The Valley Suns season ended in the most spectacular way possible thanks to Jaden Shackelford

TEMPE, AZ - MARCH 24: Jaden Shackelford #23 of the Valley Suns dribbles the ball during the game against the Mexico City Capitanes on March 24, 2026 at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona. (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 Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

For those of you who do not know who Jaden Shackelford is, you probably have not spent much time tracking the G League or keeping tabs on the Valley Suns. And there is a good chance SEC hoops has not been part of your regular viewing diet. But Shackelford has been putting in work. In four seasons down in the G League, two with the Valley Suns, he’s seen steady production, steady growth, and numbers that keep stacking.

After three years with the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team, he went undrafted in 2022, which says more about how crowded the pipeline can be than it does about his ability. That Alabama team in 2021 went 26–7 and made a run to the Sweet 16 before running into the UCLA Bruins, and Shackelford was the leading scorer as a sophomore. Not a small detail when you consider the talent around him. Names like Herb Jones and Joshua Primo were on that roster, along with Keon Ellis and Alex Reese, and Shackelford still carried the scoring load.

Since then, he has bounced between opportunities with the Oklahoma City Thunder system and the Suns organization, carving out a role in the G League as a reliable offensive weapon. The 6’3” guard out of Hesperia, California, has had his best season yet down in Tempe. He logged 35.1 minutes per game, putting up 22.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, all while posting 43/38/80 splits. He is a score-first guard. That is his identity, that is his lane, and he leans into it.

And on Wednesday night, in the regular season finale against the Mexico City Capitanes, the only G League team without an NBA affiliate, he put that skill set on full display.

On Collin Gillespie bobblehead night, Jaden Shackelford turned the building into his own personal stage. Earlier in the week, he logged the first triple-double of his G League career. Then on Wednesday, he hit, and everything opened up. Inside Mullett Arena, the crowd got a show.

In the 114–94 win over the Mexico City Capitanes, Shackelford went for 54 points, 16-of-26 from the field, 5-of-10 from deep, 12-of-14 from the line, with 8 rebounds and 3 assists layered on top. Efficient, aggressive, in rhythm, the kind of night where every touch feels like it is headed in.

And with that, he became the Valley Suns all time leading scorer.

He has not cracked the NBA level yet, but a 54-point night has a way of turning heads. It forces people to look twice, to check the numbers, to ask the question of what comes next. It was a fitting way to close the second full season for the Valley Suns. For a team that finished 11–25, second-worst in the Western Conference in the G League and will not see the postseason, it was a bright spot.

2025-26 Gamethread #71: New Jersey Devils at Nashville Predators

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 13: Timo Meier #28 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his goal against the Nashville Predators during an NHL game at Bridgestone Arena on February 13, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (36-32-2) at the Nashville Predators (34-28-9)

The Time: 8:00 PM EST

The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN; Radio — Devils Hockey Network

The Game Preview: I had it here.

The Rules: If you have been a reader here, you already know the rules. But for the rest, a reminder: please do not swear in the comment section, and keep comments relevant to the hockey game going on. Beyond that, do not attack any other commenters, and do not ask for or pass along illegal streams on this board.

LGD!

Livvy Dunne hits up Citi Field for Opening Day as boyfriend Paul Skenes get shelled

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Livvy Dunne watches the game with other spectators, Image 2 shows Fans watch opening day of the New York Mets vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game, Image 3 shows Olivia Dunne was more than ready for Opening Day

Olivia “Livvy” Dunne began her Thursday by wishing a “happy Opening Day to those who celebrate.”

While the influencer and upcoming “Baywatch” star was in the stands at Citi Field to watch boyfriend Paul Skenes‘ Pirates take on the Mets, the result was anything but happy.

Dunne, 23, took in the season opener from the stands, sporting jeans and a tank top on the warm spring afternoon, one in which Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, was chased after just 37 pitches.

Livvy Dunne takes in the Mets-Pirates season opener at Citi Field, where boyfriend Paul Skenes started for Pittsburgh. Robert Sabo for NY Post

The Pirates staked Skenes to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but he couldn’t hold down the fort, exiting after Mets batters tagged him for five runs — aided by a pair of outfield flubs by Oneil Cruz.

The Amazin’s continued their work against Pittsburgh pitchers en route to an 11-7 Opening Day win.

Livvy Dunne’s MLB star boyfriend was removed after nightmare first inning when the New York Mets played the Pittsburgh Pirates. Robert Sabo for NY Post

It’s back to the drawing board for Skenes and the Pirates, and back to business for Dunne, set to star in a reboot of “Baywatch, which is set to air on Fox later this year.

She’s posted plenty of snaps in the iconic red lifeguard bathing suit, appearing alongside co-stars Hassie Harrison and Brooks Nader.

Olivia Dunne was more than ready for Opening Day. Olivia Dunne/Instagram

Dunne and Skenes have been linked together since their days at LSU, where Skenes was the baseball team’s ace and Dunne starred for the Tigers gymnastics team.

Mets' Carson Benge showcases 'super consistent' personality, says MLB debut was 'everything and more'

"Everything and more."

That's how Mets rookie Carson Benge summed up his major league debut following Thursday's Opening Day win over the Pirates, and you can't blame him.

The former top prospect had a storybook first MLB game, hitting a solo home run for his first career hit, getting a curtain call from the Citi Field crowd, and celebrating the victory with a Gatorade bath.

"Really can't just top it by trying to imagine it. Once you're there, you'll know the feeling," Benge said when asked how he thought the day would measure up to his expectations.

The 23-year-old struck out in his first two at-bats, including a three-pitch strikeout, saying he had to remind himself to relax so he could go out and play his game.

"Just calm down. Just deep breath, calm down," Benge said. "Great atmosphere, great fans. Just trying to bring myself back down so I can compete."

That reminder worked, as he walked and later blasted a first-pitch sweeper from Justin Lawrence in the sixth inning to put New York up 10-5. Manager Carlos Mendoza added that he was impressed with Benge's demeanor following those early at-bats, showing why he deserves the opportunity.

"Yeah, the personality. Who he is is super consistent," Mendoza said. "He's 0-for-2 with a couple of strikeouts and he still feels pretty good about his chances. He controls the strike zone, he walks, there's a couple of walks there, and then he gets a pitch he can do damage and goes to the pull side like that.

"I'm not surprised by it because of the personality there. Opening Day, first big league game for him, packed house, and he just goes out and plays his game."

Although what Benge doesn't remember is everything after making contact with the ball.

"I kind of blacked out running around the bases. I don't really remember too much," Benge said with a big smile on his face. "I know I got it good off of the bat, but running hard out of the box, definitely."

Luckily, the right fielder had 22 family members and friends in the stands who will remember the moment forever, including his parents and girlfriend. He said having that type of support made hitting a homer in his debut even more special.

"Means the world [to me]. Having all the people that have sacrificed so much for me come up and watch that happen is definitely big," Benge added.

Benge noted that he did get the home run ball back and will be giving it to his parents for safekeeping. He also said it was the loudest crowd he's ever heard, "times five."

As for the curtain call, the energy from the fans carried him up on the dugout steps.

"I kind of saw everyone just staring at me," Benge said. "I didn't know what to do, so I walked up there and did that. Worked out."

He added, "I just got chills. That this is where I'm supposed to be and just having fun every day playing baseball."

Benge said he slept well on Wednesday night and wasn't feeling the nerves, but understandably got a bit anxious during pregame. It ended up working out in his favor, as his debut lived up to his dreams.

"Definitely anxious to get out there, ready to start playing," Benge said. "Definitely everything I thought it would be."

Going forward, Benge said his goal is simply "trying to get better every single day." And for his encore on Saturday, and the rest of the regular season, the rookie is sticking to what got him here.

"Go play my game," Benge said.

Nationals 10, Cubs 4: That’s not the way I’ve always heard it should be

They might as well have stayed in Arizona.

The Cubs got blasted 10-4 by the Nationals on Opening Day, and the weather, well, it was what you would expect for late March — 49 degrees, very windy, annoying light rain showers off and on.

Matthew Boyd, who was so good at Wrigley Field all of last year, threw two good innings despite allowing a solo homer in the second. After the homer, he struck out five straight Nats but then got pounded out of the game in the fourth, allowing five hits and a walk in that inning. Ben Brown relieved him and gave up a second home run in the frame, but the damage had already been done.

Here’s more on Boyd’s outing [VIDEO].

That solo homer, by former Brewer Joey Wiemer, gave Washington a 1-0 lead. The Cubs came back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Dansby Swanson led off with a walk and took second on a missed pickoff throw. After Matt Shaw flied to right, with Dansby taking third, Michael Busch’s bloop single tied the game [VIDEO].

Alex Bregman, who was welcomed to Wrigley with loud ovations, followed with a walk. Ian Happ struck out, but then Pete Crow-Armstrong’s single gave the Cubs the lead [VIDEO].

As you can see, though, Bregman was out trying to take third. That sort of set the tone for the rest of the game. I get wanting to be aggressive, but maybe those runners should have stayed put for Nico Hoerner.

Anyway, the aforementioned six-run fourth for the Nats gave them a 7-2 lead. The Cubs got one of those runs back in the fourth. Nico led off and reached on a throwing error. He took second on a Carson Kelly walk and third on an infield out.

Another infield grounder by Swanson scored Nico to make it 7-3 [VIDEO].

By then, as you can see, a lot of seats had emptied out because of rain. The Nats scored one more run off Brown in the sixth. Brown didn’t throw too badly in this long relief role, which might wind up suiting him.

The Cubs’ final run scored in the seventh. Busch led off with a double, his third hit (and second double) of the game. He went to third on a single by Bregman and one out later, PCA dropped this very pretty bunt single down the third-base line, scoring Busch [VIDEO].

That’s something I hope PCA holds in his back pocket for more important situations later in the season. He’s definitely capable of doing that more often.

Hoby Milner threw a scoreless eighth and Jacob Webb allowed a two-run homer in the ninth, both of those runs unearned due to an error charged to Bregman on a ground ball that got through him. Tough error, I thought, given the weather conditions, the ball was likely quite wet at the time.

There were three ABS challenges in the game, all by the Nationals. Two of them confirmed the call made, the other was overturned. None of these had any significant impact on the game, and as has been the case for these during Spring Training, they didn’t take up much time. The game did, though, running a ghastly two hours, 59 minutes, largely because of 195 pitches by the Nats, far more than the approximately 130 per team that’s average for a nine-inning game. (Cubs pitchers threw a more reasonable 138 pitches.)

This loss ruined what began as a festive afternoon. Anthony Rizzo threw out a first pitch to a huge ovation [VIDEO].

Bregman was warmly welcomed to Wrigley [VIDEO].

But that was it for fun for the full house of 39,712. I remain steadfast in my belief that MLB should not be playing games in northern cities in March. Yes, it can be like today’s weather in April or even early May, but at this time of year days like today are more the norm than the exception. The weather had nothing to do with the result, but it was not much fun for fans. The upper deck cleared out by the fourth inning — I can only imagine how cold it must have been up there with a 22 mile per hour sustained wind blowing in their faces.

In any case, the Cubs did not look good in this game, but it’s one game, so let’s not overreact. Boyd looked bad, but… it’s one game. He did strike out seven [VIDEO].

Regarding Matt Shaw in right field, he did make this one nice play [VIDEO].

But overall I thought he looked kind of awkward and out of place there. He made a couple of wrong turns on fly balls and didn’t take good routes. Personally, I’d rather see Dylan Carlson out there. Shaw went 0-for-3 at the plate in this game.

Lastly, here are some Opening Day facts from BCB’s JohnW53:

The last Opening Day starter for the Cubs to exit after exactly 3.2 innings was Bob Rush, on April 11, 1955 (four runs on 10 hits). Only other with exactly 3.2 was King Cole, on April 11, 1912 (five runs on nine hits). Both were at Cincinnati. Ten have lasted fewer than 3.2, from 0, Ed Reulbach (faced two batters in 1911) to 3.1 (Clay Bryant, 1938, and Jon Lester, 2018). Most recent was Kyle Hendricks, 3.0, at home vs. Pirates in 2021 (three runs, four hits).
….
Michael Busch is the 85th Cub since 1901 to make at least three hits on Opening Day. Billy Herman had five hits in 1936 and eight players had four, most recently Emilio Bonifacio, in 2014. Karl “Tuffy” Rhodes, in 1994, is the only one to do it at home — and the only one with three homers.The last of the previous 75 with three were Ian Happ, in 2022, and Dansby Swanson, in 2023, both at home. Busch also had a walk, as did 18 of the previous 75 with three hits. The most recent was Dexter Fowler, in 2016.
….
Alex Bregman’s seventh-inning single made him the 500th Cub since 1901 to make a hit in his first game with the team.
….
This is the ninth Opening Day game since 1901 in which the Cubs have surrendered double-digit runs. They also gave up 10 in 1912, 1914, 1965 and 1979. They gave up 11 in 1962 and 1998, 12 in 1994 at home vs. the Mets (8-12) and 16 in 2010, at Atlanta (5-16).

The Cubs will have Friday off and will resume the series against the Nats Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field, when it will be chilly (48 degrees) but sunny and less windy. Cade Horton will start for the Cubs and old Cardinals friend Miles Mikolas (who I was almost certain was going to retire after 2025) starting for Washington. Game time Saturday is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.

Alec Bohm goes from human trade rumor to Phillies' Opening Day hero

Alec Bohm goes from human trade rumor to Phillies' Opening Day hero originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Alec Bohm might not be the ideal cleanup man, but he did the job Thursday.

On a day when defending National League home run king Kyle Schwarber picked right up where he left off, swatting a two-run homer in the first inning, it was Bohm who had the biggest hit of all in the Phillies’ 5-3 opening day win over the Texas Rangers at warm and sunny (it sure didn’t feel like March) Citizens Bank Park.

Bohm picked up Schwarber and Bryce Harper after the pair had struck out with two men on base and the Phillies nursing a 2-0 lead in the fifth against Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi.

It was a prime situation that the Phillies – or any team that thinks it’s going places — could not squander.

Bohm made sure they didn’t.

He got a 2-0 cutter from Eovaldi and lofted it to the opposite field and into the seats for a 5-0 lead.

Talk about a sweet moment, this was definitely that for Bohm.

Over the past two off-seasons, he’d been a human trade rumor. If the Phillies’ very public attempt to sign Bo Bichette had been successful a couple of months ago, he would have been shipped out, maybe to Detroit, maybe to Seattle, maybe to somewhere else.

When Bichette left the Phillies at the altar, the club had no choice but to stick with Bohm. And on this team, where options for a cleanup hitter to bat behind Schwarber and Harper are thin, he was the guy.

That didn’t sit well with much of the fanbase, who sees Bohm’s 6-foot-4 frame and wonders where the power is.

But Bohm sees his job as an RBI guy, regardless of how they come. He was a good one in 2023 and 2024 when he drove in 97 runs each season. He wasn’t as good last year when he had just 59. However, he was hurt last year, missing time with a rib injury and a shoulder injury. He’s healthy now. And after one game, this less-than-ideal cleanup man leads the team in RBIs.

“I know he takes a lot of … stuff,” Thompson said. “But the guy puts the ball in play. He’s going to give you a good at-bat. He’s not going to chase. So, if there are RBI situations out there, for the most part, he’s going to come through. Last year, he had some time off because of injury, so the numbers don’t reflect who he is, but I really like him in that four spot. Now with the way (Bryson) Stott is hitting behind him, it has a chance to be really effective.”

Schwarber profiles as a cleanup man. But he likes hitting second. And the Phillies win a lot of games with him batting second, in front of Harper.

In Schwarber’s opinion, a healthy Bohm can work in the cleanup spot on this team, even if he doesn’t rack up a slew of homers.

“I feel like the way that he takes his at-bats, with his profile and his game, it plays for us,” Schwarber said. “And it plays on a lot of teams. He doesn’t need to go out there and feel like he needs to do anything (extra). He needs to go out there and be himself. When he does that, you saw it today – he can take you oppo, he can hit a double, he’ll pull a homer. He’s such a tough out in our lineup, and I’m looking forward to getting a full season of him healthy and keeping him rolling.”

Bohm’s big game came on the same day he made some news off the field. During the game, the Philadelphia Inquirer posted a story on its website detailing a lawsuit that Bohm had filed against his parents on Wednesday. The suit alleges that his parents mismanaged his finances.

“I don’t want to get into personal matters,” Bohm said after the game.

According to reports, Bohm is seeking a judgment of at least $3 million.

If he is the hitter the Phillies think he can be – and need him to be – this season, he will make a lot more than $3 million when he hits the free-agent market next winter.

“For me, that’s a lot further down the road than other people think it is,” Bohm said when asked about free agency during spring training. “It’s a long year. We have a lot of baseball in front of us.

“Who knows what’s going to happen. It’s exciting, but my focus is more on opening day rather than what’s going to happen after 162, to be honest. We’ve set an expectation here and that’s to make the playoffs. Hopefully this is the year we win the last game. That fuels me more than free agency.”

Bohm’s career-high is 20 home runs. For the record, he would like to hit more than that. He spent much time in spring training working with hitting coach Kevin Long on catching mistake pitches out in front of the plate so they have a better chance of flying over the wall. But Bohm doesn’t want to sacrifice his line-drive swing, doesn’t want to be a guy who sees his strikeout totals soar for a few more homers.

“I understand cleanup guys hit 40 homers,” Bohm said in spring training. “But 40 homers can come with a lot more strikeouts. Those two 97-RBI seasons that I had, those are closer to me. Hit a lot of doubles, hit the ball in the gap. Don’t give away an at-bat with a punchout when all I need to do is put the ball in play.

“I’m a better hitter when I’m not giving you 150 punchouts. Hit the ball hard, move it around the yard instead of looking for a home run. On this team, with those guys (Turner, Schwarber, Harper) ahead of me, there will be a lot of opportunities for RBIs.”

Move forward to Thursday’s opener. Two men on. Two outs. Fifth inning. Yeah, Eovaldi’s cutter was up, the perfect pitch to elevate.

But Bohm wasn’t thinking that way.

“In that situation, more times than not, Kyle or Bryce is going to drive in those runs,” Bohm said. “So, in the event they don’t, it’s my job as the next man up to try to drive in one, if not both. If it all lines up perfect, you drive in ‘em all in.”

It lined up perfect for Bohm and the Phillies on opening day.

“You can’t win ‘em all if you don’t win the first one,” he said.

Tigers 8, Padres 2: Tarik Skubal, Kevin McGonigle star on Opening Day

Mar 26, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle (7) hits a double during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

Welcome back, Tigers fans! The long winter is over and we have real baseball that counts for real stats on our screens and on our radio. The Tigers started the 2025 season against some of the hardest National League opponents in the game with the Dodgers. Today they did it again, squaring off against Nick Pivetta and the San Diego Padres. As it turns out, the damage wouldn’t be nearly as bad on Opening Day this year. The Tigers would lean on Tarik Skubal, and they’d hand him a nice lead before he even took his first pitch of the season.

Things got started for the Tigers right in the first inning as Pivetta showed a lot of nerves, having a hard time finding the strike zone, and the Tigers didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity. After a leadoff strikeout by Kerry Carpenter, Gleyber Torres took a walk. Colt Keith then gave a little bloop single that should have probably been an out, but Ramon Laureano couldn’t quite get under it, putting two men safely aboard. Riley Greene walked to load the bases, then a Spencer Torkelson walk brought in the Tigers’ first run of the season.

The Tigers weren’t done yet, though, as fresh-faced rookie Kevin McGonigle got up to take his first major league at-bat and smacked the first pitch he saw for a long double to right field, scoring Keith and Torkelson. A Dillon Dingler single brought another run in and put the Tigers up 4-0.

Then it was time for two-time Cy Young-winner Tarik Skubal to get his first start of the season. Skubal didn’t have as perfectly clean an inning as he hoped, but he rapidly locked in. With one out, he gave up back-to-back singles to Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado, but thankfully followed that up with a swinging strikeout (that swing being contentious as Jackson Merrill did attempt to check swing but the third base umpire indicated he went). A groundout then ended the inning with no harm done.

Pivetta had found his groove better in the second inning, allowing a two-out single to Colt Keith, but the Tigers failed to convert the baserunner. Unfortunately for the Padres, Skubal was also more in the groove in the second inning, and he went through the Padres batters in order.

The Tigers weren’t prepared to rest on their early lead. In the top of the third, Spencer Torkelson singled. Then Kevin McGonigle got his second double of the game, lining one off the right field wall just short of a home run. Dingler struck out, but Parker Meadows then came up and hit a single into left, scoring two runs. Two outs followed, but the Tigers were up 6-0.

Tarik Skubal came out and continued to dominate against the Padres with another 1-2-3 inning, ending with a pretty interesting catch from Riley Greene just on the warning track.

Nick Pivetta’s day was—unsurprisingly—done after three innings. Ron Marinaccio came in from the bullpen to replace him and immediately showed better command, going through the Tigers in order. Skubal returned the favor, continuing to churn through the Padres lineup with another three-up, three-down inning.

In the top of the fifth with one out, McGonigle just kept having the greatest first game ever as he hit a little dribbler towards second but beat it out to first, collecting the first single of his major league career. Dingler then hit a two-run bomb, bringing the Tigers score up to 8-0.

With two outs we got our first challenge of the season as Javier Baez disagreed (rightly) on a strike call, and it worked out to be a good thing as Baez then turned around and singled. The Tigers weren’t able to convert any additional runs, but it was still going pretty well. Guys, I’m not sure, but like, Tarik Skubal might be really good? He got another three outs in a row in the bottom of the fifth. Sorry, not sorry, Padres.

In the top of the sixth the next pitcher out of the Padres bullpen was Bradgley Rodriguez, who got the Tigers out in order. With one out in the bottom of the inning the Tigers turned to a play review. Fernando Tatis Jr. was called safe at first, narrowly beating out a throw from Baez, pulling Torkelson off the plate. The call was upheld and ruled an error for Baez. Skubal had his first truly rough moment of play since the first, as Bogaerts then doubled right down the left field line, and brought Tatis home, putting the Padres on the board for the first time in the game. Skubal turned things around, though, getting the next two outs. Six innings would be it for Skubal, going 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, on 74 pitches. And why not get the bullpen going with a 7-run lead.

The top of the seventh was a 1-2-3 inning for the Tigers, once again bested by Rodriguez. In the bottom of the inning Drew Anderson came out of the Tigers’ pen. Anderson was looking pretty good through two outs using his fairly lethal kick change, unfortunately Laureano got the best of him with a solo homer when he absolutely hung one in Laureano’s hot zone. Freddy Fermin walked, which brought out Chris Fetter to calm Anderson’s nerves a little. It’s been several years since Anderson pitched in America, stands to reason the nerves might run a little high. The chat worked all right as a groundout ended the inning with only the one run scoring.

David Morgan was next out of the Padres’ bullpen. The first out came on a high pop out at the plate to the catcher from Parker Meadows. Javier Baez got a one-out walk. Then, with two outs, Gleyber Torres singled, putting men on the corners. Unfortunately a Colt Keith lineout ended the inning, it was well hit, just in the exactly wrong location. In the bottom of the inning, Tatis got things started with a leadoff single against Anderson. Manny Machado drew a one-out walk, and that was it for Anderson, who was replaced by Tyler Holton. Holton did induce what looked like a double play, but the Tigers couldn’t appeal the safe call having already used and lost their review, so they had to settle for the one out. Miguel Andujar drew a walk to load the bases, creating the first really dangerous moment of the game for the Tigers. A pinch-hitting Nick Castellanos, in for Gavin Sheets, was up and hit a long fly for the final out of the inning.

Wandy Peralta was the next pitcher up for the Padres. With two outs, Kevin McGonigle proved he was an unstoppable force, hitting another single, giving him a four-hit day in his debut.

The Tigers weren’t able to turn his effort into another run, as Dingler hit a liner right back to the pitcher to end the inning. Will Vest came in to hopefully keep the Padres in check. He got two quick outs back-to-back. Vest collected the final out, and the Tigers had one heck of an Opening Day.

Final: Tigers 8, Padres 2

Pistons vs. Pelicans Discussion: Game Time, TV, Odds, and More

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 21: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on January 21, 2026 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

I’m really feeling the grind of the end of this season. It’s already hard enough as it feels like biding time waiting for news on when Cade Cunningham will return to the lineup from the collapsed lung. Then you look at the schedule, and you see the New Orleans Pelicans are on it. That is not a huge motivator for me to want to sit down and invest three hours into a regular season game with likely zero impact on standings and seeding. To be clear, the Detroit Pistons could completely embarrass themselves and give an obviously winnable game away. You could even make the case that the Pelicans are on quite an extended respectability streak. They are 10-6 in their last 16 games, including wins against the Raptors and two wins against the Clippers. That’s not nothing! For the Pistons, Marcus Sasser is back in action, and Caris LeVert is once again out. LeVert was being forced into ball-handling far above his station, and hopefully Sasser can at least fill that role in a more responsible manner. More importantly, Duncan Robinson is also out tonight. Also known as Detroit’s one reliable 3-point shooter. Kevin Huerter is starting in his place. Lastly, remember, the Pistons are an NBA-best 10-2 on the end of a back-to-back this season.

Game Vitals

When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -5

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (52-20)

Daniss Jenkins, Ausar Thompson, Kevin Huerter, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

New Orleans Pelicans (25-48)

Dejounte Murray, Saddiq Bey, Herbert Jones, Zion Williamson, DeAndre Jordan

Dodgers on Deck: Friday, March 27 vs. Diamondbacks

Los Angeles, CA - March 24: Pitcher Emmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the outfield prior to an exhibition baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images

After opening day Thursday, there’s still pomp and circumstance to be had at Dodger Stadium, including before their Friday tilt against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the middle game of a three-game series.

The Dodgers before the game will have their championship ring ceremony, which is expected to begin at 6:20 p.m., narrated by Anthony Anderson, and will be televised by SportsNet LA. Brad Paisley will perform the national anthem.

Once game action begins, Emmet Sheehan gets the start, looking to build on his strong finish to last season after returning from Tommy John surgery. He has never previously faced the Diamondbacks.

Right-hander Ryne Nelson starts on the mound for the Diamondbacks. In three games against the Dodgers last season, including two starts, Nelson had a 2.77 ERA in 13 innings, with 12 strikeouts against only one walk.

Friday game info
  • Teams: Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks
  • Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
  • Time: 7:10 p.m.
  • TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Luke Murray, son of Bill Murray, hired as Boston College basketball coach

One of the top assistant coaches in men’s college basketball will now get the chance to lead a program of his own.

Connecticut assistant Luke Murray has been hired as the new head coach at Boston College, the university announced on Thursday, March 26.

Murray is the son of actor Bill Murray, who has regularly been spotted sitting behind the bench at games for much of his son’s coaching career.

The 40-year-old Murray is in his fifth season with the Huskies, a run that included national championships in 2023 and 2024. Murray has been widely praised for his abilities as an offensive tactician. In 2023, UConn finished third nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom, and finished first the following season while successfully defending its national title.

"Today marks a turning point in Boston College Men's Basketball," Boston College athletic director Blake James said in a statement. "In Luke Murray, we have found a leader who does not just understand the modern landscape of college basketball - he has helped define it. His role in building a national championship caliber program, his sophisticated offensive vision, and his relentless pursuit of excellence make him the perfect fit to lead our student-athletes. We are thrilled to welcome Luke, his wife, Kara, and their family to the BC community."

The Huskies will continue their push for a third championship in the past four seasons with a matchup against Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Friday, March 27. Murray will remain with UConn through the NCAA tournament.

Murray had previously worked alongside UConn coach Dan Hurley at Rhode Island from 2013-15 and at Wagner from 2010-11. He was also an assistant at Louisville from 2018-21 and Xavier from 2015-18, serving under Chris Mack at both stops.

He’ll take over a Boston College program that has largely struggled since Al Skinner was fired after the 2009-10 season. Over the past 15 seasons, the Eagles have gone 184-290 overall and 73-200 in ACC play while regularly playing in front of some of the smallest home crowds at the power-conference level. During that 15-year stretch, they’ve finished with a winning record twice and have never won more than 20 games.

Murray will replace Earl Grant, who went 72-92 in five seasons, including an 11-20 mark last season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boston College hires UConn assistant Luke Murray, son of Bill Murray, as head coach

Gamethread: Penguins @ Senators

OTTAWA, CANADA - MARCH 26: Tyler Kleven #43 of the Ottawa Senators skates up ice with the puck against Erik Karlsson #65 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period on March 26, 2026 at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

Garrett Crochet, Red Sox shut down Reds on Opening Day

Baseball: Boston Red Sox Garrett Crochet (35) and Carlos Narvaez (75) in action, talking vs New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Bronx NY 8/23/2025 CREDIT: Erick W. Rasco (Photo by Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X164756 TK1)

The Cincinnati Reds got a rock solid start by Andrew Abbott in his first career start on Opening Day. The left-handed All Star fired 6.0 IP of scoreless ball, but the problem was that the Boston Red Sox similarly had an All Star lefty on the mound in Garrett Crochet.

Crochet kept Cincinnati just as scoreless as did Abbott, with Boston’s ace firing 6.0 IP of 3 hit, 2 BB ball to go along with 8 strikeouts, and Boston’s bullpen managed to keep the Reds just as scoreless as did their starter. Cincinnati, though, yielded a run when Pierce Johnson allowed a leadoff double to Marcelo Mayer the moment he took over for Abbott, and Mayer later came around to score the game’s first run in the Top of the 7th.

Connor Phillips then ran into trouble in the Top of the 8th as Boston used an ABS challenge to undo what would’ve been an inning-ending strikeout and turned that into an RBI-single by Trevor Story that put this game in cement, and Brock Burke later allowed another inherited runner to score to make the 3-0 score a final.

While the disappointment of the loss will sting, there were still several positives to take away from the team’s first game of 2026. Abbott, for one, was infinitely better than he’d been all spring, and he danced around 7 hits and a walk while striking out 4 in his 83 pitch day. The hits he did allow were mostly kept on the ground, and two in particular were of the infield hit variety.

One of those was a 110.2 mph rocket off the bat of Boston star Roman Anthony, though, that took a wicked hop and smashed Sal Stewart on the left wrist in a scary moment. Sal stayed in the game, thankfully, and didn’t look any worse for the wear. In fact, he later added a double after he’d already had a double and single in the game, in the process becoming the first Reds rookie ever to have 3 hits on Opening Day.

For that, Sal takes home the first Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game of 2026.

161-1 is still on the table.

Other Notes

  • Eugenio Suarez got huge ovations early, but his first game back with the Reds was a rough one. He struck out a trio of times, including once with the bases loaded in their best chance against Crochet in the 6th.
  • In total, Reds hitters struck out 12 times on the day.
  • Ke’Bryan Hayes’ defense did not score a run today.
  • Graham Ashcraft touched 101.5 mph with a heater today, which is a damn encouraging thing.
  • Noelvi Marte, who struggled terribly against LHP last year (as did most Reds), went 0 for 2 against Crochet. The moment a righty was on the mound and his spot in the lineup came up, Will Benson was used as a pinch hitter (and struck out).
  • Per usual, the Reds have the day off on Friday and will resume their series against Boston in GABP on Saturday afternoon with another 4:10 PM ET start. Announcers will talk about shadows all game, and Brady Singer will start opposite old friend Sonny Gray.

Lydia Ko posts career-low 60 and only leads by 1 shot in LPGA's Phoenix stop

PHOENIX (AP) — Lydia Ko opened with four straight birdies and never stopping rolling Thursday until she closed out the best round of her LPGA Tour career with two more birdies for a 12-under 60 on a day of extreme low scoring in the Ford Championship.

Defending champion Hyo Joo Kim had a 61, making it the first time since the 2003 Kellogg-Keebler Classic two players were double digits under par in the opening round.

“I don't think I've ever actually started a round with four birdies, so it was nice to take advantage of the good start and continue that on my back nine,” Ko said. “I think like as every golfer, when things go well you also think about the things that could go terribly wrong. I feel like I stayed patient and was rolling it really well.”

A moderate start to her 13th season came to life on the Cattail course at Whirlwind Golf Club when the 28-year-old Ko got into a rhythm after a rare putter change and started piling up the birdies.

She said the idea of 59 — Annika Sorenstam has the only sub-60 round in LPGA history, 25 years ago on a different course in Phoenix — entered her thinking when she birdied her 14th and 15th holes of the round after starting on No. 10.

But she didn't hit a 7-foot birdie putt firmly enough on the par-5 seventh. Ko finished with two more birdies for her career low round.

“That would have been nice to hole that one,” Ko said. “But who knows? Maybe if I holed that one I might not have holed the other two. You can't think about ‘what if?’ Birdied some other ones that I didn't expect, so kind of just evens out in that sense.”

It was the ninth round of 60 or lower on the LPGA, the most recent by Lucy Li at Pinnacle Country Cub in Arkansas in 2024.

Kim also started on No. 10 and shot 28 on the front nine, finishing birdie-eagle-birdie, including a hole-out from the fairway on the par-4 eighth hole.

Nelly Korda, who opened the year with a 54-hole win in Florida and was runner-up last week in California, holed out from the 18th fairway for eagle in the middle of her round and shot 63, one of her career best. She was three shots behind.

They all played in the morning and no one caught them in the afternoon, when temperatures were pushing 100 degrees (38 Celsius). Frida Kinhult of Sweden had a 64, the low score of the afternoon. Jeeno Thitikul, the No. 1 player in women's golf, opened with a 69.

The big surprise for Ko was not so much her score but the equipment she uses. The Kiwi rarely tinkers with her putter but decided to switch to a different model earlier this week.

“It’s been a while since I have tried a different model,” Ko said of her Scotty Cameron 12 she used at Whirlwind. “It just rolled good. Went in the bag on Tuesday. ... This has only been one round but it’s a good start. You know, really couldn’t have been any better.”

Ko was among six players from the morning wave who shot 65 or better. The course must not have seemed all that easy to Lexi Thompson, who plays a limited schedule and made her 2026 debut with a 75 that left her 15 shots behind.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks live updates: New Dodgers star joins offensive explosion against NL rival on Opening Day

The Dodgers will begin the 2026 season trying to join the 1972-1974 Athletics and 1998-2000 Yankees as the only franchises in MLB’s expansion era (since 1961) to win three consecutive championships.

What’s terrifying for the rest of baseball is that this iteration of the team might be the most talented squad assembled during their historic run of three titles in six seasons.

Shohei Ohtani and his Dodgers teammates are beginning their quest for a third consecutive World Series championship today. Getty Images

Shohei Ohtani is the best player in baseball, and it’s not particularly close. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP, is gunning for a Cy Young Award and takes the ball on Opening Day. Kyle Tucker, a four-time All-Star, and Edwin Diaz, arguably the best closer in baseball, joined the “evil empire” this offseason. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are primed for big seasons, Max Muncy and Will Smith are still the rocks of the organization, and Dave Roberts is still calling the shots.

The lineup is deep, the bullpen is nasty and the starting pitching, if healthy, might be the best in baseball.

Follow below for live updates.

Game Thread: Knicks at Hornets, March 26, 2025

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 03: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks passes against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Madison Square Garden on December 03, 2025 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 Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Knicks (48*-25) face the Hornets (38-34) tonight at the Spectrum Center in North Carolina. A win would help New York keep pace in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race. The Hornets are hot, however, ranking the top third for offense and three-point accuracy. Expect a shootout in Charlotte.

Tip-off is 7 pm EST on MSG Network. This is your game thread. This is At the Hive. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be cool, but not cold; chill, but not chilly. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but NBA Cups are for dribbling, not drinking.