Former Atlanta Braves player John Smoltz stands in the dugout after the game against the Detroit Tigers at Turner Field on October 2, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Like many others in the baseball world, Hall of Famer John Smoltz is concerned about the possibility of an MLB lockout.
The current collective bargaining agreement between the league and the MLB Players Association will expire after the 2026 season, setting up a long-anticipated negotiating period, with the prospect of a work stoppage looming.
Smoltz said it won’t be a good look if things can’t be worked out between the two sides.
“We know that if they don’t get this worked out, baseball will suffer. They cannot afford to have a stoppage with all the good that has been done and all the great games that have been played lately with the World Series,” Smoltz told Fox News Digital.
Former Atlanta Braves player John Smoltz stands in the dugout after the game against the Detroit Tigers at Turner Field on October 2, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images
MLB made clear it didn’t agree with the MLBPA’s first proposal, which did not call for any sort of spending cap.
“The MLBPA’s proposal would reduce the amount [of money] transferred to lower-revenue Clubs, weaken the Competitive Balance Tax, and lead to even more payroll disparity than exists today,” MLB said in a statement after it released its own proposal.
“For example, under the Union’s proposal, the Dodgers would pay less in luxury tax payments, giving them an additional $70 million to spend on payroll.”
Smoltz spoke to what he believes is a competitive balance issue across the league, which is a factor in these CBA negotiations.
“There’s a competition issue within baseball that some system is claiming that it’s going to fix. I question that big time,” Smoltz added. “Until you have teams and owners that want to put the best product they can on the field in their market, it’s hard for me to be able to tell somebody what they can and can’t spend in a free market world.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) speaks with Rob Manfred, the commissioner of the MLB, in March. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Baseball has certainly achieved momentum in the American consciousness as of late. The league shared in early May that viewership is up 44 percent compared to the 2025 season for exclusive national games, the best number in the past nine seasons. The excitement brought on by the 2025 World Series certainly helped with that; Game 7 averaged a combined 51 million viewers across the United States, Canada and Japan.
Kings new head coach Peter Laviolette tours the locker room at the team's training facility in El Segundo. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
When Kings’ new head coach Peter Laviolette took a tour around the Los Angeles area, he thought he was only going to get a one-bedroom home with a view of the water. His children, though, piped in: “Make sure you get a four-bedroom,” Laviolette remembered his three children saying.
During Laviolette’s time away from the sport, the 61-year-old traveled to Scotland and watched his son play in the East Coast Hockey League. The time away has given Laviolette time to rethink his coaching, and after 30 years of coaching, including 23 as a head coach in the NHL, he’s bringing a trident approach to reshape culture and win games. Centering a hockey family is one part.
“For me, there’s three real important pieces,” Laviolette said. “First, build a family inside the locker room, inside the organization. Secondly, to really work to try and build the culture to get players and organizations to think about the choices they make and how that can affect the culture. And then the third part is the actual game on the ice, just making sure that every day from the start of training camp we work at the game.”
Los Angeles hired Laviolette to a three-year contract after he spent a year away from the sport. Laviolette’s coaching experience stretches 1,594 games, the ninth-highest career total, with six teams: the Capitals, Flyers, Islanders, Hurricanes and Predators. Most recently, he was fired by the Rangers in 2025 after two years with the team.
His postseason success might be the biggest draw for the Kings, who have seen middling success in the years since their second Stanley Cup title in 2014. Los Angeles made the playoffs each year since the 2021-22 season, but the team did not advance past the first round.
Meanwhile, Laviolette is only the fourth coach in hockey to lead three teams to the Stanley Cup Final. He last won with Carolina in 2006, but he earned two President’s Trophies in 2017-18 and 2023-24 with the Predators and the Rangers.
Kings general manager Ken Holland, left, and Peter Laviolette pose for a photo during the new coach's introductory news conference Wednesday at the team's training facility in El Segundo. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Still, Laviolette, despite his track record of first-year turnarounds, is joining a team in flux. The Kings fired coach Jim Hiller after the Olympic break. Interim coach D.J Smith helped guide the team to an 11-6-6 finish, aided in part by a trade for Rangers winger Artemi Panarin, whom Laviolette has also coached.
“I had a really good relationship with Artemi in New York,” Laviolette said. “He’s one of the most talented players I’ve ever coached, and I’m really happy to get to work with him again. He’s an amazing talent.”
Using the winger to go on the prowl is one of the small changes Laviolette plans to bring. The Kings have historically prioritized defense in a league that has shifted to attacking. Los Angeles fell to 30th in goals per game last season (2.68), the first time the Kings averaged fewer than three goals since the 2021-22 season. The team was also 28th in power-play percentage at 17%. Laviolette acknowledged that Los Angeles needed to change, highlighting that an attack-forward mindset has been a keystone of his coaching.
“I don’t think it should be irresponsible to defense,” he said. “But through my experiences, and even just watching the playoffs right now, this is an attack-oriented game, and you have to be willing to move.”
Where does Panarin fit?
“He has the ability to be a game-breaker and a difference-maker,” Laviolette said. “He’s not just a goal scorer. He’s not just a playmaker. He’s elusive. He’s shifty.”
The goal for next season is to score 250 times, according to Kings’ vice president and general manager Ken Holland. The team scored 220 last season.
“We’ve got to get back to scoring more goals,” Holland said. “Part of that’s going to be personnel driven, part of that’s going to be probably style‑of‑play driven, mentality, and certainly the head coach has a lot to do with it.”
As Laviolette meets current staffers and decides whom to bring in, Holland is managing the phones to reach out to assistant coaches and players. Smith has definitively moved on. Phil Housley, whom Laviolette described as an “excellent coach,” could be another potential candidate. Housley worked with Laviolette as one of the Rangers’ assistant coaches between 2023 and 2025.
Still, it’s hard to say the Kings will be a Cup contender with Laviolette. His teams tend to dramatically decline two or three seasons after his hiring. He struggles to develop younger players, instead relying on veterans to carry the weight. Laviolette will have to amplify players like Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke, each a talented 23-year-old with high ceilings.
The Kings’ success will rest in how well Los Angeles adapts to Laviolette’s coaching trident. The veteran coach, to his credit, projected confidence.
“When you put those three things together,” he said. “You can really become an unstoppable force.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 08: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks battle for position during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 08, 2026 in New York City. 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. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have ourselves a series. Down 2-0 with their backs against the wall going into Madison Square Garden, the young Spurs came up with a huge 115-111 win in Game 3.
Plenty changed in the Spurs’ favor for them to take the series to 2-1 and give themselves a real chance to get back into these Finals. Victor Wembanyama, of course, led the way. San Antonio made a clear effort to increasingly get him the ball near the rim and throw up high passes for him to catch lobs, or simply rise above defenders for good interior positioning and find easier chances to set up and finish. For the first time in the series, he attempted more layups and dunks than jumpers. Wemby was more impactful on defense too, and put together a dominant night with 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and three blocks.
Along with others like Julian Champagnie (12 points with three triples), Devin Vassell (11 points with 3-of-4 three-point shooting) and Stephon Castle (23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, plus his usual physical defense) remaining effective to round out the offense, the Spurs did what they needed to take care of business in Game 3.
Meanwhile for the Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns continued to compete quite well on defense but quietened down offensively, scoring just 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting. If Wemby continues to thrive in the paint and outmatch Towns again in Game 4, that’ll be a big factor in the Spurs’ favor.
That wasn’t the only problem for the Knicks. Apart from issues like having a harder time containing Wemby inside, losing the free throw battle (22 attempts compared to the Spurs’ 32), and having 13 turnovers to the Spurs’ eight, Jalen Brunson struggled. Even though he led the Knicks in scoring again with 32 points and obviously remains the primary concern for San Antonio, Brunson finished Game 3 shooting a fairly cool 11-of-25 — taking him to just 39.0 percent shooting on two-pointers and 31.8 percent from three for the Finals so far. Along with over dribbling the ball, which helped cause the offense to stagnate on too many possessions, the Spurs were able to pull ahead of a Knicks offense that wasn’t at its best.
Brunson and others (Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet also had cold scoring nights on Monday) will need to bounce back and rediscover more fluid ball movement and varied offense to turn things around in Game 4.
So, what’s your Game 4 prediction? Do the Spurs tie things up at 2-2 and head back to San Antonio with a chance to take a series lead? Do the Knicks counter again with their own adjustments and a stronger showing from Brunson to go up 3-1? Let’s discuss in the comments and follow along with all the action.
Game Details
When: June 10, 8:30 p.m. ET Where: Madison Square Garden Watch: ABC Radio: ESPN Radio Follow:@LibertyBallers
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 10: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres hits a walk-off solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds at Petco Park on June 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Two of the big boppers on whom the Cincinnati Reds are depending with Elly De La Cruz sidelined stepped up late and did their parts in big, big ways, respectively. JJ Bleday, who deserves to be on the National League All Star team at this juncture, smashed a 391 foot solo homer off San Diego Padres starter Michael King in the Top of the 7th to give the Reds a 3-2 lead, and Eugenio Suarez followed with a 365 foot sand wedge into the seats beyond left field to give Cincinnati an insurance run at 4-2 in the Top of the 8th.
All that remained to be taken care of was holding on to a 2-run lead for the game’s final pair of innings. You know, the classic task asked of bullpen arms all over the sport.
Unfortunately, this is the Cincinnati Reds bullpen we are talking about, or at least what remains of it.
Caleb Ferguson was wholly unable to retire the left-handed bats the Padres sent up to face him in the Bottom of the 8th, and Tony Santillan couldn’t bail him out of the jame he’d created. That sent the game to the 9th with the game tied at 4, and though the Reds got a leadoff single from Matt McLain and a later walk from Sal Stewart, the Reds couldn’t find a way to score a run to take the lead.
Devoid of other fresh options, Terry Francona turned to the recently recalled Chase Petty, who was just brought back to the team after Zach McCambley was optioned on the back of his 30+ pitch outing earlier in the series. That’s Chase Petty the starter, who was tasked with pitching in an extremely high-leverage relief role that’s almost completely unheard of for him at this juncture of his career.
He looked mostly fine out there, to his credit. He pounded the zone. He threw strikes. The problem is, though, that despite the walk problems that have plagued the entire pitching staff over the course of this borderline-miserable season, this was an instance where he might well have been better off nibbling than humming balls right over the plate to some of San Diego’s best hitters.
One of those, of course, is Fernando Tatis, Jr. He’s found his swing again after a mammoth gap between homers, socking his first of the year earlier in the week and posting a 4-hit game earlier this series. So, when Petty spun an 89 mph slider right into the middle of the strike zone to the Padres star, it was hard to envision anything other than what happened.
That laser from Tatis just cleared the LF wall, and that was that. Cincinnati hemorrhaged yet another late lead, lost their fourth straight series, and sunk to just 32-35 on the season overall. They’ll have Thursday off to think about it while traveling back across the country to think about it, and on Friday they’ll welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to Great American Ball Park.
What a brutal game. What a brutal month. What a brutal, brutal sport.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson #11 goes up for a shot against San Antonio Spurs #5 during Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
The NBA league office must be salivating over the TV ratings for the NBA Finals.
Monday’s Game 3 broadcast between the Knicks and the Spurs was the most-watched NBA Finals Game 3 in nearly three decades, averaging 23.8 million viewers, data released by Nelsen showed on Wednesday.
Viewership for the game peaked late in the fourth quarter with 26.3 million people tuning in.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson #11 goes up for a shot against San Antonio Spurs #5 during Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The last time that more people tuned in for a Game 3 in the NBA Finals was in 1998, when the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls were closing in on a second three-peat.
It also holds the distinction of being the most-watched television program on broadcast TV since the Super Bowl in February, when the Seahawks defeated the Patriots.
The NBA Finals are averaging 19.1 million viewers through the first three games of the series, which makes it the second-most-watched following ABC/ESPN taking over coverage of the championship round in 2003.
The ratings also represent a massive increase from last year’s finals between the Thunder and Pacers, seeing a 114% uptick in viewership this year.
The massive ratings shouldn’t be a surprise with the Knicks back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 and the Spurs having the biggest name – literally and figuratively – in Victor Wembanyama.
Game 4 on Wednesday night will surely draw more big numbers for broadcasters with the Spurs eying a chance to even the series up before it shifts back to San Antonio, and the Knicks looking to put their Western Conference foe on the ropes.
SAN FRANCISCO — The towering pop-up off Bryce Eldridge’s bat had no business leaving the ballpark, a fitting end to a game the Giants had no business winning.
He stood there, watching its trajectory, an absurd 44 degrees.
He waited until it barely crossed the plane of the brick wall in right field, only 326 feet in total.
The Giants rallied with 10 runs over the final two innings, highlighted by a walk-off grand slam from Bryce Eldridge to stun the Nationals 11-10 on Wednesday. Getty Images
And then he sent his bat airborne so high it practically caught the apex of the ball.
“I’m just walking, watching, hoping it’s gonna go out,” Eldridge said. “I’m just glad it did. I barely remember what happened after that.”
Here’s the gist: When the ball landed, the Giants had completed the unlikeliest of comebacks, down eight the previous inning, and Eldridge had become the youngest player in MLB history to end a game with a grand slam, just 21 years, 233 days.
Final score: Giants 11, Nationals 10.
“I was just screaming,” Eldridge said of his reaction as he rounded the bases behind Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers and Jung Hoo Lee, all of whom reached without making an out after Luis Arraez started the ninth-inning rally with a double down the right field line.
It was Chapman who started the improbable comeback an inning earlier, with the Giants trailing 9-1, with his second solo shot of the afternoon. Devers went back-to-back to cut the deficit to 9-3, and the Giants rallied for three more in the eighth off Paxton Schultz to make it 9-6.
Reiver Sanmartin, in his season debut, allowed a solo home run in the top of the ninth that gave the Giants another run they needed to make up and put himself in line for the win in the process.
Everything, it turned out, was just setting the table for what promises to be the first of many heroics in Eldridge’s promising young career.
“Man, what a crazy game,” mused Robbie Ray, who was bailed out of taking the loss by the grand slam after allowing five runs over 5 ⅔ innings in his deepest start since May 8.
“It kind of felt like he was going to do something like that.”
Giants teammates mob Bryce Eldridge after he smashed a walk-over grand slam Wednesday. AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn
It might have felt that way because Eldridge has been one of the Giants’ most-hyped hitting prospects in recent memory who has looked like he belonged from his first big-league at-bat.
Or maybe, it’s because Eldridge had been envisioning an opportunity just like this.
“I always want to be the guy in that situation,” Eldridge said.
He had a chance to be the guy just two days earlier but struck out against Gus Varland to end the Giants’ 4-3 loss Monday. He represented the winning run but chased a fastball above the letters to end the game.
“The only thing I could think about the last two days was Monday and how I just wasn’t pleased with how I ended the game,” Eldridge said. “I was talking with a lot of people about that. I wanted that opportunity back. I don’t know if I’m going to get that opportunity again for a while. And then, like two days later, I got the same opportunity.”
As the Giants started to rally in the eighth, Eldridge began to do the math in the batting cage behind the dugout. He would get his chance at redemption. It looked like it would come against the same pitcher, too, until Varland failed to retire any of the first three batters of the ninth.
Instead, Eldridge was the second batter to step to the plate against Mitchell Parker. This time, he didn’t chase a fastball. He looked at two off-speeds out of the zone and before he got a slider he liked. The pitch broke at his belt and caught the inner-third of the plate.
Eldridge made sure it didn’t travel any farther in his direction.
In just his 38th game, he lived out the exact scenario he played out in his backyard growing up, even when he was still playing both ways through the end of his high school career.
“That was always what I wanted to do — I wanted to have the big home run,” Eldridge said. “That was something I thought about more than having the big strikeout.”
Chapman spoke it into existence when he got back to the dugout from his first home run trot that got the Giants on the board and made it 6-1 in the sixth.
“Chappy stated it as soon as he hit his first home run,” manager Tony Vitello said. “Stranger things have happened.”
But not much stranger.
Giants fans celebrate during the victory Wednesday. AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn
What it means
The Giants had been 0-34 when trailing after the eighth inning this season, and they picked a heck of a way to earn their first ninth-inning comeback.
Only six teams since 1969 have come back to win when trailing by eight or more in the eighth inning or later, and just once before by a Giants team — in 1947.
It hadn’t been done by any team in the majors since Cleveland on May 25, 2009.
Who’s hot
Consider it the official arrival of the Eldridge era in San Francisco.
“I think about it every day,” Eldridge said. “That I’m just gonna keep working hard because I want to be the face of this franchise.”
Here he is, the face of the franchise: Over his past 13 games, dating back to the start of the Giants’ last road trip, Eldridge is batting .426 (20-for-47) with three homers, seven doubles and eight walks to only 10 strikeouts — good for a 1.266 OPS.
He was batting .170 with a .541 OPS when the Giants hit the road May 29. His average is up to .296, and his OPS has crossed .900.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
Ray took advantage of an aggressive Nationals lineup to not issue a walk for only the third time in 14 starts this season. He had walked 22 total, at least two per outing, over his past six starts.
But the comeback was almost too far out of reach by the time it began thanks to a relief corps that allowed the Nats to score both of Ray’s runners it inherited with two outs in the sixth, plus four more before the Giants came to the plate for the final time.
Up next
The Giants enjoy their first day off since May 28 before regrouping to host the Cubs for three games to finish a brief homestand. San Francisco hopes to have shortstop Willy Adames back in the lineup to begin the series Friday after getting him his second day off this season Wednesday to nurse discomfort in his upper leg.
Jun 8, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots the ball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32), guard Landry Shamet (44) and forward OG Anunoby (8) during game three of the 2026 NBA Finals in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Today is Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals. The San Antonio Spurs are at New York Knicks. Watch at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, or WJLA-TV here in the DMV.
The Knicks lead 2-1. New York won Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio, and the Spurs took Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, 115-111. If the Knicks win tonight, they’re one win away from winning their first Finals Game in 53 years. Otherwise, we’ll see this series go to at least six games.
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 09: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run in the first inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kyle Sheridan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Dugout Radar is not looking fantastic for tonight’s start time of 7:40 pm ET… we’ve dealt with so much weather lately.
Television analyst and hall of fame basketball player Shaquille O'Neal walks on the court before game three of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Shaquille O’Neal has joined a growing list of former athletes taking GLP-1 drugs.
The Hall of Famer revealed he started taking Zepbound to combat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), something he was diagnosed with in 2011, shortly after retiring from the NBA.
The medications, initially primarily used to treat Type 2 diabetes and OSA, have gained popularity for their use as weight-loss drugs.
“You know, I chose to share my experience because OSA is a serious but often overlooked condition,” O’Neal told GQ in an interview published Wednesday. “I want to help people if I can, because I can remember, especially when I stopped playing, the snoring, the daytime tiredness, a lot of fatigue, and being unable to focus. So this is very personal to me.”
Television analyst and hall of fame basketball player Shaquille O’Neal walks on the court before game three of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The 54-year-old said he also took the drug to improve his energy and sleep as well as to sharpen his mind in retirement.
Other notable athletes promoting the use of GLP-1s include Serena Williams and O’Neal’s “Inside the NBA” panelist, Charles Barkley.
Williams, who recently returned to the professional tennis tour after four years at age 44, cited her GLP-1 treatment as significant for relieving the joint pain she experienced after giving birth to her daughter Olympia in 2017. She frequently appears in commercials for Ro.
Shaquille O’Neal speaks onstage during the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront 2026 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on May 13, 2026 in New York City. Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery
Along with Zepbound, O’Neal said he’s made other lifestyle adjustments. He’s “eating right and staying active with a lot of walking,” he told GQ.
While currently occupied with the NBA Finals, which continue with Game 4 on Wednesday night, O’Neal remains focused on keeping himself healthy.
Jun 9, 2026; Summerlin, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) throws to first during the eighth inning of the game against the Athletics at Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jeffery Bennett-Imagn Images | Jeffery Bennett-Imagn Images
After a late-night/early-morning victory on Monday night, the Brewers lost the second game of their series against the Athletics in Las Vegas on Tuesday, meaning Wednesday night’s game is a rubber match.
On the mound for the series finale is Brandon Sproat, who continues to struggle to put together multiple consistent innings. Sproat, 25, is now 16 appearances (14 starts) into his MLB career, and he sports a 5.79 ERA, 4.85 FIP, 71 strikeouts, and 11 homers allowed over 74 2/3 innings. He’s allowed at least three runs in five consecutive appearances, allowing a homer in four of those five games. He went five innings against the Rockies on Friday night, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out two in a no-decision as the Brewers came back to win in extras.
Opposite Sproat is 26-year-old righty Jack Perkins, a fifth-round pick out of Indiana in 2022. Perkins, in his second major league season, made his first 17 appearances this season out of the bullpen, but is coming off his first start of the year. Across those 18 appearances, he has a 6.19 ERA but a 2.88 FIP, as he’s struck out 39 over 32 innings. In his lone start, which came on Friday in Houston, he allowed five runs on five hits and two walks, striking out six over four innings in a 5-1 loss.
With those two guys on the mound, I’d expect another high-scoring, homer-filled night — the current over/under in this game is a whopping 14.5 runs.
Christian Yelich leads off for Milwaukee as today’s DH, followed by Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and Andrew Vaughn. Jake Bauers bats fifth and starts in left, with Gary Sánchez batting sixth and starting behind the plate. Sal Frelick, David Hamilton, and Joey Ortiz round out the bottom third of the order.
While no major league roster moves were made today, the Brewers did make a minor league trade, as they sent right-handed pitcher Jacob Waguespack to the Tigers for cash considerations. Waguespack, who appeared in major league camp this spring, has spent the entire 2026 season with Triple-A Nashville.
Correction: The Brewers traded Triple-A right-hander Jacob Waguespack to the Tigers for cash. He was in big league camp and had a 1.66 ERA for Nashville in 16 relief appearances.
Additionally, Brandon Woodruff is expected to rejoin the team this weekend in Milwaukee, with a potential return in next week’s series against the Guardians.
Brandon Woodruff is rejoining the Brewers in Milwaukee later this week. Nothing set in stone, but it sounds like he could be a candidate to start next week against the Guardians.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 12: Andre Pallante #53 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on May 12, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will try to win the series against the New York Mets Wednesday night as Andre Pallante takes the mound for St. Louis. The Mets will ask Christian Scott to try and stop the Cardinals. Good luck with that, Mr. Scott. You’ll need it. First pitch is set for 6:10pm central time as the game broadcast will be handled by Cardinals.tv.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 09: Wyatt Langford #36 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammates after scoring in the second inning at Kauffman Stadium on June 09, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 13: Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (67) pitches against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning of an MLB game on May 13, 2026, at Rate Field in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Kansas City has a chance to win three series in a row for the first time this season. All they need to do is win tonight or tomorrow to keep the ball rolling. Texas is not a great team, which is something that can be said about basically all the teams in baseball this year, so take care of your home field.
It is going to be Seth Lugo versus MacKenzie Gore today. Lugo got beat up a bit in Minnesota, but he handled this Rangers lineup well back at the end of May. Gore is an interesting player with high prospect pedigree who at times looked like he might become the ace that everyone thought he could be. Last season he was a Cy Young contender through the first couple months of the season before falling off to have another fine, if unspectacular, season. That level of okay has continued into 2026. However, he is left-handed and lefties have been the bane of the Royals’ offensive existence.
Jalen Brunson; LeBron James; Victor Wembanyama; Tim Duncan
LeBron James may have delivered the most hilarious endorsement San Antonio has received in years — but it isn’t one that is unlikely to be adopted by the tourism bureau anytime soon.
While discussing the NBA Finals on the latest episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast, the Lakers star explained why he believes the Knicks benefited from opening the series on the road against the Spurs rather than beginning amid the chaos of Madison Square Garden.
LeBron James jokes San Antonio is boring, then explains why that’s good for winning basketball. Getty Images
His reasoning? San Antonio offers players a rare luxury during the Finals: absolutely nothing to do.
“I mean, San Antonio, we focus on basketball,” James said. “You ain’t doing s–t in San Antonio. Nothing at all. Nothing. And I mean nothing.”
Was that a backhanded compliment or a blatant roast of the Deuce Dime city?
The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson (11) and the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (1) have been battling during the NBA Finals. Getty Images
James argued that starting the Finals in Texas helped the Knicks avoid the distractions that would have come with opening at home in New York, where celebrities, ticket requests and nonstop media attention can quickly overwhelm a team.
The four-time NBA champion painted the city as basketball’s version of a productivity retreat. No red carpets. No Club Room at Soho Grand. No endless social calendar. Just basketball.
San Antonio doesn’t offer much besides great basketball, LeBron James said recently. SeanPavonePhoto – stock.adobe.com
Even when co-host Steve Nash attempted to rescue San Antonio’s reputation by bringing up the famous River Walk, James wasn’t interested.
“Hell, no,” James replied. “You get on a River Walk, f— around and fall in the water.”
His larger point was that San Antonio’s lack of distractions creates ideal conditions for focusing on winning basketball.
Fans raise a poster during an NBA Finals game between the Knicks and the Spurs. NBAE via Getty Images
And history backs it up.
The Spurs built one of the NBA’s model franchises under Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich, winning five championships while becoming famous for a culture that prioritized basketball over celebrity.
Duncan is often characterized as one of the NBA’s most boring superstars for his stoic demeanor and methodical play style.
Tim Duncan helped lead the Spurs to five NBA titles, including two over LeBron James. Getty Images
James knows this reality better than most. He lost two NBA Finals series in San Antonio and spent his early years in the league trying to overcome the Spurs’ dynasty.
And now the Spurs seem to be doing it all over again with Victor Wembanyama.
But while San Antonio may be the city where “nothing” happens, the Spurs spent Monday night proving their team is capable of a gobsmacking comeback.
Behind another dazzling performance from Wembanyama, San Antonio marched into the city that never sleeps and turned what looked like a one-sided NBA Finals into a real fight.
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing is slowly becoming baseball's biggest villain. And he's only in his second MLB season.
For one to take such a role, a few things need to be in order. Said players have to stir up a little controversy, have to be pretty dang good and on at least a really good team.
Rushing checks all those boxes. The Dodgers are back-to-back World Series champions. Although the 25-year-old Rushing made his debut with the Dodgers in 2025, he's already swiftly becoming recognized as one of the better backup catchers in baseball. He might be starting if the Dodgers didn't already have Will Smith committed to a long-term deal.
Now, on to the controversy that makes Rushing appear to be disliked across the league. Whether intentional or not, he has an awareness issue when it comes to base sliding. It was on display during the Dodgers' blowout, 12-3, victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 9.
Rushing drew a walk in the top of the fifth inning as the Pirates held a narrow 2-1 lead. The ensuing batter, Alex Freeland, hit a ground ball to Pittsburgh second baseman Brandon Lowe, who grabbed it and spun, making a throw to Jared Triolo, who made a late throw to first. Freeland was deemed safe, but Rushing was called for runner's interference.
He attempted a slide to make it safe at second base, except he was feet away from the bag and collided with Triolo. The rule, according to MLB, states that fielders have a right to occupy any space needed to catch or field a batted ball and also must not be hindered while attempting to field a thrown ball. Additionally, runners have to make a reasonable attempt to touch the bag and avoid the fielder.
Dalton Rushing "villainous" timeline: Building a 'bad boy' reputation in MLB
If the June 9 fiasco with the Pirates was a one-off incident, then maybe folks would turn the other cheek — but Rushing has been making it a habit to agitate opponents. Here's a timeline of events that have contributed to Rushing being deemed the MLB 'bad boy.'
April 18
Rushing caused a stir after a 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 18. After the game, Rushing criticized the Rockies' hitters, saying their approach was "fishy," a statement that manager Dave Roberts shot down.
“I think it’s odd that some of those hitters that do what they do, they go up there and they’re on the first pitch that was thrown,” Rushing said. “It’s a little fishy but I’ll wear it."
Roberts responded to those comments in April, shutting down any notion that Rushing hinted at.
“I saw some bad breaking balls," Roberts said. "So I don’t think there was anything fishy behind it. I think there were some bad pitches.”
April 21
Another incident occurred during baseball's hottest rivalry: Dodgers-Giants. San Francisco's Jung Hoo Lee made an attempt to score from first base after a single to center field on April 21. Lee was quickly getting around the bases, but was thrown out at home by Rushing for the third out.
Lee seemed to be upset or in pain after the play and as Rushing walked back to the dugout, he looked back at Lee on the dirt and seemingly mouthed "F--- him".
The next game in the series on April 22, Rushing was hit with a pitch from Giants ace Logan Webb in retaliation. Rushing was intentionally walked. Hyeseong Kim was up to bat next and hit a grounder to right field as second baseman Luis Arraez scooped it and made the play to shortstop Willy Adames, who had to brace for Rushing sliding right at him.
Dalton Rushing got plunked and then slid hard into Willy Adames at second base
This came after it looked like he said "fuck 'em" when Jung Hoo Lee got hurt from sliding into Rushing on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/s9rHWJV8fg
Rushing was caught body shaming his opponent. Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya stole second base after Rushing wasn't able to deliver the ball in time. A frustrated Rushing could be seen mouthing "fat f---" geared towards Amaya. A few days later, Cubs teammate Nico Hoerner confirmed that's what Rushing said.
""I wish I had confronted him," Hoerner said during a radio appearance on 104.3FM The Score. "I was pretty taken aback. ... At the end of the day, you just wanna have your teammates back."
Rushing was irate when he was given a third strike during an April 28 matchup with the Miami Marlins after he requested a timeout, but the umpire allegedly never heard him. Rushing struck out due to a pitch clock infraction.
Dalton Rushing asked for timeout by saying “timeout please” to the home plate umpire. The umpire didn’t hear and he struck out on a pitch clock violation that ended the inning. Rushing was not happy at all 😬 pic.twitter.com/yzn09jfcYq
Rushing attempted damage control in an interview with The Athletic where he said that he does not buy into the villain role that people are looking to cast on him, but will continue to play the way he does.
"I think guys have started to like, give me the label of (villain)," Rushing told The Athletic. "I just think that's me competing at the highest level and not allowing any outside source to kind of get in my way."
He added: "I don't want guys to look at me as a bad guy on and off the field," Rushing said. "But at the same time, I'm not going to change my game. I'm going to play the same way that I have. I'm going to control the things that are said."
June 9
Rushing's collision June 9 with Triolo was the icing on the cake. It even sparked a reaction from Shohei Ohtani, who could only look around and ask, "what happened?"
The Dodgers play-by-play commentators also couldn't believe what they saw:
"That's tough right there. He doesn't get to the bag. What a mistake that was. It's not a ball that you'd normally turn two on. I always kind of whine about the fact that nobody tries to break up a double-play anymore. Well, one time you don't want to try to break up a double play is on that ball. He's nowhere close. That's tough right there ... that's a Hal McCrae imitation back in the 70s right there."
