Former MLB commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti wrote about baseball that "it is designed to break your heart." The latest instance of that adage holding up took place on Monday, May 18 at Angel Stadium.
Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn was flirting with throwing Major League Baseball's first no-hitter since 2024, only to allow a base hit to the first hitter he faced in the bottom of the ninth inning and then a walk-off home run to the next.
The Los Angeles Angels prevailed, 2-1, spoiling Ginn's no-no bid in an improbably thrilling way.
Ginn, who struck out 10 Angels batters through eight innings, saw Adam Frazier end the no-hit hopes with a line drive single to center field. The next batter, Zach Neto, took Ginn deep to quickly turn the tide on the Athletics.
The win ended a six-game losing streak for the Angels, who were coming off getting swept in back-to-back series by the Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 17: Gavin Sheets #30 of the San Diego Padres reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After losing two of three to the Milwaukee Brewers on the road, the San Diego Padres arrived in Seattle with an offense that lacked thump, as well as production, from the top of the lineup. With Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Manny Machado scuffling, the rest of the roster carried the team to a sweep of the Mariners and a 28-18 record, a half-game back of the Dodgers in the NL West.
There is not much to say that is new about the problems the three faces of the franchise are experiencing. Over the 18 games from April 27 to May 16, Machado/Tatis/Merrill had a collective .164/.231/.249 batting line. The doubles that Machado and Merrill hit in Sunday’s game were the first extra-base hits they both had in the same game since April 11 (per Kevin Acee in Padres Daily newsletter).
Here is where the Padres offense stands as of the end of the Mariners series:
It doesn’t make sense that this team is 10 games over .500 and in second place in the NL West, but that is the case. As everyone in sports media keeps saying, this isn’t sustainable. Even manager Craig Stammen acknowledges that to be true.
Lucas Giolito
Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller signed right-handed starter Lucas Giolito to a $1.5 million contract for 2026 with a $1.5 million buyout for 2027 and escalators that could net him an additional $5 million. He signed on April 22 and his contract guaranteed a promotion to the major league team by May 16. He had two starts in Single-A and two starts in Double-A before debuted with the Padres on Sunday against the Mariners. After pitching five shutout innings with one hit allowed, Giolito sat for a prolonged half-inning while his teammates put up five runs in the top of the sixth inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, he was not the same guy. After walking three straight hitters, he was removed from the game and was then charged with the three runs scored by the Mariners after his departure. Giolitto got the win after his offense went on a hitting spree (especially Gavin Sheets) and put up eight runs for the game.
Giolito’s performance was all the more impressive considering he hasn’t had anything close to a normal ramp-up to the season. Going unsigned through the offseason and Spring Training, Giolito was on his own to prepare to pitch for a major league team. Staying unsigned until late April, his contract only gave him 23 days to prepare for his debut with the Padres.
His velocity was notably less than his normal 94-95 mph on his fastball (90-92), but his changeup is elite and makes the fastball a playable pitch. He throws those two pitches 85% of the time. In 145 innings pitched in 2025, Giolito threw to a 3.41 ERA, even though his underlying numbers don’t look that impressive.
With time spent working with Ruben Niebla and his staff, and building up his arm, Giolito should get better. His command through the first five innings was remarkable considering his brief amount of prep time.
Gavin Sheets
Since signing with the Padres before the 2025 season, Gavin Sheets has been the power hitter the Padres hoped he would be, in streaks. Always less effective against left-handed pitchers, Sheets has made adjustments during his time with the Padres and continues to improve against righties. Last season his batting average was almost identical between lefties and righties, but his slug against right-handed pitchers was .453 versus .369 against left-handers. He had 17 homers against righties and two versus lefties.
This season, with minimal appearances versus lefties, Sheets is continuing the trend. He is slugging. 596 versus right-handers so far this year (114 at-bats). In 12 at-bats versus lefties, he is slugging .167. Way too small a sample size, but with some of his teammates performing well against left-handed pitching (Miguel Andujar, Luis Campusano) he isn’t going to get many opportunities.
Overall, Sheets has been clutch, with “late and close” hits. He is second behind Xander Bogaerts in RBI; Bogaerts has 23 and Sheets has 21. His nine homeruns lead the team, and his 10 doubles are one behind Andujar.
Sheets was named the National League Player of the Week with these numbers over the Brewers and Mariners series.
Rodolfo Durán
Catcher Rodolfo Durán waited 11 years to get his first chance to play in a major league uniform. With the broken toe suffered by Luis Campusano in the series versus the Giants, Durán was added to the roster and made his first start on May 7 against the Cardinals. He was 0-for-10 before coming to bat in the seventh inning against Seattle on May 16. Durán lined his first hit as a major leaguer into the Padres’ bullpen for his first home run. In his last at-bat in the ninth inning, he was robbed of another home run by a leaping Julio Rodríguez in center field.
Durán will remain with the Padres in place of the injured Campusano, but it is unlikely any other moment will be as memorable as that one for the veteran of four organizations.
A Quiet Assassin
Reliever Bradgley Rodriquez, 22, graduated from the Padres prospect list this month. He appeared in seven games and 7.2 innings for the Padres in 2025 with a 1.17 ERA and nine strikeouts to three walks. In 2026, he has pitched in 19 games (was the opener for two games) and has 22.2 innings under his belt this season. He is on pace to pitch over 80 innings, which would far exceed his 61.1 innings in 2024 in the minors.
It seems likely he will get optioned at some point to give him a break, but the bullpen will be the less for it. His 1.59 ERA includes 18 strikeouts to five walks, and he has allowed no home runs. His effectiveness is only behind Mason Miller and Jason Adam.
Although he has high-leverage stuff, Rodriguez is being brought along carefully. His fastball touches 100 mph, but it is not his best pitch. He has a plus-plus-changeup that he pairs with a slider for 69% of his offerings.
Roster moves and injury updates
General manager A.J. Preller gave an update on the status of Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta in an interview with Ben and Woods of 97.3 The Fan on Friday, May 15. Neither is in a throwing program yet, and he suggested that they would not be until June/July.
It was reported by Kevin Acee in his daily newsletter (via manager Craig Stammen) that Luis Campusano is still unable to come off the IL. His broken toe is still too painful, although he is involved in baseball activities.
The last word on Jake Cronenworth was that he had been referred to a neurologist and is recovering from his concussion under medical care. He did not travel with the team on the latest road trip.
Matt Waldron pitched poorly in his start versus the Brewers on May 12 and then came back and pitched two innings of scoreless relief on May 14. He reportedly came in the next day with a sore upper arm and was placed on the 15-day IL when Alek Jacob was called up to provide extra help to the bullpen. Jacob was sent back down when Giolito was activated.
Jhony Brito has started his rehab from his UCL surgery of last year. He started two games with the ACL Padres and then started for Double-A San Antonio on Sunday, May 17. Brito went four innings with no earned runs allowed. He allowed two hits and had a strikeout, although two unearned runs scored.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 18: Minnesota Twins designated hitter Josh Bell (56) celebrates his solo home run during the third inning of a MLB game between the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros on May 18, 2026, at Target Field in Minneapolis MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was a stormy night in Minneapolis and no one from Cory Provus to the players on the field thought this game was going to go a full nine innings. The field was a mess, Astros shorstop Jeremy Peña turned the field into his personal slip-n-slide, but no one, and I mean NO ONE, was going to stop these umps from forcing the players out for four more meaningless innings.
But let’s go back to the first inning where we all were thankfully put out of our Simeon Woods Richardson-induced misery. With SWR in the midst of the worst stretch of his career, manager Derek Shelton turned to rookie Kendry Rojas, who immediately showed off why he’s a difficult prospect to figure out. Rojas hit Peña, allowed a single to Isaac Paredes, and walked Yordan Alvarez on four pitches to load the bases with no outs just nine pitches into the game. Luckily, a pop out and a weak line drive double play got the Twins out of the jam without allowing a run.
And then, Rojas was nails. He allowed one hit in the second inning but largely overpowered this veteran Astros lineup all night. Final line: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 runs allowed. His hybrid reliever/starter role, combined with the organization trying to limit his workload, means he isn’t really able to throw more than 50-60 pitches per outing right now, but Rojas showcased exactly why the Twins have been hesitant to move him to relief full time.
On the offensive side, it was all Josh Bell early. Bell got a hanging changeup from Tatsuya Imai in the second that he mashed off the batter’s eye in center. Things were quiet until Bell came up again the fourth inning and went oppo-taco to put the Twins up 3-0. It would have been nice to see the lineup have a better performance against a struggling pitcher, but a win is a win.
After the two hour rain delay, the Twins came back ready to add some more runs. Six straight Twins reached base with one out in the 6th, resulting in three additional runs, but a sloppy send/late hold by third base coach Ramon Borrego resulted in Bell getting caught in no man’s land between third and home and getting nabbed on the bases.
Justin Topa came in and gave up three runs in the seventh inning, as he is wont to do, but you don’t need me to recap why a bad pitcher gave up runs. It should be expected at this point. Eric Orze got the Twins out that jam and pitched a clean eighth, but Yoendrys Gomez got the Twins right back in one in the ninth. Gomez walked notable bad hitter Christian Vazquez on four pitches, got Peña to pop out, then walked Paredes on five pitches to bring up MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez as the tying run. Shelty turned to veteran Taylor Rogers who got Alvarez looking and then got Christian Walker to ground out to end the threat and the game.
Two final notable things from this game. First, Ryan Jeffers left the game in the ninth inning after cracking his bat on a foul ball. Jeffers stayed in for two more pitches but left the game mid-AB. No word on what the potential injury is, but Jeffers is a gamer who wouldn’t leave for no reason. For a team missing Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner recently demoted, and Royce Lewis on the verge of the same, they can hardly afford to have Jeffers miss significant time.
Second, two different pitchers issued four pitch walks to Christian Vazquez. I don’t need to tell anyone around here that walking Vazquez at all, let alone on four pitches, is a demote-able offense. Simeon Woods Richardson is still adjust to reliever life, it appears.
STUDS
Josh Bell: 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI
Kendry Rojas: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 R
DUDS
NO DUDS TWINS WIN!!!!
Comment of the game goes to norff for finally making Justin Topa’s role on this team clear.
SEATTLE, WA - MAY 18: Cole Young #2 of the Seattle Mariners and Colt Emerson #4 looks on prior to the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Monday, May 18, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Eric Hiller/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
SAN DIEGO –– The Padres own the worst batting average in the majors. Their starting rotation is being held together by Elmer’s glue and duct tape. And they have the run differential of, at best, a .500 ball club.
After a 1-0 win over the Dodgers on Monday night, they are also in first place in the National League West.
If you’ve been watching from afar, and wondering exactly how the Padres (29-18) are winning so much with their best two players batting a combined .207 and most of their best pitchers on the injured list, then Monday’s series-opener provided a telling answer.
They’ve found ways to limit runs, riding a scoreless seven-inning start from Michael King on Monday (including a season-high nine strikeouts for him).
Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres reacts after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 at Petco Park on May 18, 2026. Getty Images
They’ve gotten unexpected contributions from others in their lineup, including a first-inning homer from Miguel Andujar off Yoshinobu Yamamoto (the only blemish in Yamamoto’s seven-inning, eight-strikeout start).
And once they’ve taken leads, they simply do not relinquish them, with superstar closer (and potential Cy Young candidate) Mason Miller picking up his 15th save in a scoreless ninth inning.
“When they’re ahead in the seventh inning, they don’t lose,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“It’s hard to score against Mason Miller,” first baseman Freddie Freeman added.
Miller did not make life easy for himself in his save situation. He missed with eight of his first nine pitches, issuing two walks in a game for only the second time this year.
But on a night of missed chances for the Dodgers (29-19) –– who had a runner in scoring position in each of their last four trips to the plate –– they let another one go by the wayside. Will Smith flied out. Max Muncy took a called third strike. And Andy Pages hit a grounder to third that ended the game, handing the Padres the kind of win they’ve been getting all year.
What it means
Standings might not matter much at this point in the year.
But if the first seven weeks of this season have been any indication, the Padres figure to be a thorn in the Dodgers’ side once again.
The last two years, the Padres have taken the division race down to the final weeks of the season. Last year, they held first place as late as Aug. 23, pushing the defending champions all the way to the end.
Max Muncy of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts to striking out during the fifth inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on May 18, 2026. Getty Images
But right now, it’s only underscoring their uneven start to the campaign.
After appearing to turn a corner during a recent five-game winning streak, their lineup came back to earth on Monday, striking out 10 times against King and company while going 0-for-7 with a runner in scoring position.
Who’s hot
It certainly wasn’t a highlight night for Shohei Ohtani. But he continued to improve his early-season numbers by reaching base three times in a 2-for-3 performance.
Coming off a big series against the Angels over the weekend, when he finally began to emerge from a month-long slump, Ohtani drew a walk in the fourth inning, then followed a two-out single in the sixth from Hyeseong Kim with a swinging bunt that led to an errant throw, putting runners on the corners.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a single during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
A similar sequence played out in the eighth, when Ohtani followed Kim’s two-out walk with a single off right-handed reliever Jason Adam (and, curiously, not warmed-up left-hander Adrian Morejon in the bullpen).
Alas, on both occasions, Betts made an out behind him to end each inning.
It was all part of the Dodgers’ frustrating night at the plate.
Who’s not
The Dodgers’ baserunning, which made King’s life easier multiple times on Monday.
Through the game’s first five innings, the only two Dodgers players to reach base (Betts after a first-inning single and Ohtani after a fourth-inning walk) were both gunned down by catcher Rodolfo Durán while trying to steal second.
Then in the sixth, they didn’t take advantage of a chance to capitalize on a Padres defensive mistake.
On Ohtani’s swinging bunt, Durán’s throw to first base went up the line and allowed Kim to scurry all the way to third. Once he got there, however, third base coach Dino Ebel threw up a late stop sign –– just as second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. was struggling to corral the ball in shallow right.
Roberts didn’t second-guess the decision afterward, pointing to the tricky timing of the sequence.
“You don’t know that he’s not going to come up with it clean,” he noted.
However, he also added, “It’s one of those that, yeah, it’s unfortunate. Two outs. If we know something different, he probably would have done something different. But that’s a hard one.”
Up next
The Dodgers will try to even this rivalry series on Tuesday, when Emmet Sheehan (3-1, 4.54 ERA) faces off against Griffin Canning (0-2, 10.64 ERA).
"It's huge," said Brett Baty, whose 2-for-6 night featured three RBI on a fourth-inning solo shot and his two-run single in the 12th inning when New York (21-26) scored 10 runs to pull away from Washington (23-25). "Just come in here and try to win Game 1. We've got three more here, so just came in here and tried to win Game 1, honestly."
"I mean, the resilience, the grit -- that's a group that we came today and it's a new series, it's a new day," said Carlos Mendoza. "What happened yesterday doesn't matter, you know? And that's the mentality for tomorrow. We show up tomorrow.
"We won a very good game today. It was a back-and-forth, and we never got down. We kept punching. And even when we didn't score those couple of extra innings there, we were able to -- the pitching staff was able to give us a chance, and the guys came through.
"So, emotions -- like I said, we've got to be able to turn the page. I say that when we're losing, I'm saying the same thing when we're winning, you know? It's another important game tomorrow. We'll come here and that's what we'll do."
The Mets totaled 18 hits and used seven pitchers, including Huascar Brazobán, who earned the win after entering in the 10th inning and gave New York a chance before the bats broke out in the 11th and 12th.
"That's the team that we are," Brazobán said through an interpreter. "Whatever happened in the past happened in the past, and we go out there and compete. And now, it's favoring us. The talent that we have, the way that we're able to play -- it's turning out the right way now for us."
Nolan McLean (2-2, 2.92 ERA) gets the start next as the Mets seek a season-high-tying fourth straight win in Tuesday's 6:45 p.m. game on SNY.
"We're just doing our job -- showing up every day and trying to win games," said Bo Bichette, whose 3-for-6 night with three RBI was among New York's key contributors Monday. "And when you win games, you start to kind of feel what it feels like and you just try to keep that going. So, it's fun to win -- fun to come to the park right now."
OKLAHOMA CITY — Victor Wembanyama had 41 points and 24 rebounds, Dylan Harper finished with 24 points and a team playoff-record seven steals, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in a double-overtime classic to open the Western Conference finals Monday night.
Wembanyama sealed it with a pair of dunks in the final minute, one of them leading to a three-point play as the Spurs stole home-court advantage and beat the Thunder for the fifth time in six meetings this season.
Stephon Castle had 17 points, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson each scored 13 and Julian Champagnie added 11 for the Spurs, who were without De’Aaron Fox because of ankle stiffness.
“A great effort — from everybody,” said Wembanyama, who, at 22 years, 134 days, became the youngest player with at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was 22 years, 343 days when he had a 40/20 game in the 1970 NBA Finals.
Victor Wembanyama drives to the basket during the Spurs’ May 18 win. NBAE via Getty Images
Alex Caruso scored 31 points, the second-highest scoring game of his career, off the bench for the Thunder — whose nine-game playoff winning streak dating to Game 7 of last season’s Finals was snapped.
Jalen Williams returned from a six-game absence caused by a hamstring strain and scored 26 points for the Thunder, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — on the night he got his second straight Most Valuable Player trophy — had 24 points and 12 assists but shot 7 for 23.
It was the sixth Game 1 in NBA playoff history to go into double overtime — the first since a Spurs-Warriors game in 2013.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander attempts a shot during the Thunder’s May 18 loss. Imagn Images
And as the clock ticked toward midnight, Wembanyama decided enough was enough.
Game 2 is Wednesday at Oklahoma City.
“It was a war of wills,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “The levels of mental toughness exuded by both teams … we needed every second from everybody that played.”
The Spurs were up by 10 with 9:10 left in regulation, wasted it all, then survived a frantic final stretch where the lead changed hands twice and the game was tied three times in a span of less than two minutes.
Victor Wembanyama walks off the court after the Spurs’ May 18 win. NBAE via Getty Images
Wembanyama had an off-balance chance to win it on the last play of regulation, but Chet Holmgren swatted it away. In overtime, Wembanyama more than atoned — connecting on a tying 3-pointer from well behind the arc with 28 seconds left to tie the game and send it to a second OT.
“We have to get better from this game,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.
Gilgeous-Alexander had his worst first half, shooting-wise, in nearly three years — 1 for 5 from the field, four points. It was the first time since Oct. 29, 2023, a span of 270 appearances including playoffs, that he didn’t have at least two field goals before halftime.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama was doing whatever he wanted — dunking over trios of defenders, flexing at times, finishing the half with 14 points and 10 rebounds, looking perfectly comfortable in his debut on this stage.
And the Spurs’ lead was only seven at the break, 51-44.
Gilgeous-Alexander got a couple shots to fall in the third, and the Thunder even briefly reclaimed the lead. But the Spurs were unfazed and the margin was still seven. San Antonio was ahead 80-73 going into the fourth.
NBC drew the ire of basketball fans Monday night as it aired Game 1 of the Western Conference finals with some noticeable audio issues.
The broadcast of the game between the Spurs and Thunder got off to a rocky start as the audio issues popped up rather quickly.
The audio sounded like someone had dropped Mike Tirico’s headset in a bucket of water, as static muffled any sort of sound from Tirico and analysts Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford.
The audio issues continued to persist at times during the first half of the game, which ended up being a 122-115 Spurs win in double overtime.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 19, 2026
Fans quickly took to social media to voice their frustrations with what was happening with the broadcast.
“This broadcast is ridiculous. You can’t even hear the loudest fans in the league. The Amazon / Peacock experiment has been a massive failure,” one person wrote on X.
“Video and audio issues are terrible and bad angles and blurry as well,” another person wrote.
San Diego Padres SP Lucas Giolito (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Late Sunday afternoon in Seattle was the setting for Lucas Giolito’s debut with the San Diego Padres. His emotions were high, but he channeled his energy into a decent outing. No question, there are plenty of positive takeaways from his first start of the 2026 campaign.
This season is different from others, as Giolito had to battle back from a right elbow injury that sidelined him for the entire 2025 postseason with the Boston Red Sox. He was the last starting pitcher standing on the free-agent market.
The Padres signed him to a one-year, pro-rated contract in late April. His outstanding season with Boston fueled their interest. Giolito posted a 10-4 record with a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts. His partnership with Garrett Crochet at the top of the Red Sox rotation earned the franchise an unlikely postseason berth.
Giolito overcame season debut nerves
Giolito shook off some nerves in his debut start, allowing only one hit against the Seattle Mariners. He showed no fear in attacking the strike zone with quality pitches. His command was sharp until the bottom of the sixth inning.
Giolito struggled with his control, walking three batters before Friars manager Craig Stammen removed him from the game. Granted, he was sitting in the dugout for an extended time while the offense scored five runs in the top of the inning.
The finish should not put a bad taste in your mouth. Instead, everyone’s optimism level should be high from Giolito’s first start. You have to be impressed with his presence on the mound, as he showed flashes of his former self.
I cannot wait to see Giolito’s second start, as he should be more comfortable and have better command of his pitches.
When he is on, Giolito’s pitching repertoire is elite
Giolito has an impressive repertoire, especially when his three-pitch mix (four-seam fastball, slider, and circle changeup) is effectively dominating the strike zone. But make no mistake: he relies heavily on his four-seam fastball to get batters out.
His pitching approach is built on neutralizing right-handed hitters by throwing a heavy slider and lefty batters swinging out in front of a fading circle changeup. It allows him to throw his four-seam fastball at the top of the strike zone.
Not too many hitters feel comfortable in an at-bat against Giolito.
Questions will linger about the Padres starting rotation until Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta return to action. The team is playing above .500, but there is no time to rest on their laurels as the Los Angeles Dodgers are coming to Petco Park this week.
The Friars know how to survive and compete without a full roster available. The organization is looking for Giolito to carry some of the load. It may produce his signature moment in the Brown & Gold uniform.
The Padres, by virtue of their solid start to the season, can afford to wait for Giolito to return to 2025 form.
May 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (14) runs to second on a two RBI double in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
It wasn’t a sure thing this game would be played to conclusion as the rain fell hard during Bark at the Park night. However, the Colorado Rockies and the Texas Rangers played a full nine innings of soggy baseball with plenty of slips, slides, and runs scored.
“I love it,” said TJ Rumfield of the conditions. “Anything that makes the [opposing] pitcher uncomfortable.”
Nearly-Quality Quintana
Left-handed veteran José Quintana wasn’t flashy, but got the job done on a wet night in Denver. He pitched 5.2 innings while giving up three earned runs—just the third time he’s given up more than two earned runs this season—on seven hits. Quintana’s control was strong despite a slick baseball. He walked just one Rangers hitter while striking out four, which is the second-most he’s recorded this season.
Quintana wasn’t without help, however. Incredibly solid defense from the Rockies despite the wet conditions helped him on multiple occasions. You had Rumfield corralling the ball as he fell into the first base dugout, multiple slick plays by Ezequiel Tovar, and a sliding catch in the outfield by Jake McCarthy.
His toughest inning was the top of the fifth. After giving up a solo home run to Justin Foscue, Quintana loaded the bases with two outs via back-to-back singles and a walk. A ground ball fielded by Tovar got him out of the inning. Quintana then looked like he could make it through six innings for just the second time this season—and net the Rockies a rare Quality Start—but after giving up a single and a double with two outs and an elevated pitch count he was relieved by Jaden Hill. Hill finished the inning on the aforementioned McCarthy catch.
After Hill pitched 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, Victor Vodnik entered the game for the eighth inning. Vodnik has been struggling this season, entering today’s game with a 6.50 ERA in 17 appearances. His struggles continued tonight as he issued a double and two walks without recording an out to load the bases. Vodnik was pulled for lefty Brennan Bernardino.
Bernardino gave up a two run single as soon as he entered the game, and a third run would score when Kyle Karros fielded a grounder and decided to throw to first instead of home while attempting to turn a double play. Bernardino would eventually navigate out of the inning, but all three runs scored would be charged to Vodnik. Vodnik now has an ERA of 8.00 this season.
The Rockies had a relatively complete offensive performance against the Rangers, scoring seven runs (five earned) on seven hits. They struck out just six times while drawing four walks.
They cracked things open early in the first inning with a Willi Castro double and back-to-back walks drawn by Brenton Doyle and Rumfield to load the bases with no outs against starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore. Tovar, finally showing signs of emerging from his slump, plated two runs with a double of his own deep to left field. McCarthy re-loaded the bases with a swinging bunt single, but the Rockies were unable to further capitalize on the opportunity.
With slick conditions in the rain, the Rockies were able to plate another two runs in the third inning thanks to two errors by the Rangers’ infield defense. Hunter Goodman reached via error and Tovar drew a walk on an ABS challenge. A fielding error by third baseman Josh Jung allowed both Goodman and Tovar to score, though Karros—who hit the ball—was thrown out between first and second to end the inning.
The Rockies scored another two runs in the fourth with some small ball. Sterlin Thompson recorded his first big league hit, though was out after Braxton Fulford grounded into a forceout. However, Fulford then stole second and scored on a Doyle single. Doyle then stole second himself and scored on a Rumfield single.
Fulford, who was called up today to replace an injured Jordan Beck on the roster, drew a walk in the sixth inning and once again stole second base. He was driven home on Castro’s second double of the evening.
There’s more rain in the forecast as the Rockies are slated for their second game against the rangers tomorrow night. Right-handed former top prospect Kumar Rocker is the scheduled starter for the Rangers, while the Rockies have yet to announce their own. First pitch is set for 6:40 PM MDT.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 18: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the second inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on May 18, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who would have thought that when Miguel Andujar scored a run in the first on a solo homer, he’d be scoring the only one in this game as the Padres won it 1-0? Seldom throughout the course of the 2026 season did Yoshinobu Yamamoto find an opponent capable and effective in going toe-to-toe with him through a start—Michael King had something to say about that, as the Padres’ ace outdueled him, shutting down an offense that was just coming off scoring a whopping 31 runs in three games against the Angels, sweeping their way through the first of three straight series away from home. With seven scoreless innings, King was able to maintain the smallest of leads, and the Padres’ bullpen closed the door despite some late scares.
For those of you who weren’t following the Padres all that closely as of yet, considering this is the first meeting between these clubs in 2026, King is at the core of these successful first few months that have the Padres battling the Dodgers for the NL West lead. The Padres’ starter, who came into this game having allowed no more than two earned runs in seven of his nine starts, faced the minimum through his first five innings, seeing the two base runners he allowed thrown out trying to steal second. Interestingly, a similar pattern took place in the sixth, this time with a lead-off base runner erased following a double play. At least the Dodgers managed to work up King’s pitch count, which was surprisingly in check for a starter who recorded nine strikeouts in his first five innings, even if they failed to do damage by stranding two base runners in the sixth.
Unfazed by seeing Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani thrown out on the basepaths earlier in the game—also somewhat pressed to create action with how well King was pitching—Kyle Tucker stole second with two outs in the seventh. Unfortunately, Max Muncy couldn’t drive him in with a dangerous fly ball caught in right-center. That at-bat wrapped up seven scoreless for King on an even 100 pitches. It should be noted that Tucker only had that opportunity due to a Freddie Freeman walk on a 3-2 overturned strike call, winning his challenge by the thinnest of margins. Tucker replaced Freeman on the basepaths following a forceout.
With both starters completing seven magnificent innings, it was up to the Dodgers to make something happen late to avoid a frustrating 1-0 defeat, having last been shut out nearly a month ago. For a game with dominant pitching, though, the Dodgers sure did their part in wasting opportunities. Once again in the eighth, they put a couple of players on base, this time in front of Betts with two outs, and the shortstop couldn’t drive them in, instead grounding out.
Even against the imposing figure of Mason Miller as the closer, it’d be in line with this game for the Dodgers to threaten and not score, and that’s exactly what they did. Miller walked the first two hitters with spotty command, to say the least, but settled in after that, retiring the following three in order.
This represented the first 1-0 loss for the Dodgers at San Diego since 2008, and while Andujar’s home run will take a lot of the attention, Rodolfo Durán’s work behind the plate shouldn’t go overlooked. The Padres catcher threw out two of three base runners and won all three of his challenges.
Game particulars
Home run— Miguel Andujar (4)
WP— Michael King (4-2): 7 IP, 4 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
A couple of days removed from facing the Angels, the Dodgers will meet a starting pitcher who spent the bulk of his career in Anaheim in Griffin Canning. He’ll have to contend with Emmet Sheehan’s effort on the other side of this duel that starts at 6:40 p.m. (PT).
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 18: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 18, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is just the first game of the Western Conference Finals, but it’s one of the greatest playoff games in the history of the league. The Spurs, without the services of their veteran point guard De’Aaron Fox got almost 49 minutes from Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle. Victor scored 41 points with 24 rebounds and Harper had incredible plays in the second overtime to help ice the game. Castle had a tough night with turnovers, losing 11, but had key plays on defense as the Spurs kept newly crowned MVP under control, but brought to the precipice of defeat several times with an incredible night from Alex Caruso, who almost took back the game for the Thunder with a 31 point effort and a series of spectacular defensive plays. It was a great night for the Silver and Black as they showed they belong in the finals and stole home court advantage from the defending champs.
Observations
It was a big disappointment when I found out that De’Aaron Fox had to sit out with an ankle injury. I think that Dylan Harper is great, but the biggest strength of the Spurs (besides that one guy) is that they have three elite guards so that at least two of them can be on the floor the whole game. It could be a bigger role for Keldon Johnson if they play a little bigger, and maybe we could even see some Jordan McLaughlin and/or Lindy Waters III minutes in spot duty tonight. Hopefully, the Spurs will unleash Carter Bryant tonight.
The Spurs jumped out to a quick 7-0 start, keeping the OKC fans standing for the first 3:15 of gametime, forcing Daigneault to bring Alex Caruso. Caruso obliged by hitting a three, allowing the OKC fans to finally take a seat.
The Spurs were aggressive on offense to start the game, and drew early fouls on the Thunder to the dismay of the fans in the arena.
Caruso really lifted up the team in the first quarter when nobody else was doing much. He’s not the most athletic or talented guy on the court, but nobody plays with more heart. I want to dislike him, but I can’t.
Caruso’s energy to start the game tided the Thunder over until the other starters shook off the rust, and the Thunder took the lead briefly, with the Silver and Black fighting back late, with the score was tied at 27 each at the end of the the first period.
There was a bit of drama late in the first quarter as Holmgren was fouled by Kornet and bounced into the stanchion. Luckily, no one was injured and it was just a common foul by Kornet.
Carter Bryant has this amazing ability to improve from game to game. In the first two rounds, his biggest weakness was picking up quick fouls on defense. He’s adjusting on the fly, and he was able to play shutdown defense with only one foul in the first half.
The Thunder defense was successful at disrupting the Spurs offense, forcing 8 turnovers in the first half, but he Spurs defense was also performing, and the Spurs led 51-44 at the half as they kept every Thunder player besides Caruso under control.
The Thunder started the third with more energy and forced an eight second call on Stephon Castle, which led to Lu Dort getting a wide open look at a three point shot to put OKC up 58-57, capping off a 14-6 OKC run to retake the lead.
Mitch Johnson had words for Harper for giving up the rebound that led to Dort’s shot, but he made up for the mistake by making key plays as the Spurs retook the lead in the third. The extra minutes that he and Castle had to play with Fox out made it hard to keep up the effort, but that’s what he was brought to the Spurs to do.
The Spur fought back and led 80-73 with a quarter to play, despite a timely late triple from Caruso.
Stephon Castle is an amazing player, but he one weakness is that he doesn’t have an elite handle, and he can be made to turn over the ball by aggressive double teams. It looked like Mitch made an adjustment in the second half by having Harper bring the ball up court more often.
The Spurs threw multiple players at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the whole game, but he could not be completely stopped, and he made a key and-one with 5 minutes to bring the Thunder within 5 points. The Spurs were trying to steal the game, and the Thunder were doing everything they could to steal it back.
Wembanyama made a head scratcher foul with two minutes left, bowling over Caruso, which caused another pointless video review. I love the guy, but he doesn’t always play smart. Caruso made a triple on the return trip to give the Thunder the lead with just under two minutes left in the game.
Julian Champagnie and Jalen Williams exchanged buckets to tie the game up at 97, leading up to an incredible sequence from Dylan Harper where he lost the basketball twice and recovered it to draw a foul. He hit both shots to give the Spurs a 2 point lead with 34 seconds left.
Daigneault drew up an incredible series of plays to keep the Thunder get just enough shots to counter the Spurs, and with both teams scoring 4 points in the final minute, the game went to overtime 101-101. The Silver and Black had a chance to win it in regulation, but the Thunder disrupted him just enough for Holmgren to get into position to block his shot.
The overtime session was insane, as each team made incredible play after incredible play, and Wembanyama tied it up at 108 with 26 seconds left with a crazy 28 foot rainbow shot. SGA tried to take the lead but missed the shot with Harper getting the rebound with .7 seconds left. Caruso erased the lob attempt and the game went to an incredible second overtime session.
Harper made the key play of the second overtime, with a drive to the basket and a free throw after getting clobbered in the face twice to give the Spurs a 4 point lead. The game was iced with a Wembanyama Alley Oop with 20 seconds left to put the Spurs up 120-114, with Devin Vassell’s block a few seconds later as the cherry on top, as the Spurs won 122-115.
Up next
The Spurs will play game 2 against the Thunder Wednesday at 7:30 PM in the Paycom Center. The game will be broadcast on NBC/Peacock again, as will all the remaining games in the Western Conference Finals, while the Eastern Conference Finals will be on ESPN/ABC.
May 10, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook (15) celebrates with teammate defenseman Lane Hutson (48) after scoring a goal against the Buffalo Sabresduring the first period in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Alex Newhook scored his second Game 7-winning goal of the postseason, this time 11:22 into overtime in the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.
Newhook drove up the left wing and as he approached the circle snapped a shot through a screen that beat goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen inside the far post. Newhook also scored the decisive goal, breaking a 1-1 tie 11:07 into the third period, in Game 7 of Montreal’s first-round series win over Tampa Bay.
“It’s a crazy feeling,” Newhook said of scoring back-to-back Game 7 winners. “It’s fun. It’s why you play the game. I think we played well enough to win, so we’re looking forward now.”
Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc also scored for the Canadiens and Jakub Dobes finished with 37 saves.
Rasmus Dahlin forced overtime by tying the game 6:27 into the third period. Jordan Greenway also scored. Luukkonen finished with 22 saves.
The Canadiens advance to the Eastern Conference finals, where they’ll face the well-rested Hurricanes in a series set to open at Carolina on Thursday. The Hurricanes have swept each of their first two series, and been off since a 3-2 overtime win against Philadelphia on May 9.
The Canadiens continue their upward trajectory a year after being eliminated in the first round by Washington.
“We’re a confident group,” Newhook said. “We’ve added some pieces, and I think everyone’s kind of come together to play together and play their role to the best of their ability this far in playoffs. We’ve got to keep it rolling.”
Buffalo dropped to 1-7 in Game 7, including 1-3 in overtime.
The Sabres enter their offseason following a breakout year in which they won their first Atlantic Division title and ended an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought. Buffalo’s turnaround began in early December, when the team went from last in the East standings to finish second by going 39-9-5 over its final 53 games.
The Sabres’ first-round win over Boston was their first since 2007, and the team returns a young and talented group that reflects a promising future in Buffalo.
Trailing 2-0, the Sabres cut Montreal’s lead 13:19 into the second period when Mattias Samuelsson’s shot grazed off Greenway and into the open left side past a screened Dobes. Dahlin then tied it after being set up by Owen Power to the left of the Montreal net, and fired a shot in before Dobes could get across.
Game 7 followed the series script in which each of the opening goals have been scored within the first seven minutes.
For only the second time, though, it was the Canadiens scoring first 4:30 in. Danault was parked in front and had Kaiden Guhle’s shot from the left circle deflect in off his skate.
Bolduc followed 10 minutes later with a one-timer from the right circle in which he beat Luukkonen high on the short side. Captain Nick Suzuki set up the goal with a cross-ice feed from the far corner.
Buffalo waited 15 years to host a Game 7 like this again, only to watch its dream season end in stunned silence as the Montreal Canadiens escaped KeyBank Center with a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime victory Monday night.
Alex Newhook buried the winner 11:22 into overtime as the Canadiens survived another punishing playoff battle, eliminating the Buffalo Sabres in dramatic fashion and punching their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.
ALEX NEWHOOK WINS IT IN OVERTIME 🚨🚨🚨
THAT'S HIS 2ND GAME 7 SERIES CLINCHING GOAL OF THESE PLAYOFFS AND THE HABS MOVE ON 🤯 pic.twitter.com/yazHgkRdkP
The Canadiens, now an astonishing 6-0 following losses in these playoffs, will open the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday in Raleigh against a Carolina team that still hasn’t tasted defeat this postseason.
Montreal Survives Another Heavyweight Fight
For nearly three hours, the game felt like a tug-of-war between Buffalo’s relentless pressure and Montreal’s refusal to crack.
Phillip Danault and Zachary Bolduc scored in regulation for the Canadiens, who once again leaned on resilience more than dominance. Montreal has now played 14 playoff games in 30 days, yet somehow continues to look composed in the moments where lesser teams unravel.
The early portion of Game 7 belonged to Montreal. The Canadiens accomplished the most important task imaginable for a road team facing elimination: silence the building before the crowd could fully ignite.
Danault opened the scoring midway through the first period after a strong forecheck forced a Buffalo turnover deep in its own zone. Later in the frame, Bolduc capitalized on the power play to stretch the lead to 2-0, abruptly draining the energy from a nervous KeyBank Center crowd.
But the Sabres never stopped pushing.
Buffalo tilted the ice for long stretches of the second period, overwhelming Montreal territorially and forcing Jakub Dobeš into a series of game-saving stops. Jordan Greenway finally cut the deficit in half on a deflection goal after wave after wave of Sabres pressure, and by the time the third period arrived, momentum had fully shifted.
When Rasmus Dahlin blasted home the tying goal just over six minutes into the third, the arena erupted back to life and the Canadiens suddenly looked vulnerable again.
They just didn’t stay vulnerable for long.
Dobeš Rebounds When Montreal Needed Him Most
There was legitimate uncertainty surrounding Jakub Dobeš entering the game after he was pulled in Game 6 following a six-goal collapse.
Instead of folding under that pressure, the rookie netminder delivered another defining postseason performance.
Dobeš turned aside 37 shots and repeatedly rescued Montreal during Buffalo’s most dangerous stretches. His sprawling second-period robbery on Tage Thompson from point-blank range may have been the save that ultimately changed the outcome of the series.
While Buffalo controlled much of the possession battle and generated extended offensive-zone pressure, Dobeš consistently prevented the game from spiraling away from Montreal.
At the other end, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was sharp as well, stopping 22 shots and keeping the Sabres alive with multiple breakaway saves and several key stops on Cole Caufield early in the game. Both goaltenders entered the night carrying questions. Both answered them emphatically.
But only one got the final save.
Buffalo’s Breakthrough Season Ends In Heartbreak
The cruelty of Game 7 hockey is that one bounce can erase months of progress.
For Buffalo, the loss will sting deeply because this season represented so much more than one playoff run. The Sabres captured the Atlantic Division title, snapped a 15-year postseason drought, and reintroduced meaningful spring hockey to a city desperate for it.
Still, the ending will linger.
The Sabres finished just 2-5 at home during the playoffs, an almost impossible statistic to explain considering how dominant they looked on the road throughout the postseason. Across this series, the visiting team won five of seven games, further emphasizing how strange and volatile the matchup became.
Dahlin was magnificent in defeat, continuing a postseason that felt like a national arrival for the Buffalo captain. After recording five points in Game 6, he dominated stretches of Game 7 as well, driving play whenever he stepped on the ice and delivering the third-period equalizer that briefly seemed destined to become a franchise-defining moment.
Instead, it became another painful chapter in Buffalo’s long postseason history.
Now difficult offseason questions await the organization. Head coach Lindy Ruff is without a contract beyond this season, while top-six winger Alex Tuch is also approaching an uncertain future.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens keep moving.
Montreal entered the playoffs as the youngest team in the field. Now, after surviving consecutive seven-game wars, the youngest team to reach the conference final since the 1993 Canadiens is suddenly four wins away from the Stanley Cup Final.
May 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran (20) reacts after a play in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored six runs but the Colorado Rockies scored seven runs.
Let’s see here…
The Rangers fielded one of the least impressive lineups I’ve maybe ever seen.
Their starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore left injured after only an inning of work in which he was lucky to have allowed just two runs.
The defense committed a couple of errors among several more miscues, one of which allowed two runs to score despite Colorado not having a hit in the inning.
The Rangers out-hit the Rockies 10-7. Five of Colorado’s hits were with RISP to just one for Texas.
The Rangers had four pinch hitters. They went 0-for-6 on the night.
The team trailed 2-0, 4-1, 6-1, and 7-3 before still very nearly Coors Field-ing their way back to a win late only to fall 7-6 anyway despite several chances to at least tie the game.
Maybe it’ll be warmer tomorrow.
Player of the Game: Justin Foscue is probably wishing he’d been drafted by the Rockies so he could play every day at Coors Field. Tonight Foscue entered the game with six career extra base hits and left with nine as he homered, doubled twice, and drove in each of Texas’ first three runs.
Foscue’s career night concluded with a walk during a three-run eighth inning rally, as the former first-rounder reached in each of his plate appearances.
Up Next: The Rangers will be asking for innings from RHP Kumar Rocker tomorrow after another quasi-bullpen game tonight. The Rockies, meanwhile, don’t have a starting pitcher listed yet.
The Wednesday evening first pitch from Coors Field is scheduled for 7:40 pm CDT and will be aired once more on the Rangers Sports Network.
