NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - APRIL 22: Bryce Mayer #6 of the Corpus Christi Hooks pitches during the game between the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. (Photo by Braeden Botts/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (23-30) won 5-3 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land got on the board in the 3rd inning on a Cole RBI single. They scored another run in the 6th on a Loperfido groundout. Gordon got the start and was great tossing 6 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts. Hader pitched in relief but allowed a 2 run home run, though both runs were unearned, over one inning. Sugar Land took the lead in the 8th on a Biggio RBI single and Winkler 2 run home run. Murray allowed a run in the 9th but held on for the save as Sugar Land won 5-3.
Colton Gordon, LHP: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Josh Hader, LHP: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (WIN)
Jayden Murray, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (SAVE)
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (22-25) won 11-3 (BOX SCORE)
The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on a Sullivan 2 run home run. They got another run in the third inning on an Austin RBI triple. Mayer got the start and pitched well allowing 1 run over 4.2 innings while striking out 9 batters. The offense added more runs with a Holy RBI single in the 6th and Ferreras 2 run single in the 7th. The offense added more runs in the 9th on a Bruthcer 2 run single, Guillemette 2 run single and Holy sac fly.
Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (9-37) lost 11-5 (BOX SCORE)
Rodriguez got the start for Asheville but struggled allowing 6 runs over 3.2 innings. The offense got 4 runs back in the third inning on a Frey 2 run double, Call RBI double and Lytle sac fly. The offense got another in the 7th on a Frey RBI double but the pen allowed another 5 runs. The offense was unable to score again as Asheville fell 11-5.
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (20-27) won 3-2 (BOX SCORE)
The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning scoring 2 runs on a Wakefield solo home run and Huezo RBI single. Potter got the start and was pitching well tossing 3 scoreless innings but a rain delay caused his start to end early. The Woodpeckers got another run in the 8th inning on a passed ball. Oakes pitched well in relief allowing 2 runs, 1 earned, over 5 innings. Cassedy tossed a scoreless 9th inning as he closed out the 3-2 win.
May 12, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) hits a single during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Good morning everyone! Your Seattle Mariners get to enjoy this off-day in sole possession of first place in the American League West after confidently toppling the A’s last night 9-1.
The squad will now head back home for a pair of interleague battles against the Diamondbacks and Mets. What are you most looking forward to during this homestand?
In Mariners news…
Dan Wilson and Jerry Dipoto each privately met with pitchers Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo to smooth over any potential issues revolving around the piggyback situation. The club reiterated that it plans to continue with the setup for the foreseeable future.
Around the league…
The MLBPA presented its first official proposal in the latest round of Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations. Among many items in the proposal were a near-doubling of the league minimum salary, a reduced year of club control for players older than 30, and a “competitive-integrity tax” which would serve as a pseudo-salary floor. The league will present its first proposal later today.
Veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen has been DFA’d by the Rangers. I really wish he was even half-decent, because he’s right-handed (which the Mariners sorely need) and a ton of fun to root for.
Christian Yelich assured reporters that the beef between the Cardinals and Brewers — stemming from Milwaukee reliever Abner Uribe’s obscene celebration gesture — has been “handled.”
Dodgers prospect Kendall George suffered a leg injury while trying to avoid colliding with the Tulsa Drillers’ bat dog. In response, the team announced that it will suspend the bat dog program.
Phillies right-hander Cristopher Sánchez broke the franchise record with 41 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 29: JJ Picollo General Manager of the Kansas City Royals talks with John Sherman Chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Royals prior to a game Kauffman Stadium on June 29, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ever wondered what it’s like inside a big league clubhouse like after a blowout loss? I can tell you: it’s quiet.
At least, that’s what it was in the Kansas City Royals clubhouse after getting stomped 15-1 by the New York Yankees on Tuesday evening. Half a dozen or so players sat around a table, silently eating their postgame dinner. The faint sounds of the shower echoed through the hallway. Some players in street clothes, heads down, scrolled on their phones at their locker.
Wading through the foglike weariness politely trudged a small parade of reporters and writers. Three players were offered as a tribute to the ever-churning machine of sports media, as was manager Matt Quatraro in the media room a few minutes prior. The responses were pretty consistent.
“We were getting our brains beat in and nobody feels good,” Quatraro said.
“It’s wearing on me,” first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said.
Sometimes blowouts like these happen. But this particular loss had teeth. It’s the team’s 13th consecutive loss to the Yankees, two of which happened in the 2024 playoffs. More importantly, it sunk the Royals to 11 games below .500 and was their 14th loss in their last 19 games. Three weeks ago, the Royals were second in the American League Central with a 42.5% chance to make the playoffs, per Fangraphs. That figure has sunk to a lean 13.4%, a figure that feels too high and is only in the double-digits because pretty much everybody in the AL is having a rough go of it.
While the Royals won’t go on losing 75% of their games for the rest of the year like they have for the last two weeks, the players are stuck right now. Losing isn’t fun for anyone, let alone hypercompetitive athletes. “Nobody wants to stand there and watch that,” Quatraro said about the blowout against New York. “But that’s the reality of what happened in the game. There’s nowhere to go.”
Pasquantino echoed that thought. “We just got to keep moving forward and we don’t have a choice,” he said from his locker. “We’re not doing our jobs so we’ve got to get better. We’ve got to keep working hard and we’re going to do that. Like I said, we’ve got faith in this team. Just got to keep pushing forward.”
Vinnie’s thought process is a healthy one. Individual athletes can only really affect two things: their own performance and how good of a teammate they are. He’s committed to getting better to the best of his ability, and he’s tired of losing, but it’s a job and it’s important to keep things in perspective.
But there is a natural silhouette around those words about what athletes can’t do, what they are not employed to do. It is not their job to construct a roster or decide on strategy. It is not their job to evaluate the performance of the team or organization. When things go bad, it’s the players who have to go out there the day after getting blown out and compete in an incredibly difficult league against some of the best athletes in the world, in front of fans who could boo and heckle them. It’s the players putting their bodies on the line and risking damage that could impact the rest of their lives.
Earlier, Quatraro was asked how difficult it was to stay the course when things weren’t going their way during the course of the season. After the question, Q took a short but noticeable pause before answering. “I mean, there’s no alternative but to stay the course,” he said. “We’re not going to blow things up. These guys are working their butts off. We talk about it all the time. You got to trust in the people and the processes that you have and we got to go out there and play better.”
Ah, ‘the course.’ It is one thing to stay the course when the course is a proven path of success. The Royals simply haven’t established that. Yes, the team made the playoffs in 2024. But everything is clearer in hindsight: the further we get away from the season, the uncomfortable truth seems to be that they squeaked into the playoffs mainly through a combination of an incandescent Bobby Witt Jr. masterpiece of a season and the nearby presence of a historically bad, 121-loss Chicago White Sox club floundering about in Kansas City’s division. Without what amounted to a minor league team to beat up on and with a merely great-but-not-otherworldy Witt, the Royals’ course has been mediocre at best.
Vital to this discussion is the longevity of mediocrity going on: the Royals are now 114-132 over their last 244 regular season games, and it took them winning their last two games of 2025 to claw their way out from a losing season. This year, they’re on pace for 98 losses. I don’t need to tell you that this performance is unacceptable for a team that thinks of itself as a good team. They are going backwards.
But is it unacceptable? The players think so. I’m not sure team leadership does, at least not in a way that is impactful. See, there are a wide variety of moves that a team like this can do. Some of them are minor, like taking some creative approaches to lineup construction. Some are maybe a little more involved, like making a change at hitting coach or pitching coach or sending a struggling player back to the minors for a reset. Some of them are somewhat major or even organization-shaking, like making a change at manager or general manager. There are legitimate reasons to make or not make each of these moves, but if the Royals thought that they were a playoff team going into this year, something should have happened by now. We’ve gotten, well, nothing.
Quatraro has gotten a lot of heat lately, but JJ Picollo and John Sherman should be getting more than they are because it’s really their job to evaluate the performance of the entire baseball operations department. The players are giving it all they’ve got. It’s the team leadership that ought to be evaluating if the right players are in the right spots with the right coaching. It’s clearly evident that’s not happening.
The Royals were, of course, swept by the Yankees. They were, naturally, shut out in Wednesday’s game. They’re off on a 10-game road trip. Things might get worse before they get better. But to get better, Royals brass will have to set aside their egos and pay attention.
Each of the last three Eastern Conference Finals matchups has finished with five or fewer total goals.
With Montreal on the brink of elimination tonight, my Canadiens vs. Hurricanes predictions point to yet another tight, low-scoring contest.
Let's get right into my NHL picks for Friday, May 29.
UPDATE: Added prediction for who will win & +325 SGP pick.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 5 prediction tonight
Who will win Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 5?
Hurricanes: The Canadiens look like a team that is completely out of gas. They have no answers for Carolina's relentless forechecking and pressure, and Montreal continues to spend most of each game on its heels.
The Hurricanes have won the expected goal battle 19.24-8.40, yet are only up 12-10 on the scoreboard. Carolina will end this series on home ice.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes best bet: Under 5.5 (-110)
The Carolina Hurricanes have limited shot attempts, expected goals, and goals more effectively than every team in the playoffs. They are giving up next to nothing on a nightly basis, which helps explain why 10 of their 12 games have gone Under the total.
The Hurricanes have been particularly smothering against the Montreal Canadiens, who are completely gassed after consecutive seven-game series vs. division rivals.
Generating offense will be a problem for Montreal, while Jakub Dobes, the playoff leader in Goals Saved Above Expected, has proven reliable at limiting the opponent.
Expect a 3-2 type of game in Carolina. Playable to -125.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 5 same-game parlay
Nick Suzuki Over 1.5 shots
Lane Hutson Over 0.5 assists
Lane Hutson Over 1.5 blocked shots
Nick Suzuki is leading the Canadiens with 10 shots on goal this series. He has multiple shots in six of seven games against Carolina dating back to the regular season, and Montreal's captain will be relied upon heavily to lead the way in this elimination game.
Lane Hutson has started more shifts in the offensive zone than anybody on the roster. Martin St. Louis is giving him prime usage to put his high-end playmaking to use.
Sticking with Hutson, he has blocked 18 shots over the last six games. That includes eight over two appearances in Carolina. He played 24+ minutes in both elimination games thus far, and that kind of workload would afford plenty of block opportunities against the shot-happy Hurricanes.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 5 goal scorer pick
Nick Suzuki (+260)
Suzuki leads the Canadiens in shots on goal this series and is the only forward on the team averaging more than a shot per game against the Hurricanes yet to find the back of the net.
He is almost 10 minutes clear of the closest Canadiens forward to him in ice time this round. He'll get every opportunity to make something happen offensively, and I see value in backing him to +230.
Canadiens vs Hurricanes odds for Game 5 tonight
Moneyline: Montreal +185 | Carolina -225
Puck Line: Montreal +1.5 (-135) | Carolina -1.5 (+115)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-110) | Under 5.5 (-110)
Canadiens vs Hurricanes trend
Carolina has hit the game total Under in 13 of the last 15 games (+11.30 units, 67% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Hurricanes.
How to watch Canadiens vs Hurricanes Game 5
Location
Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC
Date
Friday, May 29, 2026
Puck drop
8 p.m. ET
TV
TNT, CBC
Canadiens vs Hurricanes latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
It appears the NHL may not have the most exciting offseason when it comes to free agency this summer. With very few superstar players expected to hit the open market, teams with lots of cap space like the Detroit Red Wings could find themselves limited in terms of impactful additions.
One name that has remained on Detroit’s radar for some time is Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson. With Dallas facing a difficult salary cap situation, many Red Wings fans have begun speculating that the organization could attempt to pry Robertson away through an offer sheet.
However, another emerging star on a team facing an even worse cap crunch may be becoming an even more realistic target in Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev.
The 25-year-old Russian forward has quickly become one of the breakout names of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs and would fit perfectly into Detroit’s growing core as another major scoring threat.
Dorofeyev has developed into one of the league’s more dangerous goal scorers over the past two seasons, recording 72 goals during that span. That total ties him for the 15th-most goals in the NHL alongside some of the league’s top offensive talents, including Boston Bruins forwards David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie.
Detroit has continued searching for additional offense to support their stars in Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and Alex DeBrincat, and Dorofeyev could provide exactly that. His ability to consistently finish scoring chances would give the Red Wings another dangerous top-six option capable of producing 35 or more goals per season.
Dorofeyev’s value has only continued to rise during Vegas’ current playoff run, scoring 10 goals and adding four assists for 14 points through 16 playoff games. His scoring touch and ability to perform in high-pressure situations are likely making him one of the more attractive restricted free agent targets around the league.
The Golden Knights already entered the offseason facing one of the NHL’s most difficult salary cap situations, and Dorofeyev’s postseason breakout may only complicate matters further. Detroit could potentially present Dorofeyev with a long-term, high-paying offer sheet that Vegas may struggle to match financially.
Draft pick compensation may not be a major obstacle for the Red Wings either. An offer sheet in the range of $7,020,114 to $9,360,153 would cost Detroit a first, second, and third-round pick as compensation. While the Red Wings currently do not possess all of their own required selections, teams have previously completed trades to reacquire their own draft picks specifically for offer sheet purposes.
Detroit’s 2026 first-round pick is currently owned by the St. Louis Blues following the Justin Faulk trade, while their second-round pick next year belongs to the Anaheim Ducks as part of the John Gibson trade.
Still, if general manager Steve Yzerman believes a player like Dorofeyev or Robertson can significantly accelerate the Red Wings’ rebuild into playoff contention, reacquiring those picks could become a realistic possibility this summer.
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Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees head West to take on the Athletics in a three-game set starting Friday...
5 things to watch
Rodon looking to get on track
The Yankees rotation is almost whole again with the returns of Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon.
And while Cole has looked like his Cy Young self, Rodon has scuffled a bit. In three starts since coming off the IL, the southpaw has a 4.15 ERA. He's pitched five innings just once so far, which was his first start back, and has progressively allowed more runs in each start.
His last start saw him allow three runs on five walks across 4.1 innings against the Brewers.
Now, the Athletics are not the NL Central-leading Brewers, but they can hit -- and they play in a minor league ballpark. It could be tough for Rodon, but seeing him get through a quality start on Friday could give the veteran starter some confidence moving forward.
Hitting in the minors
Yes, the Athletics play in West Sacramento in a ballpark meant for a minor league club. It's a bandbox, as we saw last season when 230 long balls were hit out of Sutter Health Park -- second most in MLB. The A's have hit 26 homers at their home ballpark already this year, and with the hot starts from catcher Shea Langeliers and 2025 AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz, those numbers will continue to climb as the season goes on.
Yankees hitters need to take advantage of the park as well. Last season, they hit eight bombs in Sacramento -- the same series that saw Jasson Dominguez have a three-homer game -- and they should be able to do it again.
Volpe rising?
Anthony Volpe continues to produce at the plate and manager Aaron Boone continues to reward his shortstop by starting him every game.
Volpe is 7-for-26 (.269) over his last seven games but he's gotten on base in all but three of his games since he was called up (11 games).
Sep 19, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) runs off of the field before a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
With Volpe at shortstop, Boone has been creative with Jose Caballero. He's started at third base and in the outfield. Continuing to monitor that situation will be interesting. Two right-handers are slated to pitch for the A's this weekend, so Ryan McMahon and Trent Grisham could get starts on Friday and Saturday.
Let the lineup juggling continue.
Getting their wins back
When the Athletics came to the Bronx in early April, they took two of three from the Yankees. After the Yanks won 5-3 in the series opener, David Bednar allowed the go-ahead run to cross in the ninth in their 3-2 loss in the middle game of the series. Then the bats went quiet in the series finale as New York was no-hit into the seventh inning in their 1-0 loss.
It was not a great series for the Yankees, but with the weather warmer and the team a little more rounded into form, this is the time to try and get those wins back as they look to continue their climb up the AL East standings.
Early scoreboard watching
Yes, it's way too early to be scoreboard watching for the division, but with the way the Rays were playing this season, any lull for Tampa needs to be taken advantage of.
The Rays have lost four straight and are 5-5 in their last 10 games as the Yankees have pulled within 1.5 games of them after their four-game winning streak.
Now, the Rays will take on the 21-35 Angels this weekend, but Tampa was just swept by the Orioles -- who were 23-30 heading into their series. So who's to say what will happen. The Yanks need to take care of business in Sacramento, and perhaps they'll find themselves atop the division by the time Sunday is over.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Ben Rice
Rice will take on two right-handed starters and will be hitting in a band box.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Will Warren
Warren continues to be solid and although there are some scary hitters in the A's lineup, I believe he'll get the job done.
Which Athletics player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
Shea Langeliers
Langeliers is tied with Atlanta's Drake Baldwin for most home runs by a catcher this season (13) and with Rodon and Ryan Weathers (both lefties) on the mound this weekend, the backstop could do a lot of damage.
Jurriën Timber’s likely unavailability means a reshuffle that will affect selections in all areas of the side
It would be easy to look at Saturday’s Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal and see it as a battle of attack versus defence, of beauty against pragmatism, of French elan against English doughtiness, as some sort of tussle for the soul of football. But it would not entirely be true. And where, after all, was the honour at Agincourt? In the vainglorious charges of the dashing French cavalry or the stoic defiance of the British archers arrayed, naked from the waist down, behind their defensive stakes?
On the one hand, the stats look stark. In the Champions League this season, Paris Saint-Germain have averaged 63.4% possession, higher than anybody apart from Barcelona; Arsenal’s figure is 52.6%, the 11th-highest of the 36 sides who made the league stage. PSG’s pass completion has been 89.3% to Arsenal’s 85.7% (third-highest to 14th-highest). PSG have scored 44 goals to Arsenal’s 29. But on the flip side, Arsenal have conceded six goals to PSG’s 22 and won 13.4 aerial duels per game to PSG’s 9.4 (sixth-highest to 29th-highest).
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 25: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres tosses his batting equipment after striking out to end the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park on May 25, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres came into the final game of the three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies hoping that Walker Buehler would hold the Philly offense down enough that San Diego could score a couple of runs and avoid the sweep. Buehler did his part, but the Padres offense failed to provide any run support. San Diego was shutout and swept by Philadelphia with one final 3-0 loss before they go on the road to face the Washington Nationals.
Buehler made through 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with no walks and two strikeouts. His counterpart for the Phillies, Christopher Sanchez, pitched seven scoreless innings. He allowed six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts. The seven-shutout innings from Sanchez pushed his scoreless innings streak to 44 2/3 innings, surpassing Grover Alexander’s 41 innings for the most ever by a Philadelphia pitcher.
The Padres had their chances to score runs and get in the game. They outhit the Phillies, 7-6 but once again San Diego was unable to come up with hits with runners in scoring position. The Padres were 0-for-8 in those situations while the Phillies were 1-for-3. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill each had two hits, while Xander Bogaerts, Ramon Laureano and Nick Castellanos each added a hit.
San Diego travels to Washington, D.C. for three games against the Nationals before they head to Philadelphia for three more against the Phillies. If the offense continues to do what it has been doing — or not doing — it could be a long six-game road trip. The Padres and Nationals open their series, Friday at 3:45 p.m.
Padres News:
The San Diego farm system did not get much attention prior to the season, and it is still not among the best in baseball according to experts, but there are plenty of players making news and Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball provides insight as to who they are.
Ethan Salas has been healthy during the 2026 season and his time off the field last season seems to be paying dividends as the top-prospect hit his seventh home run of the year.
The Padres have been one of the best teams in MLB if you just look at their win/loss record. They have also been one of the worst teams in MLB if you look at their offensive statistics. Dennis Lin of The Athletic asks if San Diego is the best worst team or the worst best team.
May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game five of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Fraternizing with the Enemy continues to go back-and-forth just as much as this wild Western Conference Finals series. After the Spurs appeared out of gas in Game 5 against the Thunder and now face an elimination game in San Antonio, I discussed with Cray Allred of the Daily Thunder what he observed and any potential concerns going forward — both about the teams on the court and the flaws this series has exposed in certain NBA procedures (such as *cough* the rudimentary way coaches have to call for a challenge).
J.R.
The night that Wemby misses a dunk in transition isn’t your night. The night that Castle smokes a wide open layup isn’t your night. And when the refs miss an OKC goal tending call plus two out of bounds calls (one that Mitch Johnson tried to challenge and they didn’t grant resulting in a three-point play on the other end, including Mitch’s tech) then you might want to consider the possibility that the evening in question doesn’t belong to you.
I’m not going to gripe about the calls the refs make because once you start that it’ll never end. Literally. You become convinced that the refs and the league are against your team and down that path, madness lies. And by madness, I mean becoming convinced that every call that goes against you is part of a conspiracy that the league has to fulfill vengeance against your team for some undefined grievance. I know, because I lived that. But that’s a story for another day.
So I don’t let myself go there again, but I do allow myself to criticize the systems the league has in place, because the league changes rules and that can make the games more fair. (Or at least more difficult to complain about.) Point in case, I griped about Zaza Pachulia sliding under Kawhi Leonard and taking him out of the series. Then they changed the rule. Now shooters are protected. You might say they’re overly protected, but there’s not such thing as a “make it fair” button. It’s either going to be too dangerous or too safe. So, you might as well err on the side of safety.
Here’s my new gripe. The league needs to have a button that coaches can press to stop the play from starting or a flag to throw on the court. That way we’re not subject to refs hearing or acknowledging a coach in order for a challenge to officially granted.
How about you? What gripe do you have that a new rule would alleviate and improve the game?
Cray
One thing I hope we can agree on: the San Antonio and Oklahoma City markets are not where Adam Silver and the NBA want to conspire to. The reason the league will run through our teams is that they have acquired and developed the best talent, without needing the free agency and trade levers used by bigger market teams that used to rule the league. (Lakers, Clippers, Rockets, Wolves, and Warriors, to name a few). The teams that the Thunder and Spurs have left in the dust.
I’d be okay with giving coaches a cleaner play stoppage lever for challenges. Teams already stall and delay the game while coaches decide whether to call timeout and twirl their fingers, which feels silly to watch as a viewer.
I’m actually against rule changes by default. I’m a bigger believer in the law of unintended consequences than I am of the idea we can shape the way the game looks and feels with more policy work.
I much prefer legitimate points of emphasis within the rulebook. In the second half of the 2023-2024 season, the refs obviously started swallowing their whistle to allow defenders to crowd and all-but-handcheck perimeter offensive players. It pissed everyone off because they denied it loudly in public before quietly acknowledging in a league memo to the governors. Then in the 2024 offseason, the NBA told its teams that this was the new reality: referees would be using their judgement to favor more physical and contact-heavy play, slowing the runaway offensive numbers getting juiced by three-point spamming.
Rick Carlisle warned us. Teams like the Pacers, Thunder, and Spurs leaned into the advantages that physical defenders like Nembhard, Nesmith, Caruso, Cason, Castle, and Vassell gave them. Fans watching their teams get ripped to shreds by these elite modern defenses aren’t blaming their front offices, of course, because blaming the refs is a much more soothing pastime.
So I’m dubious of rule changes, but I don’t hate change. What I hate is the unwillingness to make things better within the rules. We all know that the typical summer “points of emphasis” usually last through the preseason and then fade away when the games matter. Meanwhile there are tools to counter plenty of things jeopardizing the competition and NBA product; the league just doesn’t use them. Cap circumvention. The rot of gambling influence. Flopping fines. Injuries to stars piling up in the war against DNP-TV. But instead, the league is spending most of its fix-it energies concocting a new formula for ping pong balls.
It definitely wasn’t your night, just like Game 4 wasn’t ours. I’m surprised that the consensus reaction is that we’ve advanced even further into the greatest chess match ever. Don’t you think it’s more simply that the teams with the most desperation have played much better at home? That’s how I’d chalk up most of the individual performances, including from our two most valuable players: Victor Wembanyama and Jared McCain
J.R.
There is definitely room for the chess match, no doubt. And I’ll tell you that I’ve dived deeper into the pool of analysis videos in an attempt to better understand the tactics behind this game I’ve been watching for the last 40-some years. (Wow that’s a long time.) But Tuesday night seemed to pivot largely on effort. So many plays were made by OKC in which the same force just wasn’t being exerted by the visiting team in general, and oddly Wemby specifically.
There were far too many plays where I expected Vic to elevate and swat the ball away from the basket, but he just watched his opponent take a trip to the rim. Definitely not what I’ve grown accustomed to over the year, and I think I have to put my vote in the “he’s exhausted” group.
Oddly, that doesn’t make me feel less optimistic about Game 6. After the Thunder win in San Antonio, I found myself having issues maintaining my hope, but I don’t feel that right now. Maybe that’s delusion, but it feels like San Antonio will take the next one. I’m definitely concerned about his Game 7 but why should I even be thinking about that when the Spurs are facing elimination for the first time since DeMar DeRozan was a Spur? Maybe I’m exhausted too.
Ok, tell me what concerns you about G6 and how you’re dealing with it.
Cray
To be clear, I love the Thunder’s chances to win one of two. I’m in the “Wemby’s exhausted” camp with you, and San Antonio hasn’t put together two straight games with the intensity needed to best the champs. The Thunder have thinned, but they’re still deeper and fresher. And I believe in Shai+whoever to land a knockout punch, given two shots at the up and comers.
There’s still plenty of cause for concern. Game 5’s offensive explosion masked some cracks in the defense for OKC, which had kept them in the series through four. An elimination Game 6 should be the boost of all boosts for the Spurs, even if they’re gassed. And if you get to a Game 7, anything can happen. Cold shooting. Foul trouble. Injury. Lemon booty. And if it’s close, the kind of game-deciding bad call we’ve somehow avoided so far. The kind of stuff you can’t get over for 40 years of fandom. And all of that is more likely with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell still unavailable.
Outside of random, crazy, heartbreaking playoff possibilities, both Wemby and Dylan Harper still scare me. The Spurs hung close for most of Game 5 with both of them struggling. Wemby digging deep to find another gear is something the greats all eventually get around to. Harper could recover more health, or energy, or confidence, whatever combination of those things are holding him back.
Though I do sense a shift in the Spurs’ self-belief, an essential part of what has made them so great this season. I told you I admired you that Wemby practicing against simulation hack-a-defense and Mitch Johnson’s refusal to make excuses after Game 2. I’ll add to the list Devin Vassell’s jovial comments about each team getting away with what the refs allow after Game 4. I’m not going to pile on Stephon Castle for complaining about the whistle, or Wemby for skipping the postgame, or Thunder legend Mason Plumlee for doing goonwork in Game 5’s closing moments (as quoted by NBA media correspondent and TikTok sensation, Jared McCain). But taken together, I don’t think the vibes from the Spurs reek of confidence and composure as they face down elimination.
Feel free to stand up for any of those guys if you think I’m being unfair, or recommend me your favorite Spurs alternate mascot or side story that helps lighten your spirits amid the grind of the playoffs. Are the nuns the most fun? The jackals? A deeper cut? (We disavow Thundor in my household but McCain, the public figure, brings us joy.)
After getting blown out Wednesday night, the Atlanta Braves will look for a series win in their rubber match with the Boston Red Sox.
My Braves vs. Red Sox predictions lean on the visitors, who bring baseball’s best road record to Fenway Park, and start one of the league’s nastiest lefties in Chris Sale.
That should be plenty to cover their -1.5 run line at +127 for my MLB picks on Thursday, May 28.
Who will win Braves vs Red Sox today: Braves -1.5 (+125)
Chris Sale is the perfect starter to expose a Boston Red Sox lineup ranking second in batting average over the last week.
Batters are hitting .181 against him, and he’s allowing 5.8 hits per 9 innings — both Top-2 ranks in the majors.
Sale relies on a fastball-slider combo that has stymied opponents even into the advanced stages of his career, as evidenced by a 98th-percentile chase rate and a 93rd-percentile strikeout rate.
Sale’s backed by a lineup that knows how to rebound: in the four previous times they’ve lost by at least six runs, they’ve averaged 8.8 runs the next game.
I’d take the Atlanta Braves' run line up to -2.5 at +215.
COVERS INTEL: Boston’s MLB-worst .118 ISO against four-seamers sets up perfectly for Sale. Play Braves Run Line -1.5 (+127)
Braves vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (+112)
Even with Sale pitching, it doesn’t always mean a low-scoring affair. In his last seven starts, the Braves and their opponent have combined to top 7.5 runs four times.
Boston starter Payton Tolle was dinged up in his last start, surrendering three runs on four hits in six innings against the Twins. A 10th-percentile ground ball rate means he could be more susceptible to home runs than he has been.
He’ll be in tough with an Atlanta lineup that puts up 6.04 runs per game on the road, which is tops in MLB.
That’s a big part of the reason the Braves’ Over record on the road is 10-5-0 over the last 15 away games. I'd take the Over down to +105 or avoid the market if it goes any shorter than that because Sale can put up zeroes.
Eric Rosales' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 8-8, -0.01 units
Over/Under bets: 11-4, +6.62 units
Braves vs Red Sox odds
Moneyline: Braves -138 | Red Sox +133
Run line: Braves -1.5 (+127) | Red Sox +1.5 (-133)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+127) | Under 7.5 (-133)
Braves vs Red Sox trend
Boston lost seven straight home games following a win. Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Red Sox.
How to watch Braves vs Red Sox and game info
Location
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Date
Thursday, May 28, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
BravesVsn, NESN
Braves starting pitcher
Chris Sale (7-3, 1.89 ERA)
Red Sox starting pitcher
Payton Tolle (2-2, 2.45 ERA)
Braves vs Red Sox latest injuries
Braves vs Red Sox weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Jauan Jennings played a big role for the 49ers as one of the team’s most reliable third-down options over the past several seasons, but when San Francisco added Hall of Fame wideout Mike Evans this past offseason, the writing was on the wall in big bold letters.
Now, with a new one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, the 28-year-old wide receiver has high praise for his new group – and himself.
“I feel like Kevin Durant with the Warriors,” Jennings told reporters on Wednesday when asked how he felt about joining Minnesota.
“Big three, man,” Jennings answered when asked why he compared himself to the 16-time All-Star. “There’s just a lot of talent over here. Top down, head to bottom, a lot of talent.”
#Vikings WR Jauan Jennings on his fit with Minnesota:
In addition to Jennings, the Vikings’ wide receivers room boasts one of the NFL’s top pass catchers in Justin Jefferson, as well as Jordan Addison.
Jefferson has begun his NFL career with six-straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons and continues to be considered a top wideout in the game, while Addison’s production has dropped year after year in his three seasons amid an array of off-field troubles.
Jennings’ confidence isn’t anything new. The wideout played the 2025 season under a one-year “show-me” type contract and hit every benchmark to earn almost $4 million in incentives before his departure.
As for the comparison, Durant joined a Warriors team that finished their 2015-16 season with a record-breaking 73-9 record, while Jennings joined a Vikings team that went 9-8 in 2025 and failed to reach the postseason.
The Chicago White Sox will be looking to keep it rolling offensively this afternoon at 2:10 p.m. ET against the Minnesota Twins after scoring 15 runs on Wednesday.
With their ace Davis Martin on the mound, my Twins vs. White Sox predictions are targeting Chicago to grab another win in the finale.
Find out more in my MLB picks for Thursday, May 28.
Who will win Twins vs White Sox today: White Sox moneyline (-140)
The Chicago White Sox exploded offensively in the second game of the series, winning 15-2. They've been solid at the dish all year, ranking seventh in runs scored.
The hosts typically give Davis Martin run support as well, as he owns a 7-1 record and 2.04 ERA.
Martin has been lights-out at home this season, compiling a 1.14 ERA.
Minnesota Twins reliever Kendry Rojas will "open" the rubber match. Although he's been solid with a 1.26 ERA across five outings, he's still a reliever, and won't be in there long,. Minnesota's bullpen is poor overall, posting a 4.94 ERA.
I'd play this to -150.
COVERS INTEL: Martin has collected a very impressive 2.29 FIP this season, the lowest mark of his career.
Twins vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-138)
Three of the last five meetings have cashed the Under, and with Martin taking the hill, I expect most of the offense to come from Chicago. He's practically unhittable at home, and the Twins have only scored a total of eight runs so far in this series.
Minnesota enters this game ranked 15th overall in OPS.
It will be a relatively one-sided offensive affair, but don't expect another 10+ runs. I'll play the Under to -140.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 19-13, +5.50 units
Over/Under bets: 19-12, +3.68 units
Twins vs White Sox odds
Moneyline: Twins +133 | White Sox -138
Run line: Twins +1.5 (-170) | White Sox -1.5 (+163)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+122) | Under 8.5 (-133)
Twins vs White Sox trend
The White Sox have hit the moneyline in 12 of their last 15 games at home (+9.60 Units / 61% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. White Sox.
How to watch Twins vs White Sox and game info
Location
Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Thursday, May 28, 2026
First pitch
2:10 p.m. ET
TV
Twins.TV, CHSN
Twins starting pitcher
Kendry Rojas (1-0, 1.26 ERA)
White Sox starting pitcher
Davis Martin (7-1, 2.04 ERA)
Twins vs White Sox latest injuries
Twins vs White Sox weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 27: Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox at bat during the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park on May 27, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before this season, if you threw a paper airplane out of the stands and onto the field [not advised] with Ceddanne Rafaela at the dish, I’m pretty sure he would have swung at it. But things are changing in 2026, and we need to discuss what that means when you stack this sudden and newfound restraint atop his already wonderful bag of tools.
Up until a couple of months ago, all the things that made Rafaela a good baseball player were flashy: The speed, the clutch hits, the athleticism; and of course, his signature ability to play gold glove defense in centerfield with the grace of a gazelle. Here’s a video showcasing some of his best defensive plays from last year:
But we’re not here to talk about those, because the thing that’s transforming Rafaela from a good to potentially great player in 2026 is far more mundane. Here’s a much shorter, and admittedly much less interesting video showcasing what’s making Rafaela so good in 2026:
That may not seem like a huge deal, but that’s Ceddanne Rafaela not swinging at a tempting pitch sweeping out of the zone, and that’s a huge change from previous seasons. It’s subtle when it unfolds early in an at bat, but it’s the key to unlocking his ceiling at the plate — And if we’re being fair, it’s a ceiling that’s far higher than he’s ever been given credit for.
Anyway, here’s what happened later in that same at-bat because he hung around with a little better count leverage and proved to Kerkering he wasn’t going to chase the sweeper:
You want a more recent example? Here’s Rafaela taking another 0-1 pitch on Tuesday. This time, it’s a slider above the zone, which is a location and pitch opponents have always used to get him to chase with great success.
Rafaela has always been able to pound pitches in the zone, and for whatever reason, we’ve largely overlooked that. Perhaps it’s because of his size — he’s listed at 5’10” and a 165 pounds. Perhaps it’s because he’s a defensive first guy. Or maybe it’s because before this year, he’s swing at anything and everything.
Taking away the hyperbole and drilling down on the numbers, Rafaela swung at 59 percent of all the pitches he saw last year, which was the third most among qualified hitters in all of baseball. That was only slightly better than the 62 percent of pitches he swung at in 2024, which was good for the second most in all of baseball.
This year? Out of 188 guys with at least 2.1 plate appearances per team game, Rafaela ranks 73rd in swing percentage, dropping the number to just 48.6 percent of the time.
How about just swinging at the first pitch of an at bat? In both 2024 and 2025, he did that the fourth most of any hitter in baseball. Now, from that same list of 188 players, he’s moved to 71st.
But of course, the most important number revolving around this topic is swinging at pitches out of the zone, and there’s been major improvement there as well. Rafaela went from swinging out of the zone the most in all of baseball in 2024, to second most in 2025, to the 46th most this season at 34.8 percent. That’s not just improvement, that’s potentially finding the keys the castle and transforming as a player.
Furthermore, he’s doing it with a stat that usually solidifies pretty quickly, and if these trends continue, you’re talking about a guy who is going to start finishing in the top ten in MVP voting very soon. Think about it: He’s still just 25-years-old, he plays the best defensive centerfield in the sport, he’s already put up the third most WAR of anybody in a Red Sox uniform since the start of 2024, he’s got above average speed, he plays a premium position, and he’s always had a penchant for clutch knocks.
That last piece of his game was so apparent from the get-go, Coley Mick of the fabulous Section 10 Podcast made this evergreen observation nearly two years ago now:
If you need a hit Rafaela gets a hit if you don’t need the hit he’s largely uninterested in the at bat entirely
But as I watch Rafaela grow as a player this year, I’m starting to develop a theory regarding his clutch hits from previous seasons and his refined approach at the plate in this one. Specially, Rafaela is just a good major league hitter when he swings exclusively at strikes, and he wasn’t doing that during the majority of his plate appearances before 2026. In other words, these things might be connected. Whether Rafaela was just locking in more during high leverage at bats or opposing pitchers had to throw him more strikes with men on base in a sticky spots, it led to increased production in these moments and swinging at more strikes (Rafaela was in the top ten in all of baseball last year in Fangraphs’ clutch metric).
Now, we’re seeing what happens when he makes better swing decisions across the board and adds a semblance of plate discipline to the mix (he could still add more). In other words, we might just be seeing what “clutch Rafaela” looks like when he shows up in all of his at bats throughout every game. Take a look at the across the board improvement in some general big picture batting stats:
We basically just need one more month of patient Rafaela at the plate for the swing numbers to say this is who he is now (again, plate discipline numbers solidify quick), and if that locks in, Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu are going to have some competition in terms of who is the best Red Sox outfielder over the next handful of years.
The star Pacers guard who earned villain status in New York after eliminating the Knicks in back-to-back postseasons said the Madison Square Garden crowd is too celebrity-centric and not loud enough.
“A place like New York, they have a lot of passionate fans, and people love the Knicks, but there are a lot of celebrities in there who sometimes get too cool to be super loud,” Haliburton said on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday.
Tyrese Haliburton:
"A place like New York they have a lot of passionate fans of course and people love the Knicks, but there's a lot of celebrities in there and there are sometimes they're like too cool to get super loud vs OKC's" pic.twitter.com/tWErCkoB8e
Haliburton then made an exasperated face when describing the Oklahoma City environment and how hard it is to play there, with Indiana having lost to the Thunder in seven games in last year’s Finals.
He suffered a torn Achilles in Game 7 that ultimately sidelined him for the entire 2025-26 season.
“I think OKC does a great job with kind of having that like college environment in there,” Haliburton continued. “It’s pretty ridiculously loud, so I would say it’s the best environment.”
McAfee joked with Haliburton about the comments regarding the Knicks fans being too cool for school.
“Well, you’re saying that Ben Stiller is not going crazy?” the former punter said. “(Timothée) Chalamet was losing his mind! You better watch your mouth if you talk about Tracy Morgan like this, OK!”
Haliburton has quite the history with New York and its fans.
Ben Stiller cheers the Knicks on courtside. NBAE via Getty Images
He and the Pacers defeated the Knicks in six games in the conference finals last year as the local ran out of gas behind former coach Tom Thibodeau.
The Pacers also eliminated the Knicks in the semifinals in seven games the previous season.
The conference finals began with a heart-wrenching buzzer-beater from Haliburton in Game 1 to send to the contest to overtime, with the guard grabbing his throat to signal a choke, channeling longtime Garden villain and ex-Pacers star Reggie Miller.
Tracy Morgan is on his phone while sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden for Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. NBAE via Getty Images
While the Knicks have mostly the same roster this season, this team is completely different.
The Knicks employ lineup 11 players deep and get excellent use of their bench under coach Mike Brown, who invested in his bench from the get-go and has seen dividends pay off in the postseason.
Brown has elicited phenomenal performances from Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride and more en route to a dominant NBA Finals run.
Tyrese Haliburton with his “choke” motion after his Game 1 shot last year. Jason Szenes / New York Post
Knicks fans have rallied behind them, creating one of the loudest home crowds in the NBA and traveling well to Cleveland and Philadelphia during this raucous run.
After the Game 1 comeback win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, Ringer founder and podcaster Bill Simmons said that the Knicks fans were “the best crowd of the year” as they cheered their squad to a 22-point comeback in less than eight minutes.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 24: Ville Koivunen #41 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in action during the game against the Colorado Avalanche at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 24, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Vitals
Player: Ville Koivunen Born: June 13, 2003 (22 years old) Height: 6’0 Weight: 184 pounds Hometown: Oulu, Finland Shoots: Left Drafted: 2021 second-round, No. 51 overall, by the Carolina Hurricanes 2025-26 Regular Season Statistics: 39 games played, 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 total points, -10 Contract Status: Koivunen is a restricted free agent this summer
Story of the Season
After a promising debut in the NHL at the end of the 2024-25 season, Koivunen earned a spot on the opening night roster and was initially playing a top-six role. But things never really clicked for him at the NHL level, he eventually found himself back in the American Hockey League, and spent the 2025-26 season bouncing between the two levels. While he put up impressive numbers in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the second year in a row (he has been a point-per-game player with 97 points in 97 regular season games), it has not yet consistently translated to the NHL. The Penguins tried to go younger this season. A lot of the players they put into positions at the NHL level did not fully take advantage of it. At least not yet.
With just four points in his first 25 games, Koivunen never found any sort of consistency with his production and did not yet develop the scoring touch or playmaking that the Penguins were hoping for.
Even when he came back up at the end of the regular season the offense he was displaying in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton never carried over with zero goals and just two assists over his final 12 games of the season in March and April.
Regular season 5v5 advanced stats
Data via Natural Stat Trick. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes.
Everything about this chart is positively hilarious, at least in some sort of bizarre, twisted way. He is either first or last in nearly every category.
All of the possession and scoring chance metrics? First. All of the actual goals scored and goals created metrics? Last. An enormous disconnect and basically makes him a newer version of Dominik Simon.
On one hand, it is positive that he pushes play and helps generate opportunities. That is important. There is value in that. It is also immensely frustrating that it does not turn into anything tangible on the scoreboard. That is going to have to start changing if he is going to be a regular in the top-six, or even in the top-nine. It is going to have to start changing rapidly.
The big question is simply can he translate the AHL production into NHL production, and can he turn the territorial edge the Penguins get with him on the ice into something that becomes actuals goals?
There were countless times during the season where Koivunen would seem to be in a prime scoring position with a chance to score, only to have his shot get blocked or deflected away from the net. Is his decision-making and shot just a split second too slow for the NHL? There is a fine line between success and failure at the highest level, and openings that exist in the minor leagues are not going to be there as long in the NHL. Any small hesitation is going to take away the opportunity you have in front of you.
Ideal 2026-27
He does not need to be a star, but he needs to show something.
He needs to produce something.
An ideal season for Koivunen would be sticking in the NHL for the entire season, and showing that he can at least contribute in the middle-six forward group and give them (and him) something to build on.
Give them 15 goals. Give them 30-35 points. Take a step forward. Become an NHL player.
Bottom line
Koivunen has nothing left to prove at the AHL level, and we are getting close to make-or-break time with the Penguins. That might seem like a harsh thing to say about a 23-year-old, especially when development is different for every player, but if you are going to a top-six or top-line player you probably need to start showing something by this age. You do not need to be at your peak or your absolute best. But you need to do something.
At this point he is starting to go from prospect to suspect.
He is almost certain to get re-signed as a restricted free agent, but it is going to be a short-term “prove it” deal. It is going to be all on him to actually start proving it.
Final Grade: D+
It was a very disappointing season for Koivunen, at least as it relates to his NHL play.
There were positives, especially with the ability to help drive possession. But the Penguins expected to see, and wanted to see, more offense from him. The talent is there. The creativity is there. He just needs to bring it all together.
COVERS INTEL: Boston’s MLB-worst .118 ISO against four-seamers sets up perfectly for Sale. Play Braves Run Line -1.5 (+127)
