Hinson, they revived Jusuf Nurkic, and even had games where Kevin Love shot the lights out and turned needed losses into wins. Nothing this season was predictable, but the one thing that was consistent was the level of effort demanded by Will Hardy, along with an offense that consistently set players up to succeed.
The biggest question is the defense, but adding Jaren Jackson Jr., who will play alongside Walker Kessler (potentially), and that should, at the very least, create an identity of rim protection and size if they’re combined with Lauri Markkanen as well. There’s a very reasonable expectation that Utah’s defense should at least be top-15 with the personnel on the floor. Can Will Hardy lead them to that? Utah’s size will go a long way to making that happen.
But there’s some real upside with this roster that makes next year fascinating. What if Keyonte George takes another leap? What if Walker Kessler signs a contract he and the Jazz are happy with and plays at an all-defense level? What if the defense is better than expected and is in the top-10?
Those are the questions we’re asking before we even get to the lottery, which brings up the biggest question of all.
What if the Jazz win the lottery?
You add a star to this core, and you have a team set for far more than just the playoffs. The Jazz go from playoff team to borderline contender, maybe more. They may not be quite ready to win the finals, but that’s not out of the question. And that’s the thing that makes this lottery so important. The variable is crazy here, and the NBA is not ready for just how good the Jazz will be.
The question for you is, how good do you think the Jazz will be if they win the lottery?
PHILADELPHIA — OG Anunoby’s absence left massive shoes to fill.
The Knicks were fully up for the challenge.
They got help from the starting lineup, as Mikal Bridges finished with 23 points — his second-highest output of the postseason. They got help from the bench, as Landry Shamet — who had been out of the rotation previously — stepped up with 15 points and helped close the game.
There were bigger responsibilities up-and-down the roster. And the Knicks fulfilled them en route to their 108-94 Game 3 win over the 76ers on Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, which gave them a 3-0 series lead.
“It was definitely a team effort,” Jalen Brunson said. “Obviously, we want everyone back healthy. But it was important for everyone to step up and have the right mindset. To do whatever you gotta do to win.”
Friday was too soon for Anunoby, who was out with the right hamstring strain he suffered in Game 2. Subsequent imaging revealed that it is a “very minor” strain, The Post’s Stefan Bondy previously reported, and he is considered day to day with confidence he should not miss much time.
The Knicks would not elaborate Friday whether Anunoby is able to run or what he is actually able to do on the court.
Mikal Bridges goes up for a shot during the Knicks’ 108-94 Game 3 win over the 76ers on May 8, 2026 in Philadelphia. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Miles McBride started in place of Anunoby, but he struggled with his shot. It was Shamet who was more effective helping to fill the void, and he ended up playing more than McBride — 26 minutes compared to 21. Shamet went 5-for-6 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3-point range.
“Landry hadn’t played a drop all playoffs,” coach Mike Brown said. “I think the first game, he was in the rotation and then the second game a little bit, then he was out. That’s six, seven games that he hadn’t seen significant minutes on the court. Landry was huge for us tonight. He was huge on both ends of the floor.
Landry Shamet (44) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) battle for a loose ball during the Knicks Game 3 road win over the 76ers. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“We needed a spark from somebody when we were down and they hit us in the mouth and Landry gave it to us.”
Anunoby has arguably been the Knicks’ most consistent player this postseason, averaging 20.3 points on stellar 61.9 percent shooting from the field and 53.8 percent shooting from 3-point range. His defense — on Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu in the first round against the Hawks and primarily Paul George in this second-round series against the 76ers — has been superb.
Without Anunoby, Bridges at times had to slide down and guard George and was extremely effective. After scoring 15 points in the first quarter, George went scoreless the rest of the way and missed all nine shots he took.
OG Anunoby reacts after he hits a three-point shot in the Knicks’ Game 2 win over the 76ers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“Everyone picked it up,” Josh Hart said. “It’s one of those things where it’s next man up. Obviously we say that but that just means it’s more opportunity for guys. Mikal did an amazing job. Deuce [McBride] gave us what he had. Landry, the ultimate professional, giving us big minutes offensively and defensively. We responded well to that adversity.”
Despite the 76ers’ best efforts, they couldn’t keep Knicks fans out of Philadelphia.
Scores of Knicks supporters made the trek to Pennsylvania to see their team roll to a 108-94 Game 3 win over the Sixers to take a 3-0 second-round series lead.
Not only were the blue-and-orange supporters cheering on the Knicks, but there were audible boos inside Xfinity Mobile Arena when 76ers star Joel Embiid went to the foul line.
Moreover, there were cheers when he missed a shot from the charity stripe.
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 9, 2026
Timothee Chalamet smiles during the game during Round 2 Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on May 8, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Fans in the lower bowl were seen waving towels and chanting “Let’s go Knicks” as the victory became inevitable in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.
The group of fans, as they exited arena were yelling a few things in exultation, including a “f–k Embiid” chant and “Knicks in four.”
Much like celebrity row at Madison Square Garden, the stars and A-listers came down to Philadelphia.
That included Knicks superfans Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Spike Lee and Fat Joe, who were all shown on the Amazon Prime broadcast with smiles as New York rolled in the second half.
The 76ers, before Game 3, donated 500 tickets for each of the remaining home playoff games this round in hopes of keeping their home, well, a home.
Rapper Fat Joe watching the game in the fourth quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Kelly Oubre Jr., who led Philly with 22 points, was asked how his team handled the throngs of supporters for the visiting squad.
He said that the arena was going to be loud no matter what and that’s it up to his group to keep the focus on what matters.
“I could say something that could get clickbaited, but I’m not. At the end of the day, we’re the show on the court. We’re not necessarily focused on the crowd, the things like that,” Oubre said. “Obviously, we need it. We love it and we love our fans. But at the end of the day, we have to lock in on our task. We have to figure out our game plan, just have a tight huddle.
Film director, producer, star cheers on after a New York Knicks score against the Philadelphia 76ers during the third quarter of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
“No matter what, it’s loud. It’s kind of the same no matter who the crowd is cheering for. It’s loud. We have to be focused on the task at hand and just kind of have a short-term memory when it comes to things like that.”
What matters for Philadelphia now is the 3-0 hole, as one more loss would end the season.
Whether one 76ers fan’s ploy to increase Amtrak ticket prices for Knicks fans for Sunday remains to be seen.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 08: Chase Dollander #32 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday, May 8, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Derik Hamilton/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
For seven innings, the Rockies looked like they had finally found the easy version of a win.
Then the game lost its mind.
Colorado built a 6-0 lead, gave it all back in one disastrous inning, survived repeated late showdowns with Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, and still found a way to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-7 in 11 innings Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.
This was not a baseball game so much as an emotional endurance test.
One night after a thrilling win, the Rockies delivered another chaotic, resilient performance. They are still flawed enough to create their own disasters. But increasingly, they are also showing they can fight through them.
Colorado improved to 16-23 with the win. Philadelphia fell to 17-22.
Dollander sets the tone
The Rockies scored first without a hit.
Jordan Beck walked to open the game, moved to second on a Tyler Freeman groundout, took third on a wild pitch, and scored when TJ Rumfield grounded out to first.
That was enough for an early lead.
Then Chase Dollander made it feel bigger.
The right-hander attacked Philadelphia with upper-90s and triple-digit velocity. He looked calm. He worked with traffic. He did not always command the baseball, but he kept the Phillies from doing much with it.
Dollander used six pitches, leaning mostly on his four-seam fastball and sinker while mixing in his slider, curveball, sweeper and changeup. The stuff was real. So was the occasional scattershot command. He threw 41 balls among his 89 pitches, which helped explain the five walks.
Still, Philadelphia managed only three hits against him.
His fifth inning was the best example. Bryson Stott drew a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position. Dollander fielded a soft comebacker himself, then struck out Justin Crawford and Trea Turner to strand him.
The sixth made the line messier. Schwarber punished Dollander’s first real mistake with a solo homer to right. Harper walked on four pitches. Dollander nearly limited it there, getting Adolis García to fly out and Brandon Marsh to hit into a forceout, but J.T. Realmuto followed with an RBI double to make it 6-2.
Jaden Hill entered and got Stott to pop out.
Dollander finished with 5.2 innings, three hits, two runs, five walks and five strikeouts. His ERA rose to 3.35.
For long stretches, Dollander felt like an ace, even if he did not always look as sharp as one.
The Rockies make contact count
Colorado broke the game open in the fourth.
Rumfield led off with a single. Hunter Goodman followed with the swing that changed the night.
Goodman’s approach is not subtle: he swings violently, and he swings often. But when he squares one up, the damage is immediate. Jesús Luzardo found that out when Goodman launched a two-run homer to make it 3-0, part of a 4-for-5 night that gave the Rockies damage and length in the middle of the lineup.
Brenton Doyle walked. Willi Castro reached on a bunt single. Kyle Karros ripped a two-run double. Ezequiel Tovar added a good piece of hitting with an RBI single up the middle.
Luzardo’s Jekyll-and-Hyde season continued. He struck out six through three innings. Then the fourth swallowed him whole. The Phillies left-hander exited after just three-plus innings, charged with six runs on six hits, three walks and a homer. His ERA rose to 5.98.
The Rockies struck out 16 times as a team. That is usually a problem.
On Friday, it was not the whole story. Goodman went 4-for-5 with a homer. Freeman and Castro each had two hits. Karros doubled. The Rockies stole four bases and kept adding pressure whenever the game gave them an opening.
Still, after Freeman’s solo shot made it 7-2 in the seventh, the offense went quiet for a while.
The game flips in the eighth
The warning came in the sixth.
Schwarber punished Dollander’s first real mistake with a 415-foot solo homer to right. It was loud. It was also survivable.
Brennan Bernardino had delivered one of the biggest outs of the night to end the seventh, striking out Schwarber with a sweeper to strand a runner and keep the Rockies ahead by five. Then Bernardino came back out for the eighth, and the game started to slip.
Harper singled. García walked. Marsh singled home a run.
Then Jimmy Herget entered.
For a moment, it looked like he might stop it. Herget struck out Realmuto for the first out. Then Stott doubled home two runs, cutting the lead to 7-5.
Then Crawford delivered the gut punch.
With two outs, Crawford hit a two-run homer to right-center. Tie game. The 6-0 lead was gone. The 7-2 lead was gone. Most of the good baseball Colorado had played suddenly felt very far away.
One inning changed everything.
Vodnik restores order
The Rockies had a chance in the ninth.
Brett Sullivan was hit by a pitch. Jake McCarthy entered as a pinch-runner. McCarthy stole second with two outs.
Freeman had the chance. He is a hitter the Rockies trust to put the ball in play. He fought through a tense at-bat, fouled off tough pitches, and then struck out. McCarthy stayed at second.
Every Rockies fan watched while gripping the couch. Victor Vodnik made sure they could let go for a moment.
Vodnik struck out Schwarber, got Harper to line out to left, then punched out García. That sent the game to extras.
Then he came back out for the 10th and did it again.
The automatic runner started at second. Colorado intentionally walked Marsh to create force plays. Vodnik got Realmuto to fly out, Stott to pop out, and Edmundo Sosa to line out.
After the bullpen nearly gave the game away, Vodnik gave it back to the Rockies.
The Rockies answer in the 11th
The Rockies did not fold.
After watching a six-run lead disappear, Colorado found another push in the 11th. Troy Johnston, pinch-hitting for Karros, ripped an RBI double into right field to score the automatic runner and put the Rockies back in front.
Inserted earlier as a pinch-runner, McCarthy had already stolen a base in the ninth. In the 11th, he delivered with his bat, lining an RBI single into center to score Johnston and extend Colorado’s lead to 9-7.
Extra innings do not offer soft landings, and Crawford immediately made sure the pressure returned. Crawford, the same hitter who tied the game in the eighth, singled to put runners on the corners with one out.
That brought up Schwarber.
The winning run. Just one easy swing and it is over.
This was the at-bat that could have flipped the whole thing again. Mejía did not pitch around it. He attacked Schwarber with power, reached back for a fastball above the zone, and got the Phillies slugger to check his swing at a pitch he could not do anything with. Strike three.
For seven innings, they looked like they had found the easy version of a win. Then the game lost its mind, and for a while, it looked like Colorado might follow it there.
Instead, the Rockies answered.
They survived the collapse. They survived Schwarber. They survived Harper. They survived themselves.
Up next
The Rockies will try to keep the momentum going Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.
Kyle Freeland is scheduled to start for Colorado. He enters at 1-3 with a 5.04 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Philadelphia will counter with Aaron Nola, who is 2-3 with a 5.06 ERA and 40 strikeouts.
First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. MDT. After two straight chaotic wins, the Rockies will look to keep rolling in the second game of the series.
Sean Burke struggled early in a tough outing on Friday night. | MLB Photos via Getty Images
What appeared to be a pitcher’s duel between two young pitchers quickly turned into a game of “first to 10.” After sitting down the Seattle Mariners in order and going into the second inning with a lead thanks to another Munetaka Murakami tank, things quickly unraveled for the White Sox, as they dropped the opener of the homestand, 12-8.
A single and walk started the second inning before starter Sean Burke struck out JP Crawford but threw a wild pitch in the process. While he got Luke Raley to go down swinging, he walked another batter before hitting Cole Young to force in a run. Burke got out of the inning, but things didn’t get much better from there.
After the Good Guys went down in order in the second, Burke got two quick outs before the Mariners inflicted some major damage. Two quick singles and a walk loaded the bases before Raley strolled to the plate. He would not be made a fool twice and made Burke pay for a lazy fastball down the middle, swatting it over the fence to give Seattle a 5-1 lead.
In the past, a four-run deficit was enough to make the White Sox pack up their bags for Saturday, but this team is different. After Sam Antonacci brought in Tristan Peters on a single and two consecutive walks, Colson Montgomery came up to the plate. Montgomery did his best Lee Corso impression saying “not so fast, my friend” as his bases-clearing double tied the game at five heading into the fourth.
The bats for both teams finally cooled for a bit, as the next eight straight were retired before Julio Rodriguez left his mark on the game with a solo shot of his own to give Seattle another lead, 6-5. Thanks to Drew Romo’s ability to catch the Mariners stealing in a manner that would make Paul Blart blush, only one run crossed the plate as reliever Sean Newcomb was able to get out of trouble.
A leadoff double by Chase Meidroth in the bottom of the sixth put the Sox in a great position to equalize, but unlike Denzel Washington in any of the three movies, the White Sox couldn’t finish the job.
The stalemate continued into the top of the seventh when yet again the Mariners caused trouble with two outs. A single and a walk set the stage for Raley yet again, and he gave everyone in attendance déjà vu by mashing his second homer on another lazy fastball over the plate. Again, the lead climbed to four runs and this time, Chicago didn’t have enough in the tank to fight back. A Josh Naylor three-run homer in the eighth gave the Mariners a 12-5 lead and all but put the game to bed.
While the White Sox were able to put three more runs on the board over the final two innings, it was all for nothing as the Mariners held on for the 12-8 victory. In a game that saw both starting pitchers look incredibly shaky, it was the Mariners bullpen that outpitched their Chicago counterparts and escaped Rate Field happy.
May 8, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash (16) reacts during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
The Rays had an early opening against Connelly Early. Yes, the pun was sitting right there, and unfortunately so were three Tampa Bay baserunners in the third inning that got stranded on the best opportunity to score a run Friday night.
Tampa Bay opened quietly against Early. Yandy Díaz struck out after an ABS challenge overturned the original call, Ryan Vilade flew out, and Junior Caminero lined out sharply to center. Rays starter Jesse Scholtens had to work around a pair of first-inning walks to Willson Contreras on an ABS challenge and Wilyer Abreu, but he escaped with two popups from Masataka Yoshida and Trevor Story. Early baserunners, no damage. Fine enough.
The Rays had their first chance at runs in the second when Jonathan Aranda singled, but Jonny DeLuca, Ben Williamson, and Chandler Simpson could not advance him. At that point, Early still looked hittable. The Rays just needed to string together some hits.
That inning arrived in the third. Nick Fortes singled, moved to second on a disengagement violation, and Taylor Walls followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Then, Díaz was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with nobody out. This was it. This was the opportunity.
Instead, Vilade struck out. Then Caminero grounded into a double play on a chop to Caleb Durbin at third, and Marcelo Mayer helped turn it. Bases loaded, nobody out, no runs.
Boston made that hurt immediately. Scholtens retired the first two hitters in the bottom of the third, but Abreu jumped a low slider and sent it out to right-center for a solo homer. After the Rays failed to cash in their biggest chance, Abreu cashed in Boston’s smaller one. That was the difference in the game through three with the Red Sox up 1-0.
Early settled in from there. In the top of the fourth, he retired the side in order. In the bottom half, Ceddanne Rafaela added another solo homer, pushing Boston ahead 2-0. Scholtens was not bad; the sweeper that stayed up in the zone resulted in the second run allowed, and ultimately, all the scoring the Red Sox would get or need to win the game.
The fifth gave Tampa Bay its last real opening. Fortes singled again, but Walls and Diaz struck out. That was the Rays’ final hit of the night. From there, Early took control, finishing seven scoreless innings and turning the third-inning escape into the moment that got away.
Mason Englert kept the Rays alive after entering in the fifth with two on and two outs. Fresh off the 15-day injured list, he got Masataka Yoshida to pop out, then worked through the sixth after a Caminero error and the seventh after Jarren Duran reached third on a steal and a throwing error. Englert gave the Rays clean innings to keep hope alive, though the bats did not contribute.
Garrett Whitlock handled the eighth, and Aroldis Chapman took the ninth for the Red Sox. Caminero nearly opened the final inning with a hit, but Durbin made a diving stop at third and threw him out and robbed him again. Aranda and DeLuca struck out, and the Rays’ seven-game winning streak was over.
It was a clean, frustrating 2-0 loss built around one wasted rally, two Boston solo homers, and a lineup that went hitless after the fifth. Sometimes the whole game is right there in one inning, and sometimes one inning is all you get.
The Rays have a chance to start a new streak tomorrow at 4:10 PM with Nick Martinez getting the start for the Rays.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 8: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks celebrates during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round Two Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 23.5 VJ Edgecombe – 16 Joel Embiid – 14.5 Paul George – 10 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 5 Justin Edwards – 4 Dominick Barlow – 3 Andre Drummond – 3 Quentin Grimes – 3 Jared McCain – 3 MarJon Beauchamp – 2 Adem Bona – 1 Porter Martone – 1 Cam Payne – 1 Jabari Walker – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
The Sixers returned home for an all-important Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Friday night vs. the New York Knicks. The Sixers come into this one staring at a 2-0 series deficit, after a heartbreaking loss down the stretch of Game 2 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Joel Embiid, who was absent from the lineup on Wednesday due to ankle and hip injuries, returned to the lineup for tonight’s game as the Sixers looked to avoid going into a 3-0 series hole. Knicks star wing OG Anunoby, who has been fantastic in this postseason on both ends of the floor, was out for this one as he suffered a hamstring strain in the closing minutes of Game 2. Reminder that teams that go down 3-0 in a series are 0-160 in NBA history. All hands-on deck for the Sixers as they looked to keep their hopes of a deep postseason run alive.
The Sixers got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 9-0 lead to start the game. The energy in the building was palpable. Paul George poured in 15 first-quarter points to pace the Sixers. The Knicks called an early timeout as the Sixers got back-to-back monster slams from VJ Edgecombe midway through the fourth quarter. New York closed the quarter well to get the deficit to 31-27 at the close of the first.
All the hard work the Sixers did to get a lead in the first quarter was undone in the second as the Knicks dominated the second quarter. New York pummeled the Sixers on the glass including pulling down 10 offensive rebounds in the first half. The Knicks won the period 33-21 to take a 60-52 lead into the halftime break.
The Sixers couldn’t make up any ground in the third quarter. They generated a ton of open looks in the third quarter but missed the mark on a large sum of them. The Knicks got to the foul line at will and knocked down timely threes. The Knicks led 85-76 after three quarters. The Sixers had one quarter to try and save their season.
The Sixers continued to miss open look after open look in the fourth and the Knicks continued to stay the court and knock down shots when they could create good looks. Same story as the fourth quarter of Game 2. The Knicks would go on to win the game and take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Time for Bell Ringer.
Kelly Oubre: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 7-for-15 from the field
Oubre has played very well in this series despite constant criticism from the fan base. He has been one of the few Sixers that has showed up in a manner that was required for the Sixers to have a chance in this series. Oubre’s cutting has been his best attribute as he has played extremely well off the gravity of the Sixers’ stars.
But statistically, the winner of Game 3 goes on to win the series most of the time and as the conference semifinals shifted to Minnesota, it was the Spurs who took a 2-1 series advantage with a 115-108 win against the Timberwolves on Friday, May 8.
Each team's superstar put on a show.
Victor Wembanyama scored an efficient 39 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field, including three 3-pointers and 10-of-12 from the free throw line. He also pulled down 15 rebounds and blocked five shots and nabbed a steal in 37 minutes for San Antonio.
"I think we showed some strength, you know, during this game, some relentlessness," Wembanyama told reporters after the Spurs' win. "But we got to prove to ourselves that we can sustain that."
Wembanyama became the fourth player in NBA history with at least 35 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in a playoff game, joining Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon.
"It's good to be along with the big fellas," he said. "I had to resort to some things that Hakeem taught me in this fourth quarter, many things, but especially that spin fade away over Rudy (Gobert)."
Anthony Edwards carried the T-Wolves with 32 points on 12-of-26 shooting, including three 3-pointers and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Edwards added 14 rebounds, six assists and a blocked shot.
The Spurs, as a team, narrowly outshot the Wolves from distance, 36% to Minnesota's 35%. The Wolves outrebounded San Antonio, 54-48. It's been the Spurs who have dominated the inside, leading 46-38 in points in the paint.
"They got somebody who's 7-6 on the floor, and he takes up a lot of space. So just trying to, you know, figure out ways to find an open man around him, because in the paint he was just everywhere," Edwards told reporters postgame.
He added: "I feel like we did it. Had a good dose of that throughout the whole game, I think. I went in the locker room and told the guys like, we had a bunch of great looks. I feel like we had a bunch of great looks. And if we make our shots, we win this game."
The Spurs held a 15-point lead but the Timberwolves climbed their way back into it. In the end, San Antonio prevailed. The two meet in Game 4 on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Spurs vs. Wolves Game 3 highlights
Here's the Game 3 highlights between the Spurs and Wolves:
Have yourself a night Larry Eugene Fikes III! | Nebraska Athletics
The question Nebraska fans had running through their head before the first pitch against Iowa tonight was whether or not this Cornhusker baseball team would be able to put last week’s dreadful performance behind them. Haymarket Park has been very good to this team this season and Big Red fans filled the seats to find out.
One would think that with the top two hitting teams in the conference facing off, crooked numbers would dot the scoreboard, particularly with a nearly perfect night for baseball and surprisingly, only a whisper of wind.
Carson Jasa had a Carson Jasa start to the game and was lucky to come out of unscathed. Joshua Overbeek booted a hard shot hit right at him by lead-off batter Kooper Schulte and then for a minute it looked like Jasa shrugged it off as the next two guys were put out. However, when Jasa is on the mound, you never know what might happen. In this case, two consecutive hit batters to load the bases. Not to worry though as Matthew Delgado flew out on a lazy fly ball to Mac Moyer in centerfield.
After going down in order in the first inning, Nebraska took advantage of Hawkeye starter Tyler Guerin’s control issues in the bottom of the second inning. Case Sanderson led it off with a four-pitch walk, though he was forced out on a ball hit by Jett Buck on a nice play by the Hawkeye third baseman Jaixen Frost. With Buck on first, Guerin then walked Drew Grego.
With runners on first and second, Overbeek slashed a double the opposite way down the third baseline to score Buck. Big Red was looking for a big inning with two runners in scoring position and one out. That was not to be as Rhett Stokes struck out and pitcher Guerin saved two runs by snagging a line shot by Trey Fikes to end the inning.
Jasa found is groove and was unhittable in the second and third innings, striking out four of the six batters he faced. In the fourth inning he worked around a hit and a walk, thanks in large part to a timely 6-4-3 double play followed by his fifth strikeout of the game to end the inning.
In the meantime, Nebraska put a second run on the board in the bottom of the third when Mac Moyer started a new hitting streak with a single, followed by a stolen base. Will Jesske and Dylan Carey both hit balls that had a good chance to be hits but instead were outs due to the outstanding play of Frost at the hot corner. With two outs, Case Sanderson hit a nice line drive to leftfield that scored Moyer. Nebraska was up 2-0.
Iowa missed a golden opportunity in the top of the fifth, and Jasa did what Jasa does. The Hawkeyes had two runners on base thanks to a hit and a walk with their three-hole hitter Miles Risley at the plate. The two of them faced off in an eight-pitch battle with Jasa falling behind 3-0 before battling to ultimately get a swinging strikeout, bringing Cornhusker fans to their feet in appreciation of his toughness.
With that 105-mph smash back to the pitcher in the second inning at the front over everyone’s mind, Trey Fikes led off the fifth with another hard-hit ball, this time down the third baseline for a double. That brought Coach Rick Heller out of the dugout to take the ball from Guerin and pull in another righty, their top arm out of the bullpen, Kyle Alivo.
Mac Moyer greeted Alivo with his second base hit of the game, moving Fikes to third base. Will Jesske then hit a sacrifice fly to right that put Nebraska’s third run on the scoreboard. Carey followed with a single and the Cornhuskers looked to break it open. That would have to wait as Alivo struck out Sanderson and Buck back-to-back to end it. After five innings, Nebraska held a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the sixth inning, Jasa was back in the zone, sitting the Hawkeyes down in order with a groundout to Sanderson at first base and two strikeouts. Once again, the crowd showed their appreciation and hoped the Cornhuskers could find a couple of insurance runs
Joshua Overbeek was plunked by Alivo with one out and then Rhett Stokes struck out looking. With two outs, can you say Larry Eugene Fikes the 3rd have yourself a day! After crushing the ball twice already, Fikes went yard over the leftfield wall for a two-run homer – his first of the season – to put the Cornhuskers up 5-0.
Jasa pitched the seventh inning before calling it a night, leaving without surrendering a run and recording nine strikeouts, two walks and three hit batters. He threw 106 pitches and dropped his ERA to 3.31. The young man from Colorado has handled the pressure and solidified himself as the Friday starter.
After roughing up Alivo, the Cornhusker offense saw a different righthander in the bottom of the seventh inning, Nick Terhaar. He walked Will Jesske, which brought Iowan Reed Strohmeyer in to pinch-run. Terhaar then struck out Carey, but hit Sanderson to put two on with one out. That was basically repeated as Buck struck out and then Drew Grego earned a walk. That brought Overbeek to the plate with bases loaded and two outs. Hitting from the left-side, Overbeek laced a single that scored two.
Rhett Stokes, who had struggled up to this point in the game, fooled everyone in the ballpark pushing a two-out bunt toward shortstop that no Hawkeye could get to in time to make a play. That drove in Grego, putting the Big Red up 8-0. Fans in the stands were feeling a run-rule ending, especially after Fikes was hit by a pitch to once again load the bases. However, they’d have to wait for a bit as Mac Moyer’s sharp hit to third base was gloved and Frost stepped on the bag to force out Stokes.
Caleb Clark came in relief of Jasa and got the first two Iowa batters to fly out to rightfield. But the Canadian couldn’t close it out, hitting the next two batters. Coach Rob Childress came out of the dugout and called for Tucker Timmerman. He ended it by striking out pinch-hitter Ben Swails.
When Max Buettenback stepped into the batter’s box against Ty Mikkelsen to pinch-hit, there was a sense of anticipation and he delivered, crushing a Roy Hobbs-esque home run well over the rightfield wall. With the lights flashing and the crowd on its feet, Nebraska was one run away from ending it. That came quickly two pitches later when Dylan Carey hit is own towering home run to rightfield. Ball game! Nebraska 10, Iowa 0.
The Cornhuskers answered the question of whether they could come back in a big way. They showed their grit, grinding in the early going with a run here and a run there. They felt the energy of the crowd of 7094 and came up big in the moment late in the game, scoring seven runs in the final three innings. They played solid defense and made plays when they needed to.
This was a good first step into the weekend, but anyone who follows college baseball knows that Iowa is led by one of the best coaches in the game. While they have not faced the level of competition as Nebraska this season, they have won their last two series, including one against Illinois. Rick Heller will have his team ready to play and will put out their best pitcher tomorrow to put one in the win column.
The same two teams will be back at it tomorrow at 2:00. Ty Horn will return to his role as a weekend starter and will face-off against Maddux Frese and his 2.56 ERA. A win tomorrow will secure a top-four finish in the conference standings and the all-important top-four position in the tournament.
Nebraska had 12 hits tonight, one less than all three games last weekend.
Reed Strohmeyer, who came in the came to pinch run for Will Jesske in the seventh inning, looked across the diamond tonight at his older brother Kellen. The two Strohmeyers are graduates of Dubuque Hempstead High School.
Trey Fikes had a huge game going 2-3 with a double, a home run and two RBI. Not bad for a catcher known more for his defense!
Mac Moyer, Dylan Carey, and Joshua Overbeek all had two hits. Overbeek had three RBI.
Apr 25, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel (28) hits a single during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Royals broadcast Ryan LeFebvre has a handful of topics he likes to bring up as often as he can. Leadoff walks late in the game, pitchers catching popups, whether a catcher has an advantage when facing a pitcher he’s caught before. But one of the things he brings up a lot that I actually kind of appreciate is the idea of a “circle your scorecard” moment. This comes from Ryan’s own practice of circling what he believes are key plate appearances in a game where the outcome helps define the winner of the game.
You can go ahead and put a big old circle around May 8 on your 2026 calendars. If the Royals play into October this year, this game will be a big part of the reason why.
That’s enough of me pontificating; let’s talk about how the game went.
Kris Bubic was fighting his control for most of this game. Ultimately, he only gave up 3 runs in 5.2 innings, which is the next best thing to a quality start. But he walked 4 and only struck out 5. His fastballs, in particular, were all over the place.
That’s way too many in the middle of the zone and way too many nowhere near the zone. But still, he did his job.
Nick Mears came in, allowed the inherited runner to score, and then escaped. He almost escaped without allowing the runner to score thanks to some slick defense by Isbel – more to come – and Bobby Witt Jr., but Carter Jensen was unable to hang on to Bobby’s relay. The throw beat Dillon Dingler to the plate fairly easily, but you can’t tag a runner out if you don’t have the ball. And that felt like the ballgame.
Luinder Avila followed him out of the bullpen and had a clean inning, John Schreiber pitched the eighth, and, thanks to Kyle Isbel – who we will talk about more in a bit – running all over the dang place, escaped unharmed.
Lucas Erceg’s first pitch was a middle-middle fastball that got launched into right-center for a leadoff double, but he caught a break when Zack Short popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt. Scarily, the break almost ended up being his knee as he and catcher Elias Díaz collided while both sliding to attempt to catch the ball – Díaz made the play anyway, but Erceg stayed on the ground for a few minutes and ultimately stayed in the game.
Erceg’s fastball velocity was down around 95 tonight – even before the collision – so things were pretty touch and go. He got Kerry Carpenter to fly out for the second out, but he ended up walking Kevin McGonigle to face Colt Keith, who had hit the walk-off single against Erceg and the Royals in the heartbreaker in Detroit. This time, though, Erceg coerced him to hit a pop-up on the infield, and the Royals’ bats had a chance in the ninth.
So, yeah, I guess we need to talk about the offense. Keider Montero got the start tonight, and the Royals tagged him for four runs in six innings last time they saw him. They’ve been hitting better, so you might have hoped they’d get to him even more tonight. Sadly, it was not to be. Montero ended up pitching six innings of one-run ball.
The Royals had three barrelled balls, only one turned into a hit. Of the 17 balls the Royals put in play, 7 were considered hard hit and turned into outs. The Royals only got three hits, and all were .800 xBA or better. The Royals couldn’t get anything to fall. Then, in the seventh, AJ Hinch caused Ryan to cite one of Denny’s favorite things to pick on. He summoned a reliever despite the fact that Montero, outside back-to-back smash hits from Jac Caglianone and Isaac Collins with two outs in the second inning, had been absolutely dominant. Denny’s point – which is a point you’ll hear anyone who has watched baseball for very long make – is that every time you bring in a fresh reliever, even if he’s been good all year, you risk that this time he just doesn’t have it. Denny and Ryan compare it to spinning a roulette wheel. I’ve compared it to making a parlay bet.
Now, at first, it seemed Hinch was doing just fine. Tyler Holton came on to face Carter Jensen, Caglianone, and Collins, and he got them 1-2-3. But then, just as I was beginning to whine on social media about how much I hate the Tigers, he called upon his second closer out of three, Kyle Finnegan, who had a 0.51 ERA entering the night. When he left, it was 1.53, and the wheels fell off fast.
Michael Massey, leading off, took a splitter that didn’t quite dive out of the zone and drove it into left-center for a leadoff double. Kyle Isbel – we’re still not done talking about him – drove him in with a single. Wencéel Perez, who had driven in the go-ahead run back in the sixth inning, let it go under his glove, and Isbel managed to go all the way to third. We didn’t even have time to start arguing about whether Kyle should have tried to score before Maikel Garcia smashed a line drive right back at the centerfield camera to single Isbel home and tie the game.
Bobby Witt Jr. walked after he finally challenged a fastball just off the outside edge that had been frustratingly called a strike against KC most of the night, and that they had let go unremarked. The Royals had runners at first and second, no one out, for Vinnie and Salvy.
Now, Vinnie and Salvy have been doing better lately. Vinnie, in particular, had a couple of really good swings earlier in the game against Montero. One of them would have been a home run in 14 parks, but was a flyout at Kauffman. But the Tigers called in another lefthander, Brant Hurter, and Vinnie had a 3 wRC+ against lefties coming into tonight. As Matthew Lamar pointed out on social media, this is what Lane Thomas is in KC for.
Salvy, even at his hottest, doesn’t belong in the middle of a big league lineup anymore. We’ve talked about this ad nauseam, so I don’t need to reiterate it. But Vinnie grounded into a double play, and Salvy did everything he could to make an out but was ultimately forced to take a walk. Finally, Lane Thomas was called upon to pinch hit for catcher Carter Jensen – that’s why Díaz was in in the ninth – and he grounded out to end the threat. The game felt over again. Especially after the previously described first pitch from Erceg in the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, things continued to go poorly. Hurter was left in to face Caglianone, Collins, and Massey. Cags got a hittable pitch, but one he needed to go the other way with; instead, he hit a soft liner to right for an out. Collins struck out looking. Then Nick Loftin pinch-hit for Massey.
Now, I wasn’t a fan of this move. There were already two outs and we were surely going to want Massey’s glove in the tenth. Even if Loftin got on, Kyle Isbel – almost there! – was next up and against a lefty, that didn’t seem worth bothering with. Loftin had a really good at-bat that ended with him smashing a double into the left-center gap. Great, here comes Izzy to face the lefty.
Isbel did exactly what he should do with that pitch when facing that pitcher, and it was jsut enough to walk off the game.
The Royals now only need to win one of the next two games to be able to claim a successful homestand. No one in Kansas City would complain if they replicated each of their past two weekends and swept the dang thing. But, either way, it will all start again tomorrow night.
Michael Wacha (3.05 ERA) will take the mound for Kansas City. The Tigers started the day with TBA as their starter, changed it to Ty Madden at some point this evening, and now it shows old friend Burch Smith (1.59 ERA in 11.1 innings of relief in only his second big league season since 2021) taking the ball first. Regardless of who starts the game, it – like Sunday’s contest – is likely to be a bullpen affair. Lots of opportunities for AJ Hinch to come up snake eyes in his roulette parlay. The Royals just need to be ready to leap on it at least as well as they were tonight.
May 8, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Luke Raley (20) watches his three-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the seventh inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Luke Raley’s done a lot of things in his career. He’s the rare Mariner who can both get to the third deck in right field and also routinely bunt for a base hit. He burst into fans’ hearts in 2024 by doing exactly that. But something he’s never done is hit a grand slam. At least, it was something he’d never done until tonight.
It was the second time the Mariners had loaded the bases in just the first three innings. The first time, they were turned back after driving in just a single run on a Cole Young HBP. But this time, Luke Raley would torch a fastball at 113 mph off the bat into the Mariners’ bullpen.
Mariners fans in the Chicago crowd would come up with a few of the balls hit into the stands tonight, but Raley’s lucky this one went to the pen. Eduard Bazardo ran it down and affectionately dusted it off for presentation to Raley after the game.
Another thing Raley’s never done is drive in seven runs in a game, which is hardly a surprise, given that only a dozen Mariners had ever done it before. At least, it was something Raley’d never done until tonight. But in the top of the seventh inning, Luke Raley matched the 372 feet of his prior home run with his second of the night.
After an injury-riddled 2025, Raley has been hitting the ball so hard this season that he’s got a 149 wRC+ despite striking out more than a third of the time. That comes from the kinds of full-effort swings that he just couldn’t get to while nursing a sore oblique throughout last summer. He’s also taken over the team lead in home runs with 8 and RBIs with 23.
Of course, RBIs aren’t really an individual achievement, as they require your teammates to get on base in front of you. “I was blessed that the bases were loaded,” Raley said after the game. So he’ll probably buy a Chicago steak dinner for Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford, who accounted for four of Raley’s RBIs, with each man quietly reaching base three times tonight. For setting up Luke Raley’s achievement with little fanfare, Randy gets tonight’s Sun Hat Award for individual contribution to a game (edging out J.P. with a stolen base).
Like Luke Raley, Julio Rodríguez has done a lot of things in his career too, such as being one of just three Mariners with at least 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases. But one thing he’s never done is get off to a hot start. At least, it was something he’d never done until this season. For despite struggling through the first week of 2026, Julio’s started his take-off earlier than usual this year. Since April 8, he’s got a 152 wRC+. So yes, he took a minute to get going, but unlike in prior years, it really was just a minute. He kept that going tonight, going yard for the sixth time.
This home run highlights a mechanical change that’s led to Julio looking much more comfortable in the box this year. After keeping his bat pretty straight up and down, he’s now resting it almost parallel to the ground with just a little waggle until the pitcher starts his motion. The result is a more fluid motion that just goes straight into the swing rather than backing the bat up first. Whether the mechanics are actually better is above my pay grade. But the results are not: He’s never had a wRC+ this high by May 8 before.
Josh Naylor has done a lot of things in his career too. And Josh Naylor always looks fucking sick.
