LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets chases a loose ball as Jarred Vanderbilt #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the second half of Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 18, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Following the first matchup of any playoff series, both teams, win or lose, return to the drawing board and strategize what they can take forward in future contests.
For the Lakers, missing their star shot creators in Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves means the offense will be a journey every night. The regular season numbers and what created success are completely thrown out the window in their absence.
What the team can lean on is its defense and it showed why its improvement in the second half of the season was no fluke in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets, even it came against a Rockets side missing a superstar of its own in Kevin Durant.
LA jumped from 23rd to 14th in defensive rating post All-Star break. They headed into the playoffs with real synergy and cohesion on that end while following specific game plans specifically tethered to different superstars.
The purple and gold held their opponent under 100 points for just the eighth time this season on Saturday. Without Durant, LA’s defensive focus shifted and keyed in on first-time All-Star Alperen Şengün.
As with other star bigs across the league, LA switched and fronted the post while maintaining a high level of physicality throughout the game.
It started early in the first quarter. Watch below as Deandre Ayton begins on Şengün. A screen comes from Amen Thompson with the Lakers switching the action. LeBron fronts the post while Marcus Smart gives textbook backside help.
The ball swings out to the perimeter while the Lakers close out and run them off the 3-point line. The play ends with a Houston turnover due to an offensive three-second violation.
As with most offensive bigs, the only player the Lakers allowed Şengün to get single coverage against was Ayton. Finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds and one block does not do justice to the defensive night LA’s starting big man had, clearly winning his head-to-head matchup.
He collected the Şengün body bumps, moving his feet without going for fakes and contesting high, as shown in the clip below
Sengun missed eight straight shots at one point, finishing just 6-19 from the floor with three turnovers.
“We did a good job of contesting those six-to-eight-foot shots without fouling using our length,” head coach J.J. Redick said postgame. “I thought [Ayton], Jaxson, Bron, Rui, Vando, all those guys, Jake, just getting a contest is super important.”
The other player LA knew they needed to slow down was Thompson. A supreme athlete that can get to the paint at will, the First Team All-Defense guard shot up the scouting report without Durant.
LA made sure to create a wall anytime he drove, contesting his shots at the basket on his straight-line drives, picking him up early in transition and attempting to bait him into jump shots.
Watch below as Thompson runs a screen with Tari Eason, this time switching LeBron on to him. He drives to the basket and is met by 41-year-old LeBron recovering to pin it off the backboard with Hachimura right there to offer extra help at the rim.
Thompson missed all three of his shots outside the paint and finished just 3-8 in the restricted area over LA’s rim protection. LA ended up holding Houston to just 37.6% overall, 33% from the 3-point line and just 43% in the restricted area, per NBA stats.
“I felt like the second efforts on the defensive end, it really got us moving a little bit,” Ayton said. “We are taking pride with this new team having our superstars out creating on the defensive end to start our offense and get us moving and just get us an offensive rhythm and get the crowd in it a little bit.”
While everything hinges on Durant’s availability on Tuesday, the Rockets and head coach Ime Udoka will make adjustments to what the Lakers offered on defense. They will look to continue on their massive offensive rebound advantage and leverage Sengun as more of a ball handler in different spots on the floor.
Game 1’s are feel-outs, but Game 2 is where the tension of a series begins. The Lakers look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead and will have to do so by leading the way with their defense.
One of the most storied and heated rivalries in baseball is renewed tonight at Fenway Park when the Red Sox (9-13) take the field against the Yankees (13-9). The two teams sit at opposite ends of the American League East. The Yankees are in first and lead the last-place Sox by four games.
Off to an uneven start, the Sox are only 5-5 at home. Over the weekend, Boston split four games with the Tigers in Beantown including an 8-6 win yesterday on Marathon Day. The Red Sox scored three in the seventh and two more in the eighth yesterday to secure the win and salvage the split. The bottom three spots in the batting order went a combined 6-12 with 3 RBIs and 4 runs scored. A looming dark cloud over the win is the status of Sonny Gray who left the game in the third inning with hamstring tightness.
The Yankees had been scuffling but got well courtesy of the Kansas City Royals. Aaron Judge and co. scored 24 runs in the three-game sweep. Ben Rice continues to rake having hit safely in 13 of the 16 games in April in which has had had an official at-bat. The third-year major leaguer is hitting .338 with eight home runs and 18 RBIs on the young season.
Luis Gil gets the ball for New York against Connelly Early of the Red Sox. Gil has not been right since returning from the disabled list. He has yet to earn a win, and his ERA sits at 7.00. Early has been exceptional for Boston sporting a 2.29 ERA with 20 Ks against only 10 BBs.
This series serves as the first meeting since the Yankees eliminated the Red Sox in a dramatic 2025 AL Wild Card Series, adding a layer of revenge to the weekend matchup.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game Details and How to Watch: Yankees vs. Red Sox
Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Time: 6:45PM EST
Site: Fenway Park
City: Boston, MA
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, NESN+, YES
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Red Sox vs. Yankees
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Boston Red Sox (-126), New York Yankees (+104)
Spread: Red Sox +1.5 (-204), Yankees -1.5 (+167)
Total: 8.5 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers: Yankees vs. Red Sox
Pitching matchup for April 21:
Yankees: Luis Gil Season Totals: 9.0 IP, 0-1, 7.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 7K, 5 BB
Red Sox: Connelly Early Season Totals: 19.2 IP, 1-0, 2.29 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 20K, 10 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Yankees vs. Red Sox
Trevor Story has just 2 hits in his last 15 ABs
Jarren Duran is 1 for his last 16
Masataka Yoshida is hitting .379 in April
Ben Rice has hit safely in 4 straight games (5-14)
Cody Bellinger has hit in 8 straight games (11-31)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Yankees vs. Red Sox
The Yankees are 8-15 on the Run Line this season
The Red Sox are 9-14 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 12 times in Boston’s 22 games this season (12-10)
The OVER has cashed 9 times in the Yankees’ 22 games this season (9-11-2)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions: Yankees vs. Red Sox
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Yankees and the Red Sox:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Yankees on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Yankees on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total OVER 8.5.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 14: Reynaldo Lopez #40 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on April 14, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hey, the Braves have won six in a row! That’s their longest winning streak at a point where it mattered (the ten-game streak last September doesn’t count…) since pretty much the exact same period in 2024. That streak started on April 14, against Miami, saw them sweep the Astros in Houston, and then return home and win a series against the Rangers before dropping the finale on April 21. This streak also began on April 14 against Miami, and while Philadelphia and Washington are a bit different than Texas, we’re here on April 21 once again. Can the Braves run it to seven games this time?
For this endeavor, the Braves will have Reynaldo Lopez starting against the team that signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 2012. Now with his fifth major league team, Lopez will look to continue his potential upswing as he starts in one of his previous stomping grounds. I say upswing because, through four starts, Lopez has had an interesting season so far.
His first two games were pretty horrible peripherals-wise (combined 6/3 K/BB ratio with two homers allowed in 11 innings), but he was only charged with a solo homer in each game and the Braves won both. His next start was the one where the fisticuffs with Jorge Soler transpired, and he had a much better 7/2 K/BB ratio but still allowed a homer before getting the boot after the dramatics, having completed 4 2/3 innings of work. His most recent outing came against the Marlins, and it looked much better with a 6/3 K/BB ratio in five frames, but the Marlins blooped and bled the Braves for four runs, three of which were charged in earned fashion to Lopez. It was his first start of the year where he wasn’t taken deep. (Notably, Dominic Smith’s two bits of heroics this season have both come in Lopez starts.)
So, will Lopez continue improving against a good-swinging Nationals team? Will it be Smith’s heroics that rescue the Braves and push the winning streak to seven? Or, will something else happen? Stay tuned.
Ah, but not before I talk about the Nationals and their starter for a bit. You witnessed their struggles with run prevention if you watched last night’s game. They’ve lost three of four, and have allowed at least seven runs in four of their last five games, a shutout of the Giants on Sunday the main exception (and their first shutout of the year). Drawing the start will be 30-year-old Foster Griffin, who spent the prior three seasons pitching in Japan before returning stateside on a $5.5 million, one-year deal with Washington.
The Nats have won three of Griffin’s four starts, and his line is fine enough (77 ERA-, 107 FIP-, 100 xFIP-) for a guy pitching behind their sticks (he’s also somehow benefited from strand rate stuff in a way that his teammates really haven’t, and haven’t enabled, either). He acquitted himself pretty well against the Phillies (5/0 K/BB, a homer) and the mighty mighty Dodgers (6/3 K/BB, a homer) before struggling against the Brewers (1/3 K/BB, but no homers). But, he had a nice start against the Pirates (7/1 K/BB, also a homer) — though the homer was a game-tying three-run shot from Marcell Ozuna, so… oops.
Griffin is a fairly inefficient junkballer lefty. He tries to get ahead and then get chases far off the plate with a bevy of breaking stuff. Unfortunately, he doesn’t throw very hard or get many whiffs on the various “straight” stuff he throws; further, his oddball, heavy horizontal break cutter, which is his primary pitch, lacks the command to avoid getting mashed, at least so far. The Braves’ righties punishing his cutter and four-seamer, which skitter and skate around the middle of the plate, will be a key to chasing him. That should play pretty well into the Braves’ recent preference to swing early and often, but we’ll see what happens.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, April 21, 6:45 p.m. EDT
Location: Nationals Park, Washington, DC
TV: BravesVision (and Nationals.tv if that works for you…)
Streaming: MLB.tv (and Braves.tv, Nationals.tv if you’re in-market, etc.)
RHP Brody Brecht (#11) of the High-A Spokane Indians stands with his hand in his glove. | Spokane Indians, 2026
RHP Brody Brecht (No. 3 PuRP) was drafted 38th overall by the Colorado Rockies in the Competitive Balance A round of the 2024 MLB Draft. He made his professional debut with the ACL Rockies in 2025, where he pitched just four games before being promoted to Low-A Fresno. In 2026, he was promoted to High-A Spokane where he has made three starts and allowed four runs on five hits with five walks and 15 strikeouts in 8.2 total innings. Things started a little rough for Brecht in 2026, but they’ve gotten progressively better over the three starts (see below).
However, in 16 starts with the Grizzlies in 2025, Brecht posted a 1-4 record and a 2.60 ERA. Some of that season was spent on the injured list with a back injury, but Brecht still learned a lot in his first pro season.
“I think just learning how to be a pitcher and calling my own game,” Brecht said of his biggest takeaway. “That’s something I didn’t do when I was in college. We had a pitching coach, and he called it all, so I think just learning how to read hitters – if they’re late on a fastball or ahead, just learning how to attack them and sequence them the best way I can. So I definitely say that was a good learning thing for me, and then just getting a routine as well. You’re at the same place for six days, so as a starter, you know when you’re throwing. So just finding that routine that works the best for you was big, too.”
And although he appreciates that the Rockies are suggesting pitches from the dugout, he has his own philosophy regardless of who’s calling the pitches.
“I’m a big believer that the wrong pitch thrown with conviction is better than the right pitch thrown with doubt,” he said. “I think any time I step on that rubber, I want to already know what pitch I’m throwing and I want to be committed to it. And I think that’s the best way to go about it.”
Another big lesson Brecht learned in Fresno was how to get into a routine.
“You try to find it in spring training, but it’s a little different just getting up to speed and trying to stay healthy,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing in spring training. But once you get in the season, you get those first couple of road trips and a couple of home series – I think after that first month, you really start figuring out a groove and what works for you. So I feel like I found that.”
Part of the reason that Brecht chose to attend the University of Iowa instead of going pro right out of high school was his interest in playing football as well as baseball. He redshirted his first season in 2021, but saw action in 11 games in 2022. Injuries derailed his football career, though, so he turned his focus back to baseball. However, he still has a lot of lessons that he took from his time as a two-sport athlete.
“It’s in me for sure, just being an athlete,” he said. “I try to stay with my training – sprinting, running, all that stuff – and still stay explosive like when I was playing. And then just the mentality of hard work and showing up every day. You may not feel like it, but you’ve got to get it done. That’s still in there for sure. Could I go out there right now and play? You might have to give me a few months to start training, but I definitely try to still be an athlete out there.”
During spring training, Brecht focused on “getting back to [he] was and being an athlete out there.”
“Once I stopped playing football, I feel like I tried to get perfect mechanics and just tried to be a pitcher. And that’s just not who I am. I’m an athlete out there. So I think just switching up some training and arm build up, just making sure I can stay healthy out there was a big thing this offseason. And then learning a curveball, adding that so we can have a four-pitch mix was good. And just staying in the zone – attacking and getting ahead is the biggest thing.”
Aside from the physical adjustments he’s made, Brecht is also working on the mental side of his game. Notably, he works with Brian Kane – Chase Dollander’s mental skills coach.
“He talks about that: if you get behind 0-2 or 1-2, in the past, for me – and something I still struggle with – is that it can quickly turn into 2-2 or 3-2 because you’re trying to throw the nastiest slider you’ve ever thrown. But you don’t need to – just make it competitive… And for me, my mindset is that I’m throwing it down the middle until I get to two strikes and the eight guys behind you can get outs for you.”
Additionally, Brecht has a goal of going deeper into games while also “not trying to punch everybody out.”
“I think if you get ahead and you stay ahead, then the strikeouts will come. But my goal out there isn’t to strike out 10 every time I go out there. It’s just to execute one pitch, and if I strike him out, great. If it’s 0-2 and I strike him out, great. If he gets a pop up, great. Like, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m just trying to go deep in the ballgame.”
He also has his routine that he follows on game days that help him get in the mental space to perform.
“For me, sitting around all day thinking about the game isn’t beneficial for me. I just feel that my anxiety goes up and my stress goes up,” he said. “So for me, just getting away from the game – whether it’s playing some video games, spending time with family, I think that’s really good. I like to go on walks and just get the body moving. I don’t want to sit around all day.
“And then once I get into my routine, I’ll listen to a podcast out there over the execution of baseball and talk about the execution of a pitch. It’s by Harvey Dorfin called The Mental ABC’s of Pitching,” he continued. “So I do a chapter on game days and then I’ll go watch a video of me executing pitches – I call it my mind movie – swings and misses, attacking and getting ahead and all that. And I’ll do mental imagery. But on game days, I’ll do that before and then just listen to some Christian music to keep me calm so I can go out there and just be in control of myself.”
Brecht was chosen to not only represent the Rockies in the 2026 Spring Breakout game, but also to start the game. Unfortunately, he got lit up early and posted a final line of five runs (four earned) on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts over 1.2 innings. So far in Spokane, he’s been pitching alright but he still has some goals that he’s hoping to achieve in 2026.
“I think the biggest thing is just staying healthy,” he said. “I missed some time last year [with a back injury], so just getting out of here healthy and staying healthy throughout the season is going to be the biggest thing. And then just continue to build upon each outing, and know that each time I put on a Rockies jersey is definitely a blessing. So just not taking any day for granted.”
It was another successful week for the Albuquerque Isotopes. Hosting the Oklahoma City Dodgers (Los Angeles Dodgers) at home, the Isotopes won four games to take back-to-back series for the first time since June 2024. It was also the first time Albuquerque earned a home series victory over Oklahoma City since May 20-25, 2021, and just their third since 2012. The Isotopes lost the series opener, won games two and three, dropped game four 13-12, then won the next two to close out the series.
The offense produced plenty during the series, slashing .329/.439/.472 with their 71 hits and 56 runs scored, topping the Pacific Coast League. Additionally, the Isotopes ended up with more walks (41) than strikeouts (40) by the end of the series. On the mound, the pitching staff posted a 6.67 ERA over 54 innings, though the Isotopes only allowed more than six runs in a game twice, each game resulting in a loss. They managed 58 strikeouts against 36 walks and gave up six home runs.
⬆️ Stock Up:Sterlin Silver
Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP) had a productive week at the plate, slashing .368/.500/.526 with a home run and a team-leading seven RBI. He went 7-for-19 with five walks against one strikeout and added a stolen base for good measure while scoring seven runs. Thomspson is now batting .309/.427/.412 on the season through his first 18 games. While quite a bit of attention is being given to other prospects in Albuquerque, Thompson also has a good chance of debuting this season, especially since he is already on the 40-man roster.
We have liftoff once again! Sterlin Thompson powers one out of here for his first blast of 2026!
Consistency and success continue to elude Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) in Albuquerque. While he displayed solid plate discipline in the series with four walks against five strikeouts, he went 5-for-23 with a double. On the season, Veen is now batting just .227/.288/.288 with 17 strikeouts and six walks in 17 games. The improvement with swing decisions is nice to see, but he will need to start producing a little more pop at the plate, as he now has just four extra-base hits, all of which are doubles.
Upcoming
The Isotopes head on the road to face the Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco Giants) to start a new series on Tuesday.
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (4-1, 5-9 Overall)
The Yard Goats stumbled out of the gate against the Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants) with back-to-back losses in which they gave up a combined 24 runs. Hartford yielded 42 total runs to the Flying Squirrels in five games after the series finale was rained out.
⬆️ Stock Up:Longwell Long Ball
Slugging first baseman Aidan Longwell seemed to finally find his footing at the end of last week’s series against the Fightin’ Phils. Against the Flying Squirrels he continued to hit the ball well. In five games he went 8-for-21 with a home run—his first at the Double-A level—two doubles, and just one strikeout.
— Blake Street Banter ⚾🌮 (@blakestbanter) April 18, 2026
⬇️ Stock Down:Stormy Weatherly
Left-handed reliever Sam Weatherly hasn’t quite found his way through the clouds to start the 2026 season. He’s given up an earned run in all five of his appearances and given up at least two in three of those outings. Weatherly made two appearances against Richmond at two innings each and gave up two earned runs in both. He allowed seven total hit, including a home run. He walked two batters and struck out three.
Upcoming
The Yard Goats will look to right the ship in a six game road series against the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox).
High-A: Spokane Indians (2-4, 6-9 Overall)
It was a tough week for the Spokane Indians. They won their first game against the Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays), but won just one game the rest of the series. Lack of offense was a prominent issue, especially over the final three games of the set. In those last three games the Indians scored just four runs while the Canadians scored 16.
⬆️ Stock Up:Vancouver Got Brecht
The titular Brody Brecht had an excellent week on the mound. Divided into two three-inning starts to bookend the series, Brecht pitched six total innings and gave up just one earned run on three hits and three walks with a total of 11 strikeouts. Brecht’s best outing came on the Sunday finale, where he held the Canadians hitless with five strikeouts.
⬆️ Stock Up:¡Vamos, Vargas!
Jordy Vargas (no. 21 PuRP) has continued his excellent start to the season with a quality start against the Canadians. Vargas shut out Vancouver for six innings, giving up just two hits and a walk while striking out seven batters. Through his first three starts he has a 1.29 ERA over 14 innings with 17 strikeouts and a 0.79 WHIP.
Upcoming
The Indians are off to Everett to take on the AquaSox (Seattle Mariners) for the second time this season.
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (4-2, 10-4 Overall)
The Grizzlies faced off against the newly formed Ontario Tower Buzzers (Los Angeles Dodgers) for the first time and walked away with a fairly dominant 4-2 series win. Offense was the name of the game, as the Grizzlies scored at least seven runs in four of the six games. They also had two games—both victories—in which they scored a whopping 18 runs, though they did give up 23 runs in a loss for the series finale.
⬆️ Stock Up:Thach Smash
The series against Ontario was quite the coming-out party for 21-year-old first baseman Tanner Thach, the 2025 eighth round selection out of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Thach tore the cover off the ball against the Tower Buzzers, going 13-for-28 at the plate with five doubles, three home runs, and 18 RBIs as he played in all six games. He also drew more walks (four) than strikeouts (two). Thach went 4-for-6 in the series opener with seven RBI and two of his home runs.
The Rockies signed left-handed pitcher Jhon Medina out of the Dominican Republic as part of their 2023 international class. After three solid seasons in the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League, the 20-year-old was assigned to Low-A Fresno for the season. Unfortunately, his Low-A debut has been a difficult one. In four appearances—including one start—he has an ERA of 19.96 over 7.2 innings. He has six strikeouts to 13 walks and has given up at least three earned runs in three of his four appearances. His first outing against Ontario lasted just 0.2 innings as he gave up eight earned runs on four hits and four walks. His second outing was smoother by comparison with three earned runs on four hits and three walks over three innings.
Upcoming
The Grizzlies are back in Fresno this week for a series against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The former Dodgers affiliate now operates as the Low-A team for the Los Angeles Angels.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 05: Pitcher Lucas Erceg #60 of the Kansas City Royals in action during the 8th inning of the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Kauffman Stadium on April 05, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Kansas City Royals’ struggles to start the season can mostly placed on the offense. They entered Monday’s game last in MLB in runs scored, and the only reason they left that position was that the Mets had a day off Monday and the Royals had the benefit of the Zombie Runner in extra innings. While I still see improved plate discipline in the underlying statistics, my column praising their approach aged like milk. The offense right now is a disaster.
Still, the Royals have had two leads entering the ninth inning over the past week, and manager Matt Quatraro turned to reliever Lucas Erceg to secure the save. Unfortunately, Erceg blew the save against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday and the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Not that any blown save feels good for fans or players, but both of these blown leads felt particularly brutal.
Erceg entered the ninth inning Thursday in Detroit with a two-run lead. Vinnie Pasquantino hit his first home run of the season Thursday in the top of the ninth inning, which gave the team an insurance run, and I was feeling great about their chances to salvage a game against the Tigers. Erceg let the first two batters reach, then got the next two batters out. Frustratingly, the next two Detroit hitters got hits, driving in three runs and giving Erceg his first blown save of the year in a complete gut punch of a loss.
The Royals right-hander had his next chance at redemption on Monday night at Kauffman against the Orioles. He procedeed to walk Gunnar Henderson, pick off Henderson (the shortstops second pickoff out of the night), sandwiched a pair of walks around a groundout before allowing a single to Samuel Basallo which tied the game. Erceg escaped the inning without losing the game, but the Royals would never regain the lead. The Royals and Orioles would go back in forth in extra innings before Baltimore blew the game open with a five-run twelth inning. Kansas City fought valiantly back, but ended up losing 7-5 in a game that felt straight out of 2006.
The Royals offensive ineptitude and twelfth inning meltdown on Monday wasn’t Erceg’s fault, but it’s beyond frustrating to see an offense strand 16 runners and blow a save in the same game. It feels like the Royals can’t catch a break right now and are pressing because of it, and I’d be surprised if the players aren’t feeling some of that as well. Having a shutdown closer wouldn’t magically fix all of this team’s problems, but it could at least help staunch the bleeding while the offense remembers how to drive in runners. Right now, however, the team’s former shutdown closer has gotten shaky.
So what is going on with Erceg? We are still in a very small sample size for this year, but he was not as dominant last year as he was in 2024 when the Royals acquired him in a trade from the Oakland Athletics, so this is starting to feel like a trend away from his dominance. Erceg’s strikeout rate dropped dramatically last year, from 10.51 K/9 to 7.04. He induced more ground balls which helped him remain effective , but all the underlying statistics suggest he was fortunate to only post a 2.64 ERA.
It’s still an extremely small sample size for this year, but the trend line for less strikeouts has continued. His 2026 K/9 after 8.1 innings pitched is 5.4. He’s walked more batters than he has struck out. His Statcast page suggests that he’s earned his results and has not just been unlucky; the reliever is in the 6th percentile in chase rate and the 2nd percentile in whiff percentage. In 2024, he was in the 84th percentile in chase and 86th percentile in whiff percentage. He may be third in the AL in saves with five, but the underlying numbers and the last two outings paint a portrait of a pitcher who is really struggling.
Last night’s at-bat against Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso was a perfect illustration of the struggle Erceg is having right now. The reliever had Alonso down 1-2 in the count, but then threw three straight sliders out of the zone and Alonso did not chase any of them. The Polar Bear had two straight check swings on the first two sliders, but he managed to just hold up. After Alonso drew a walk, Basallo hit a 1-2 fastball for a single, tying the game. 2024 Erceg is for sure able to strike out either Alonso or Basallo, but so far 2026 Erceg was not able to punch out either hitter, and the Royals paid for it.
I actually thought the life on Erceg’s pitches Monday night looked good, but his control was not sharp, hence the three walks. I don’t know how much of a leash the Royals can have with Erceg right now to figure out his command. The Royals need effective Erceg to return and in a hurry, or they need to move on to their third choice to close games this year. The team is 7-16 and trying to avoid playing themselves out of the playoffs before May. If the team feels like that even if they do have a lead it will just be blown in the ninth, then this season will go completely haywire.The 7-16 start and seven game losing streak hasn’t been Erceg’s fault, but he’s at least been part of the problem and not part of the solution.
Apr 20, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) handles the puck as Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) and defenseman Nick Seeler (24) defend during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
This has been a wildly disappointing return to the playoffs for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Not only are they down 2-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers after Monday night’s 3-0 loss, they have lost both games at home, now have to go on the road, and seem to be the team that is not ready for the playoff intensity or playoff style. That is a stunning development given the locker room they have, the experience they have, and given that they were simply the better team during the regular season.
None of that has showed itself here.
The Flyers, to their credit, are putting on a defensive clinic through the first two games. They are controlling the neutral zone, blocking shots and closing off lanes in the defensive zone, not letting anybody get near the net and rendering the Penguins power play completely useless. It almost seems as if the Flyers have zero interest in trying to generate anything offensively for themselves and content to just wait for the Penguins to make a mistake and hand them an opportunity.
The Penguins have been happy to oblige. The two goals Philadelphia scored with a goalie in the net on Monday, for example, were the result of just brutal — and avoidable — mistakes by the Penguins.
The lack of offense is not just a lack of goals, but also a lack of chances itself. It feels like they are never in danger of scoring, whether it be during 5-on-5 play or on the power play.
Sure, they have put together a lot of extended shifts in the offensive zone. The Penguins have almost certainly won the territorial battle in terms of puck possession and offensive zone time. But it is not getting them anywhere. They finished Game 2 on Monday with a 73 percent expected goal share during 5-on-5 play. But they only actually generated 2.01 expected goals for themselves, and most of that came in the third period when they were were not only already trailing, but trailing by two goals. Philadelphia took its foot off the gas even more from an offensive perspective.
It has simply been a total power outage in terms of offense. For a team that had 12 different 15-goal scorers during the regular season, and was the third-highest scoring team in the NHL, and the highest-scoring team of the Sidney Crosby era, it is staggering.
Philadelphia is an excellent defensive team, and it has lived up to the hype in that regard. But should it be THIS good?
It is the perfect storm of the Flyers completely buying in to what Rick Tocchet wants them to do, and the Penguins repeatedly banging their heads against the wall. Which is something we have seen from this group in years past in the playoffs. Something has to give.
But what I really wanted to do is just see how these two games stack up to previous Penguins playoff games in the Crosby-Evgeni Malkin era. Where do they stack up in terms of offensive struggles, and in terms of pace?
I pulled data from Natural Stat Trick on every Penguins playoff game going back to the start of the 2007-08 season (as far back as their data goes) and just compared it all.
Including Games 1 and 2 of this series, the Penguins have played 187 playoff games over that stretch.
Some findings:
Their 2.01 expected goals during 5-on-5 play in Game 2 rank 76th on the list, which is higher than I would have anticipated based on the eye test. Their 2.81 expected goals in all situations rank 96th. So … still not great. But also several games worse. About middle of the pack.
Their 1.96 expected goals in all situations in Game 1 rank 163rd, while their 0.96 during 5-on-5 play in Game 1 ranked 178th.
Game 1 was the truly dismal offensively showing, despite the closer score on the scoreboard. It was, by every objective measure, one of the worst offensive playoff games the Penguins have played in the Sidney Crosby era. Scoring chances, expected goals, high-danger scoring chances, shots on goal, attempted shots …. everything across the board was among the bottom-25 showings. A large portion of the games that were worse came during the 2008 and 2009 Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings, and that 2013 Eastern Conference Final against the Boston Bruins. It was that level of bad.
Game 2, in some ways, was better, even if the scoreboard did not reflect. That was especially true during 5-on-5 play. The power play is what largely ruined Game 2, not only by failing to score or generate much in the way of opportunities, but also by giving up one of the ugliest and sloppiest shorthanded goals you could ever imagine seeing in a playoff game.
The other side of this is the reality that the Flyers themselves are not generating anything offensively. And I suspect a lot of that is by design. Probably most of it. They do not have the scoring depth the Penguins do, and are doing everything in their power to keep this series from opening up.
In Game 2, for example, the Penguins allowed just 0.72 expected goals during 5-on-5 play, a staggeringly low number. So low that it is the third-lowest number they have allowed in any playoff game since the 2007-08 playoffs. Third. Lowest.
Even in Game 1, the 1.44 they allowed during 5-on-5 play were 122nd, which is still an extremely good performance in terms of suppressing chances. The Flyers certainly had their opportunities, but they were a handful of rush chances off turnovers and not the result of sustained territorial dominance.
I am not saying the Penguins are playing well defensively or dominating defensively. That is not what I think those numbers reflect. I think they are more a reflection on how the Flyers are playing, and how they have successfully sucked the offense out of this series. It is a big part of what they have done all season, especially after the Olympic break when they made a run to get into the playoffs. They are doing it as well as they have right now.
They have happily turned the series into a low-event rock fight.
In terms of total expected goals during 5-on-5 play, between both teams, these two games have ranked 158th and 174th out of every playoff game the Penguins have played since 2007 (187 games).
That is almost certainly exactly what Philadelphia wants.
The questions now become, 1) Can they keep doing it this well for a few more games, and 2) Will the Penguins pick up a few rocks of their own, or find a way to force the Flyers to play a style they do not want? Maybe getting on the road and having to play a road game will do them well. The Penguins have played well on the road all season. They need to find it again.
Los Angeles, CA - April 14: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia (51) points towards the stands after closing out the ninth inning of an MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Edwin Díaz won’t be closing games for the Dodgers for the foreseeable future, as he’ll be sidelined until the second half of the season. The Dodgers don’t seem all that interested in anointing another pitcher into the capital-c Closer role in the interim, which is to be expected given how they generally operate.
This is what manager Dave Roberts said on Monday afternoon at Coors Field ahead of the series finale against the Colorado Rockies. From Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register:
“I do feel comfortable with a handful of guys, really, that I feel that can close out games for us,” Roberts said. “So right now, I’m not gonna name a closer.”
The Dodgers have been hesitant to name a closer pretty much since Kenley Jansen left the organization. Even as Evan Phillips was the clear usual choice as closer when healthy in 2023 and 2024, they didn’t name him as closer. But even if anointed, the title can always be temporary. Roberts did not hesitate to remove Jansen from closing duties in his later years with the club, especially in the postseason.
Generally speaking, the Dodgers don’t like to paint themselves into a corner. Naming a closer doesn’t really accomplish much other than ego boosting. It took someone with Díaz’s stature and accomplishments to stray from that path.
Alex Vesia has earned the two saves not recorded by Díaz on the Dodgers this year. Given how they’ve been used and their career track records, expect Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen to get closing opportunities as well. Those three were mentioned by name by Roberts on Monday, and they’ve pitched in the highest-leverage situations this season on the staff among active pitchers.
A dozen different Dodgers recorded saves last year, and a whopping 14 pitchers did so in 2024 (15, counting Walker Buehler’s championship-clincher). Today’s question is a simple one: which Dodgers pitcher(s) would you like to see close games with Edwin Díaz on the shelf?
"Go after Jokic, Jamal, all the bad defenders," McDaniels said, via the Associated Press. "Tim Hardaway (Jr.), Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, the whole team, just go at them."
The whole team is bad defenders?
"Yeah, they're all bad defenders," McDaniels said, doubling down.
For the record, the Nuggets had the 21st-ranked defense in the NBA during the regular season, although that defense looked much better in Game 1 of the series, a Nuggets win.
In Game 2, McDaniels had 14 points on 7-of-15 shooting, on a night where Anthony Edwards had 30 points and 10 rebounds, and Julius Randle had 24 points, leading the way. Minnesota had a 116.8 offensive rating in Game 2, which is right at the team's regular-season average. What won the Timberwolves the game was its defense, which wore down Jokic and Murray and kept the Nuggets to a 111 offensive rating, more than six points per 100 possessions below their season average.
McDaniels will be celebrated at home, with the series shifting back to Minnesota for games three and four. However, when the series shifts back to Denver for Game 5 next week, he can expect a very special welcome from the Nuggets faithful.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks handles the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during Round One Game Two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 20, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
There’s been a lot of emotion pouring out of the Knicks-verse after the startling fourth-quarter collapse in Game 2 that turned the series from a Knicks stranglehold to anyone’s series. While not quite as jaw-dropping as the collapse against Indiana last year, this one was more methodical. In a way, though, it’s worse because it gave the Knicks countless opportunities to lock in, and it never happened, while there was this drowning sensation in that infamous Game 1 last May.
There are loads of reasons the game went the way it did. The timeout fiasco (Mike Brown did NOT have a timeout at the end of the game, but puzzling usage put them in that spot), the 10 missed free throws, Jalen Brunson’s off-kilter performance disrupting the offense, and a puzzling disappearance by Karl-Anthony Towns.
A reason that a lot of people are blaming is the rotations, which I don’t necessarily agree with for two reasons. For one, the Jose Alvarado-led lineup played effectively even in a 4-5 minute stretch in the second half, and two, the starters had a nine-point lead and the ball multiple times, and the offense shut off. For a lineup that’s been exceptional in fourth quarters and a team that’s historically good in these situations, that’s more to blame for me.
But you can argue that the lack of an optimized rotation allowed the Hawks to hang around in two stretches when they were struggling and to come back. As this series shifts to Atlanta in a suddenly even series, you might not have the margin for error that you had last night.
According to PBP Stats, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson are a slight negative when on the court together, but I believe that’s skewed by the late-game charge in Game 1 and whatever the hell that was in Game 2. For six of the eight quarters, they’ve played well together. That’s because the Hawks are mostly using Onyeka Okongwu to guard Towns, but are switching to using Jonathan Kuminga on him in clutch time.
The reason behind that is pretty obvious: the Knicks go into an iso-centric offense around Brunson in these situations, and Towns is a non-factor, so you’re effectively able to take him out of the play and blitz Brunson while having his co-star two passes away. In fact, the only possession in the final five minutes where Okongwu guarded Towns last night was executed quite well, but resulted in a miss:
If Brunson makes this elbow jumper (or kicks to an open Anunoby in the corner), they probably win. Alas, that’s not what we’re here for.
The more startling number is that Mike Brown has now played lineups without Towns or Brunson for 20 minutes through two games, and those lineups are being crushed to the tune of a -13.5 net rating. Most of that is in the truly terrible stretch to start the second quarter, but it’s notable nonetheless.
The three lineups with both on the bench that we mostly saw last night were:
All of these lineups are a negative, albeit in a small sample. The first lineup, in particular, is the team’s second-most common lineup (11 minutes) in the series and is the worst-performing. That’s flat-out bad, especially when you’re playing a team that is as scrappy as the Hawks.
There are real issues with these lineups on offense. While the third lineup is theoretically playable with multiple shooters and ballhandlers, it lacks the alpha that is needed on the court in the playoffs.
There’s also a stylistic problem with how players are being used. Deuce McBride has been a non-factor so far and, for a guy with a reputation of being a plus-minus machine, is involved in all of these negative lineups.
Of the 35 minutes that McBride has played this series, 18 of them are coming without Brunson or Towns. In fact, 15 of them have come without a true point guard (which includes Alvarado). This forces the young guard to take on more on-ball responsibilities, which has never been his forte, especially against an aggressive defense.
In these possessions, you’re seeing either McBride sharing ball-handling duties with Landry Shamet or running in circles to try and create something to no avail. The 18 minutes that McBride has played without Brunson or Towns have a -18.4 net rating, while the brief stints he’s played with either Brunson or Towns have been much stronger.
You go back to the regular season, and these numbers are equally apparent.
McBride with Towns: +7.9 (323 min) McBride with Brunson: +12.7 (273 min) McBride with both: +11.8 (263 min) McBride with neither: +3.5 (121 min)
Deuce thrives on his teammates’ gravity. When Brunson sucks in the defense on a drive, he has open shooters to spray to. When the defense collapses on Towns in the post, he has open shooters to kick it out to. The same can be said for Anunoby and even Mitchell Robinson off an offensive rebound, but these two are the keys. McBride has to play with one of them. He’s inarguably a top-seven player on your roster and needs to make an impact.
In the regular season, lineups without Brunson and Towns didn’t even play well, so choosing to go to them often in this postseason is baffling. It’s one thing when both have four fouls in the third; that’s understandable, but it isn’t in the second quarter. Mike Brown needs to stagger his stars better because complacency in the midst of trying things out is going to make this series a lot longer and more nerve-wracking than it should be.
With the Mets currently on an 11-game losing streak, they could certainly use superstar Juan Soto back as soon as possible.
And it sounds like Soto's return date is now set.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets' "current plan" is for Soto to be activated ahead of Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Twins, the second game of the three-game series.
The most recent update on Soto from manager Carlos Mendoza noted that Soto had been taking live at-bats and had been doing "high-intensity running."
Soto hasn't played since April 3, when he landed on the IL with a calf strain. The Mets won their first three games without Soto, and then started their current 11-game skid.
Soto had been off to a tremendous start, slashing .355/.412/.516 with one home run and five RBI. The Mets offense has struggled mightily over the last 11 games, averaging just 1.7 runs per game during that span, so adding Soto back into the mix should provide a much-needed boost.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 20: Head Coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks speaks to Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during game two of the Eastern Conference first round NBA playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 20, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game two’s loss on Monday night was a messy amalgamation of inexplicable coaching decisions, selfish play, bad and bad shot-making from both the three-point line and the free-throw line, and it led to one of the most frustrating losses of the season. So what are the biggest takeaways from a loss that I’m sure everybody will want to forget about? Hint, you’re going to see that a lot of guys just need to be better.
Jalen Brunson has to be better.
Jalen Brunson has meant more to this franchise than almost anyone who has ever been a Knick. He is the best player on the team, the steady captain of a team, and an organization that has longed for said steadiness. And without him, New York does not experience its first taste of sustained success in two decades. That being said, Brunson, like any other player to ever don a jersey, has his flaws. Among those flaws is his tendency to take matchups personally.
It can, at times, work in his and the Knicks’ favor. But when it doesn’t, it leads to a self-serving, heliocentric, stagnant offense, leaving teammates and fans watching and wondering what’s going on. Last night, and you can argue the last 7 quarters, have been a prime example of that. For a very large portion of this series, Brunson’s offensive process has been subpar, bordering on awful. There’s been a lot of isolation, forced shots, and open-court turnovers, and many of them have come at critical junctures of the game.
When his second option was a hobbled Julius Randle or Donte DiVincenzo, it was understandable for Brunson to play hero ball. But with an All-NBA player in Karl-Anthony Towns right beside him, it’s inexplicable. Towns has been feasting on the Hawks’ defense for much of the series, but only when he is given the ability to do so. Despite the big man toeing the line between patience and decisiveness incredibly well over the first two games, Brunson insisted on doing it by himself.
"We were a little stagnant. Obv I can control what I can control; poor decisionmaking on my part…couple possessions great D…Gotta play better with the lead; that's twice in the 4th we've done that"
What Brunson has yet to understand is that not only does playing with Towns work very well, it also makes everyone’s life, including his very own, much easier. When Brunson either involves Towns in a pick-and-roll or plays off of Towns being the offensive hub, he can then conserve energy, while also often getting much better looks.
"One ball…lotta great players…on me to make sure I set the table…I’ll go back, figure out what I need to do…we’ll come back better for Game 3”
– Jalen Brunson as KAT gets 3 shots 2d half, 0 in 4th & Knicks lose Game 2 at home
I expect Brunson to improve moving forward. During his almost two full seasons playing with Towns, he’s often backed up games like last night’s with very good playmaking games. But that doesn’t make up for last night’s loss, and it doesn’t make it any less frustrating. The two have been playing way too long for Brunson to still have games like this. And if he and the Knicks want to get as far as they’d like, Brunson will want to think real hard about whether personal matchups or winning matters more.
Deuce McBride and/or Landry Shamet have to be better.
I spoke very openly after game one about how much better the Knicks’ bench was compared to the Hawks’. Last night, the results were a bit different. New York’s bench has gotten a lot of flak in the last 12 hours, but I think it’s overstated a bit. Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Clarkson were still both effective and provided some great minutes. As did Jose Alvarado, who, despite only logging nine minutes, was tied for the second-highest plus-minus in the game.
What hasn’t been overstated is the ineffectiveness of Deuce McBride and Landry Shamet, two players who have been pivotal to the Knicks’ regular-season success, in Game 2. McBride made two key threes in Saturday night’s win, but went 0-3 from the field, just 0-1 from three, had two turnovers, and overall looked outmatched when met with perimeter pressure. Shamet attempted just one shot in 10 minutes, and missed it, making him just 1-7 from the field, and 1-6 from three this series.
Meanwhile, the Hawks’ bench was a big reason they won. Corey Kispert, thanks in large part to the Knicks ’ bench ineptitude, was a +10 in nine minutes, while Tony Bradley repeated some of his successes as a Pacer, giving them a very solid 12 minutes. And Jonathan Kuminga scored 19 crucial points off the bench as well.
With Robinson and Clarkson playing the way they have been, the Knicks don’t need a lot from McBride and Shamet. But with the Hawks now having homecourt advantage and the momentum, they can ill afford both of these players being as quiet as they have been.
Mike Brown has to be better.
While both players can and should be playing better, it is on the coach to put their best players in the best position to succeed, something Mike Brown failed to do last night. Brown, rightfully so, has caught a lot of flak for his lineup decisions last night. And while many have pointed out that the starters came back in with a nine-point lead, it’s still hard to justify Brown’s choices.
The Knicks scored 1.23 points per possession in the halfcourt tonight when either Brunson, KAT, or both were on offense.
They scored 0.77 points per possession in the halfcourt tonight on the possessions where both Brunson and KAT sat
It is true that the starters had a chance to close out the game. It is true that Brunson can, should, and needs to be better. It is true that OG Anunoby cannot miss two free throws like he did last night. And it is true that if Mikal Bridges makes the final shot, the Knicks still escape with a victory.
The Knicks were outscored by 7 points tonight when Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns were not in the game
It was for 11.4 minutes
For a quarter of the game the Knicks did not have at least 1 of their best players on the floor
But even the greatest players of all-time have missed shots and made bad decisions. One thing you can control is rotations and lineup choices. If Brown doesn’t go to a Brunson, and Towns-less lineup in the second and fourth quarters, chances are, the starters have more than a nine-point cushion. Instead of using lineups that he has gone to for the vast majority of the season, he went with lineups that either had very little success or no experience playing together, and that is just flat out not okay.
And it’s not just about having one of your two best players on the court at all times. It’s the fact that they make the jobs of the bench players easier. And, quite frankly, those bench players also make the stars’ jobs easier. For as long as McBride has been a rotational player, he has played extremely well with Brunson, and or Towns. It’s because McBride amplifies both of them with his shooting and perimeter defense, while they both make McBride’s job easier. The same, albeit to a lesser extent, can be said about Shamet.
Mike Brown about non-Brunson and KAT lineups: "I don't (think) the game got away there. We've played that lineup at end of regular season and it was pretty good." pic.twitter.com/Fl3KRF1vNH
Again, yes, those two can play better. But instead of putting his bench players in a position to succeed, he made their jobs more difficult, and that, regardless of how well the starters closed out the game, is a problem Brown needs to address going forward.
McBride/Shamet/Clarkson played 23 mins the ENTIRE season w/o Brunson or KAT on the floor
McBride/Shamet played 46 mins the ENTIRE season w/o Brunson or KAT on the floor
Mike Brown didn't attempt this all yr but has randomly decided to try this out now for no apparent reason lol
— ShwinnyPooh, Diawara playing time advocate (@shwinnypooh) April 21, 2026
Offense against the bigs on Hart has to be better.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. As I touched on after game one, the Hawks went back to the Knicks’ biggest kryptonite-putting a big on Josh Hart-and it worked to perfection. As it so often has, the Knicks’ offense, which had already gotten stagnant, ran into even more problems when the Hawks went to this defensive alignment. And you can bet the Hawks are only going to rely on it more and more as the series goes on.
Knicks ORTG w/ a big as KAT's primary matchup in G1: 134 Knicks ORTG w/ a wing on KAT in G1: 66
Knicks ORTG w/ a big on KAT G2: 139 Knicks ORTG w/ a wing on KAT G2: 66
the Knicks have scored just 12 points in the 18 total possessions Atlanta has put a wing on KAT
While the Knicks should still have the upper hand and should still out-talent the Hawks, this should, and likely will, be a key thing to keep an eye on the rest of the playoffs.
New York Knicks fans warned Mayor Zohran Mamdani to steer clear of Madison Square Garden during the team’s playoff run – to block the Curse of the Mambino from spreading to the World’s Most Famous Arena.
The message from fans on Tuesday came one day after the Knicks choked away a Game 2, first round playoff matchup against the rival Atlanta Hawks and as baseball fans blamed Mamdani for an epically bad New York Mets losing streak.
Mamdani’s art display went up the day the Knicks lost to the Atlanta Hawks. Paul Martinka for NY Post
“Mr. Mayor, you and your curse, bad luck, whatever you want to call it, stay away from my team,” said diehard supporter David Stento, who was visiting the city from Binghamton.
“I’ve been waiting for this win for a long time. Get out of the way.”
“The way [Jalen] Brunson and [Karl-Anthony] Towns and the other guys are playing, I believe they are going to win it all but to be on the safe side, he should not go to any of the games,” the 68-year-old retiree added outside the NBA Store in Midtown Manhattan.
The Mets 11-game losing streak through Tuesday including an 0-10 record since April 9, when Mamdani visited Citi Field and hugged mascots Mr. and Mrs. Mets.
The Post spoke to Knicks fans and posted a “Mambino Keep Out” sign outside MSG Tuesday with the hope no similar sorcery would affect the team as they try to rebound after Monday’s loss that allowed the Hawks to tie the series 1-1.
The Knicks are coming off a 53-29 regular season and an exciting 2025 postseason run that saw them reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
AP
Queens resident Ely Frank, who was at the Knicks’ Game 1 win, believes the hometown squad can top the Hawks, but “we don’t want the mayor jinxing this.”
“Just stay away,” the 34-year-old retail worker pleaded with the mayor while sporting a Knicks hat. “There is still hope so just keep your distance.”
Tomasz Racinowski also said he didn’t want any Mamdani “curse” lingering over the Knicks.
“We have been cursed for too long,” 42-year-old Long Islander said in reference to the franchise that hasn’t won a championship since 1973.
The democratic socialist was already facing flack for prematurely celebrating the team – and possibly jinxing their chances – by placing life-size cartoon cutouts of top Knicks players around City Hall just hours before New York’s stinging one-point loss to the Hawks in Game 2.
The art display from Tom Sanford included former Knicks greats like Patrick Ewing, Carmelo Anthony, Larry Johnson, John Starks and, as well as current superstar Jalen Brunson.
Did the curse of the Mambino hit the New York Knicks as well?
This went up yesterday, hours before the Knickerbockers lost by one point to the Atlanta Hawks. pic.twitter.com/1jT7C3q0u0
“I am still confident and hopeful of a championship this year, I do wish, however, all of these tickets were far more affordably priced,” he said at a press event.
The next showdown between Knicks and Hawks is set for Thursday from State Farm Arena in the southern city.
Former Mayor Eric Adams also faced scorn from sports fans last year when he temporarily renamed more than a dozen Big Apple streets after team members as the Knickerbockers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals..
The team ultimately lost the series to the Indiana Pacers in six games.
Meanwhile Mets fans hoped the“Curse of the Mambino” didn’t linger as long as the “Curse of the Bambino,” which myths said blocked the Boston Red Sox from winning a championship after they sold Babe Ruth to the rival Yankees. The Red Sox went 86 years without a championship after the deal.
It's Dinger Tuesday, which is a great day to get out of a home-run rut. The current weather might be suppressing some four-baggers, so bettors need to pick their MLB player prop spots today on a full schedule.
The spots I'm picking are in Anaheim, where two of my favorite pitcher fades are starting in Patrick Corbin and Jack Kochanowicz, and in Denver, where the thin air at Coors Field is always prime for exploiting power. In this case, I'm backing Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle.
Below are my favorite MLB home run props for Tuesday, April 21.
UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Mike Trout
+350
Kazuma Okamoto
+790
Brenton Doyle
+700
💲Today's HR parlay
+29017
Mike Trout (+350)
I don’t dip too much into the mid-300s, but getting the most probable Los Angeles Angels home-run hitter 75 points better than fair is tough to pass up against Patrick Corbin. Mike Trout is priced at +350 to go deep for an eighth time this year, which is stronger than most of his recent closing numbers. The matchup sets up well, as Corbin owns one of the highest Blast Contact% rates among starters.
Corbin’s leash has been extended and could push 90+ pitches, but even if he exits early, the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen may be without multiple high-leverage arms. Right-handed hitters are batting around .300 against Corbin since 2024, and the setting helps with 10-mph winds blowing out to center. Angel Stadium also has the lowest average fence height in baseball.
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Network West, SN1
Kazuma Okamoto (+790)
Let’s stay in Anaheim, as Jack Kochanowicz is another arm to target on Dinger Tuesday.
His command has been poor this year (15 walks in 23+ innings), and he also struggles to keep the ball in the park, allowing plenty of hard contact with the 14th-worst Blast Contact% since last season. He does generate ground balls, but when hitters elevate, they often leave the yard — he had the highest HR/FB rate among MLB starters last year.
Let’s back a name that has already cashed for us this season in Kazuma Okamoto, who brings strong home run metrics, especially in Blast Contact% and Ideal Attack Angle%.
There’s some swing-and-miss, but the matchup is elite, and the price is right, with a breakeven around +650. It’s also a Top-10 park for right-handed power, and the wind blowing out only helps.
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Network West, SN1
Brenton Doyle (+700)
Brenton Doyle might hit near the bottom of the Colorado Rockies lineup, but his +700 home run price at home vs. Randy Vásquez is a great number that I’d play down to +600.
Coors Field is always a strong backdrop, but it stands out even more on this slate and projects as today's top hitting environment. The snow is gone, temperatures are up to 80 degrees, and the wind is blowing out to left field — all pointing to a favorable home run setup.
Vásquez allows solid contact and ranks among the worst pitchers in baseball in Blast Contact% through the first month. Doyle may only have one homer so far, but it came against Vásquez two weeks ago, and he also brings one of the fastest swings in the Colorado lineup.
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Padres.TV, Rockies.TV
Jinglis' 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 5-35, -4.4 units
Today’s HR parlay
Mike Trout
Bet Now +29017
Kazuma Okamoto
Brenton Doyle
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
While Cubs manager Craig Counsell was having his usual pre-game media scrum on Monday, he decided to opine about Dodgers pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani and the rule that allows an exception for the Dodgers to have essentially an extra pitcher on their roster, as MLB teams are now limited to 13 pitchers on their 26-man roster.
Counsell called the rule “bizarre” and added:
“I’ve never understood it,” Counsell said. “It’s an offensive rule, essentially. It’s a rule to help offense, more than anything, if you ask me. And then there’s one team that’s allowed to carry basically one of both, and he gets special consideration, which is probably the most bizarre rule. For one team.”
Well… yes, it’s for one team. At this time. Any team that has a player that meets these requirements can have a similar exception:
To qualify for a two-way designation, players must meet the following criteria in either the current season or any of the two previous seasons:
Pitched at least 20 major-league innings
Started at least 20 games as a position player or DH, with at least three plate appearances in each of those games
With his two-way designation, Ohtani does not count against the Dodgers’ pitcher total on their active roster, another luxury for a franchise with an enormous payroll.
The thing is, everyone in baseball knows Ohtani is a unicorn. There isn’t anyone in MLB history who’s done what Ohtani has — no, not even Babe Ruth, who was a good pitcher for several years before becoming the legendary hitter he was. Ruth only did the pitching/hitting combo for, really, two years (1918-19) before pretty much quitting pitching (he pitched in only five games after 1919).
Ohtani has been a top pitcher and hitter for several seasons, winning three MVP awards for his combined production (though it could be argued he could have been MVP only as a hitter, and won Cy Young Awards had he only been a pitcher). He has 17.0 career bWAR as a pitcher and 36.0 bWAR as a hitter — no one’s ever come close to that, though Ruth did amass 20.4 career bWAR pitching. Ohtani will easily double that. He’s a Hall of Fame player, right now, and could easily wind up with 600 career home runs, 300 career stolen bases and 100 career wins (in an era when wins are downplayed), and possibly 2,000 strikeouts.
Now if any other team can find a player like that, they’d get the same roster exception the Dodgers have. Only that’s not likely to happen, because Ohtani is unique. And I use the word “unique” as it’s supposed to be used, meaning “only one.”
Yes, the rule is called the “Ohtani Rule.” So what? Ohtani is good for baseball and Counsell’s comments, in my view, shouldn’t have been made.
“He’s an exception because he’s an exceptional player,” the Dodgers manager told reporters after his team’s 12-3 victory against the Colorado Rockies.
“It certainly benefits us, because we have the player,” he said. “But that’s something that, any team that had Ohtani would have that player.
“We’re more than willing for other teams to go out and find a player who can do both.”
It’s something Counsell shouldn’t have said, in my view, and especially not just before a weekend series coming up between the Cubs and Dodgers at Dodger Stadium this weekend. You can be sure this topic will be revisited before that series.
Oh, and Ohtani is starting tonight against the Giants. If the Dodgers hold to a five-man rotation (though this year, they’ve given Ohtani six, seven and five days of rest between starts), Ohtani could possibly start against the Cubs Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.
That’d be interesting just for Counsell’s comments alone, but also — Ohtani has never pitched against the Cubs, one of just two teams he’s never faced (the other: the Brewers).
Mike Trout
Kazuma Okamoto
Brenton Doyle