HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 24: LeBron James #23; Luke Kennard #10 and Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Houston Rockets during...
HOUSTON — Through the first three games of the NBA playoff series between the Rockets and the Lakers, someone new in purple and gold has had to walk into the fire of the postseason and refuse to blink.
Without their top scorers in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers have needed a secondary scoring option behind LeBron James.
the Lakers’ LeBron James (23), Luke Kennard and Rui Hachimura look on during the game against the Rockets. NBAE via Getty Images
On Friday night in Houston, that someone was Rui Hachimura.
He didn’t just score 22 points, drain four 3-pointers and play 44 minutes, although that workload tells you everything you need to know about how much Lakers coach JJ Redick trusts him. With the Lakers in hostile territory in Houston, they knew they needed a fast start to silence the crowd.
Hachimura imposed himself early, torching the Rockets for 16 points in the first quarter on 6-for-6 shooting, the best scoring quarter of his career.
This Lakers sequence…
Jaxson Hayes hustle. Luke Kennard assist. Rui Hachimura triple.
“It was the matchup. Reed Sheppard was guarding me,” Hachimura said. “It was exactly what we worked on and practiced.”
Hachimura’s preparation coincided with the opportunity perfectly.
Houston adjusted, as it had to. The easy looks disappeared, and James (29 points) once again shouldered the scoring load for the Lakers.
Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers passes the ball. NBAE via Getty Images
But Hachimura didn’t disappear. He waited.
In overtime, he delivered the sequence that helped define the night and seal the victory.
With the Lakers clinging to a 105-103 lead, James shot and missed a step-back 3 from the left wing. Hachimura caught the rebound in midair along the baseline, and as he fell out of bounds, he flung the ball back into play like a man refusing to let the possession die. Kennard came down with it, and moments later, the ball found its way back to Hachimura — who pump-faked a 3 and then drove and attacked the basket for a layup. The Lakers went up by four and never looked back.
Hachimura’s performance was the kind that forces a front office to revisit every assumption it made last summer.
The 6-foot-8 forward from Japan is playing on an expiring three-year, $51 million deal that was supposed to be movable. Hachimura was expected to be replaced at the February trade deadline, like the Lakers did with Gabe Vincent.
Instead, they kept him.
And now? That decision is aging like something far more expensive than $17 million a year.
Because Hachimura and the rest of the Lakers’ role players aren’t playing like role players.
Rui Hachimura on the Lakers victory in Game 3, his hot start offensively, and the Lakers playing like the more desperate team pic.twitter.com/FH3aMG7pKO
In Game 3, Smart became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1991 to finish with 21 points, 10 assists, five steals and two blocks in a postseason game. Talk about elite company.
Now the Lakers have a suffocating 3-0 lead and are one win from slamming the door.
Rui Hachimura shoots a 3-point basket against the host Rockets. NBAE via Getty Images
Across from them is a Rockets team unraveling in real time. The heavy favorites to win the series now look like a team searching for answers that are never coming. For evidence, look no further than the mistakes they made with a six-point lead, the ball in their hands and 25 seconds left in the game.
“Horrendous mistakes,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “I don’t know if you want to say it’s youth or scared of the moment.”
The only question left now is which Lakers role player will step up in Game 4 on Sunday?
Maybe it’s Deandre Ayton or Jaxson Hayes. Or maybe Reaves returns to fill the void.
The Lakers have many options when they look to close the series and continue to prove that this team doesn’t need injured stars to save the season.
They create new ones every game.
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UPDATE: Added a goal scorer pick + who will win section.
Rasmus Dahlin is an elite playmaker for the Buffalo Sabres, leading the team in assists with 55.
My Sabres vs. Bruins predictions expect to see the defenseman set up another goal in Game 4 against Boston.
Let’s dive into my NHL picks for Sunday, April 26.
Sabres vs Bruins Game 4 prediction
Who will win Sabres vs Bruins Game 4?
Buffalo: The Buffalo Sabres lead 2-1 despite Jeremy Swayman posting save percentages of .919, .943, and .931. He has given the Boston Bruins elite netminding, and they still trail. If his numbers dip at all, the Sabres will almost certainly head home up 3-1.
Sabres vs Bruins best bet: Rasmus Dahlin Over 0.5 assists (-115)
The Buffalo Sabres have generated 106 shot attempts, 57 scoring chances, and 6.45 expected goals with Rasmus Dahlin on the ice in this series. That has translated to only three goals.
Dahlin’s on-ice shooting percentage sits at 5.56% – lowest among 13 Sabres with 40+ minutes played – compared to 13.01% in the regular season.
While it’s not abnormal for Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman to shave goals off the expected total, this kind of gap is not sustainable.
Given how many opportunities the Sabres are generating, and how involved Dahlin is in facilitating them, I like his chances of assisting in Game 4.
Sabres vs Bruins Game 4 same-game parlay
Jack Quinn is playing a key role for the Sabres, logging more than 37 minutes of ice over the last two games and getting run on PP1.
Fun fact: Quinn has averaged – yes, averaged – 4.1 shots on 7.3 attempts spanning the past 10 games in which he logged 16+ minutes and at least two on the power play. He piled up eight shots on 19 attempts over the last two games.
And who can forget Josh Doan? He recorded multiple shots on goal in all three games this series and six of seven against Boston this season.
Sabres vs Bruins SGP
Ramsus Dahlin Over 0.5 assists
Jack Quinn Over 2.5 shots
Josh Doan Over 1.5 shots
Sabres vs Bruins Game 4 goal scorer pick
Jack Quinn (+215)
Quinn found the back of the net in 32% of his games this season when generating at least six shot attempts, a number he has cleared in back-to-back games. He has an excellent shot and possesses the finishing ability needed to beat someone like Swayman.
Rasmus Dahlin has six assists over his last six away games. Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Bruins.
How to watch Sabres vs Bruins Game 4
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Sunday, April 26, 2026
Puck drop
2:00 p.m. ET
TV
TNT, truTV
Sabres vs Bruins 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.
Apr 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) is defended by Boston Celtics guard Jordan Walsh (27) during the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Tyrese Maxey has been living quite comfortably in this series.
Not in the sense that every shot is falling or every possession ends in points, but in the way that’s slightly concerning with every passing game. Through three games, he’s largely been getting to his spots and dictating pace. When the Sixers need something to settle a possession or tilt momentum, the ball finds him and the floor opens up just enough for something good to happen.
Boston hasn’t fully solved him yet. You can’t expect to with a guy like him. Game 3 didn’t change that, but it did show how thin the margin is.
Maxey hit back-to-back threes midway through the fourth. Xfinity Mobile Arena was popping (even though the name “Xfinity Mobile Arena” feels utterly popless). For a moment, it felt like Game 2 all over again.
But after those two threes, Maxey didn’t score again.
That’s the balance Boston is trying to find. Obviously, you’re not going to prevent Maxey from doing his thing. He’s simply too good to completely neutralize. But hitting him with at least a somewhat potent tranquilizer that wobbles him long enough to win the stretches that matter? The Celtics can do that.
Which is why the Jordan Walsh minutes in Game 2 still linger in my mind.
Maxey is still dictating the terms of this series
Maxey hasn’t really run into a matchup that changes how he plays yet. The tracking data makes that pretty clear.
Derrick White has taken most of the assignment, close to 12 minutes and over 50 possessions. That’s Boston’s best option on paper, and White has been solid. But Maxey is still getting into his spots. Three-for-seven shooting doesn’t scream dominance, but it also doesn’t force him out of anything. The offense is still very much flowing through him without much resistance.
Hauser’s minutes tell a slightly different story. The second-most common player to draw the Maxey assignment, he’s spent about eight minutes and 40 possessions guarding Maxey. And give him some credit: Maxey is just one-for-four when guarded by Hauser. That lines up with what we’ve seen from Hauser over the last couple years. He’s not someone you can just pick on and expect easy offense, even if teams keep trying.
After that, it’s been more of a mix. Brown has had stretches where he holds up and others where Maxey gets downhill. Tatum and Pritchard haven’t been on him enough to really matter.
So you’re looking at a bunch of capable defenders, and none of them have really shifted the feel of the matchup. Maxey is still playing on his terms.
That’s what makes the Walsh minutes worth paying attention to.
The Wolf of Walsh Street
That’s where Walsh comes in, because his minutes didn’t feel like the others.
The sample is small. We’re talking under two minutes matched up with Maxey and only a handful of possessions. That’s not enough to declare anything, but within that stretch, Maxey didn’t score and only got one real shot attempt off. For a player who’s been able to get into his offense pretty much whenever he wants, that stands out, even if it’s brief.
Why Walsh is important
Has more room for error as on ball defender. Even when he doesn’t navigate screen perfectly he knows how to use his length and Maxey has been cognizant of that in previous matchups pic.twitter.com/G9A9Kw4QGd
Mazzulla pointed to it after the game. “He was good. We all have a role to play,” he said when asked about the job Walsh did on Maxey, before narrowing in on the specifics. “I thought he was big in our pick-and-roll defense as well, and did a great job making it difficult for him.”
Walsh isn’t navigating screens the way White does. There are still possessions where he gets clipped and ends up trailing the play. Against most guards, that’s the possession. Maxey especially lives off that first step once he gets a shoulder advantage.
But Walsh didn’t get clipped in the same way. More often than not, he was still around, contesting, reaching into the play even after he was technically beaten. It lined up with how he’s talked about defense this season, not trying to erase a player, just pushing him away from what he wants to do and making him find something else.
There’s a clip floating around where Maxey comes off a high screen and has the exact pocket he’s been using all series. Normally that turns into a drive or a pull-up. Walsh stays attached just long enough that it never really opens. Maxey hesitates, pulls it back out, and the possession resets.
It felt different than anything else we had thrown at Maxey up until that point. And I liked it. I liked it a lot.
For your consideration
If Game 3 showed anything, it’s that Maxey is going to have his moments no matter what.
He’s too comfortable getting to his spots for that to disappear. The goal isn’t to take that away completely. You just need to keep it from stacking.
In my opinion, Walsh fits into that more than anything else Boston has tried so far.
Part of that is just how he approaches it. Before the series, he talked about trying to “take away tendencies” and push guys into something they don’t want to do, even if it means living with the result at the end of the possession.
There’s also a level of intent to it that the team has noticed. Payton Pritchard said earlier this season that Walsh “brings an energy, guarding the best [offensive player] every night,” and that it’s what’s going to keep him on the floor. That’s basically the job here. Just stay in the fight long enough to make things uncomfortable.
It helps that he’s not going into this blind either. He mentioned leaning on Jaylen Brown for things “beyond the scouting report,” the small stuff that can get under a player’s skin or throw off their rhythm. You could see hints of that in those possessions.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 11: Jordan Walsh #27 of the Boston Celtics guards Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the game on November 11, 2025 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If this series keeps playing out the way it has, Boston is going to need more of those possessions where things don’t quite click for Maxey. Fewer of those clean, one-motion attacks where everything lines up could make all the difference in what’s proving to be a closer series than most people expected.
I’m not saying Walsh needs to be out there for 30 minutes a game going forward. But it’s something you can go to.
And right now, even a couple possessions where he hesitates instead of just playing sounds better than the alternative.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: Jayson Tatum #0 and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics look on during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round 1 Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Losing home-court advantage before hitting the road against the Philadelphia 76ers prompted a sense of urgency for the Boston Celtics. To them, Game 3 might as well have been a win-or-go-home contest.
There were no thoughts of returning to Boston with another split. No feeling of settling. The locker room had made up its mind well before the Celtics took the floor at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“This was like a Game 7 for us,” Jaylen Brown told reporters after Boston’s 108-100 Game 3 win on Friday night, per CLNS Media. “Even though it’s a long series, we wanted to come back and respond after dropping one in our home floor. We can’t lose two games in a row in the playoffs. That’s tough. So this was a big win for us.”
Boston faced a far-too-familiar postseason scenario — this time against a Joel Embiid-less Sixers team, with the seven-time All-Star recovering from emergency appendectomy surgery. During their championship run in 2024, the Celtics dropped Game 2 in both the first and second rounds against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, forcing mid-series responses.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 24: The Boston Celtics bench reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers during game three of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 108-100. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Going from sarcastic “We want Boston” chants echoing across TD Garden in Game 1 to early exits and silence in Game 2, the Celtics found themselves in a spot they had seen before. So before heading out to face Philadelphia’s notoriously hostile environment, the team had a conversation.
Understanding that not everyone on the roster had lived through a Game 3 road test of this magnitude, Brown felt it was important to communicate with everyone.
“It’s something you definitely talk about, but something you gotta experience for sure,” Brown said. “And I think our team is still a young team, so this experience was great. It’s great to get these experiences and win. But when you get hit, you just gotta respond.”
Brown added: “Most importantly, just stay together through the adversity. But when you get hit, you gotta hit back.”
In the third quarter, with less than six minutes, Tyrese Maxey buried a step-back 3-pointer over the reach of Jayson Tatum to give Philadelphia a 67-64 lead. Less than two minutes later, Brown backed down Justin Edwards to sink an 11-foot fadeaway jumper and give Boston back its lead at 69-67.
It was all about staying the course.
Yet, to Brown’s point, even though several members of the roster — like Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh — were part of the 2024 run, it’s a different challenge when you’re playing meaningful minutes. Watching from the bench offers valuable experience, but nothing compares to being thrust into the moment and truly learning what it takes to secure a 2-1 series lead.
The last time the Celtics were in that position, Queta and Walsh were spectating. Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet were ahead of Queta on the depth chart at center, and Walsh was a 19-year-old rookie with just nine NBA games to his name. Now, Queta is Boston’s starting center, while Walsh — though not in the lineup — has been leaned on throughout the season to take on challenging defensive assignments against some of the league’s elite offensive stars.
There’s a clear discrepancy between what it takes for the 2025-26 Celtics to win and what it took for the 2023-24 Celtics to win, and the locker room has embraced that reality.
Brown and Tatum, both scoring 25 points apiece, combined for 50 in Game 3. But it took more than Boston’s dynamic duo to outlast the Sixers. Derrick White added three blocks, Payton Pritchard scored 15 off the bench, and Baylor Scheierman chipped in with two momentum-swinging steals that helped shift control back toward the Celtics.
The in-sync engagement from Boston’s bench said it all.
When Tatum pulled up and hit a clutch 3-pointer over Adem Bona to push Boston’s lead to 106-100 with 25.3 seconds left in regulation, the entire Celtics bench matched his energy. Everyone rose to their feet — fired up, re-energized, and looking as if they were ready to play Game 4 on the spot.
“This is what you sign up for,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media. “They’re all pushing us. We have to push them. Usually, competition brings out the best of people, and you’re also in two great environments. TD Garden’s a great environment, here is a great environment, and you’re just throwing haymakers at each other. I think you relish that in the moment.”
Figuring out the puzzle of winning is nothing new to a Mazzulla-led group, especially this season.
“It’s what we’ve done, it’s what we do when we’re at our best,” Mazzulla said. “So the goal is to just try to be at our best as much as we can. So we do that in training camp, preseason, regular season, playoffs, we do it. It’s just the trust that we’ll — more times than not — try to be the best version of ourselves. So like I said, there were big-time plays tonight by multiple people in both halves, and we just have to be able to do that.”
More impressive than the win itself were the paths the Celtics took to get there. Maxey and Paul George combined for 49 points, and while the Sixers didn’t replicate their 3-point explosion in Game 2, their intensity never dipped. Philadelphia pushed Boston to the wire on Friday night, forcing the Celtics to earn every basket and every stop before crossing the finish line.
That included Brown’s off-balance, one-legged floater with 6:10 remaining, Pritchard’s buzzer-beating step-back three with 1:17 left, and White’s two offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter — the second of which led to Tatum’s dagger.
For the Celtics — and especially Tatum — it was the same old challenge, just on a different night.
“As you probably could imagine, we’ve been in this scenario time and time again,” Tatum told reporters, per CLNS Media. “Times we’ve fallen short, and times we’ve succeeded. It’s all about learning from past experiences. Whether it’s the first play of the game or crunch time, it’s about making the right read and making the right play.”
Treating Game 3 like Game 7 wasn’t just the right call; it was the perfect reprogramming of the team’s mindset in what many view as a low-pressure contest. The stakes obviously aren’t perceived as drastic, considering a 2-1 lead means the job is only halfway done, but that’s a simplistic approach. Mazzulla’s locker room isn’t built like that. So, with Embiid progressing and inching closer to a return, the Celtics needed to put Tuesday night’s Game 2 defeat way back in the rearview mirror.
That was priority number one for everyone in a Celtics uniform.
“It’s just about responding,” Tatum said. “Responding from Game 2 and how we played in that one, and wanted to play better. We still had 17 turnovers and a lot of ugly possessions. Obviously, there were some possessions where we figured it out and made plays to win the game. But just on both sides of the ball, there’s a lot of things that we can learn from.”
It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. And in the playoffs, that’s all that matters.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 24: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Texas Rangers delivers a pitch against the Athletics in the first inning at Globe Life Field on April 24, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Seven-time champion leads 6-2; Hawkins beats Williams
Allen beats Wilson then says Hendry ‘full of rubbish’
“Pretty evil” Ronnie O’Sullivan carved out a 6-2 overnight lead against his old foe John Higgins in the first session of their second-round showdown at the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
The seven-time winner blasted a 137 total clearance as he dominated his opponent and edged closer towards his goal of eclipsing Stephen Hendry and clinching a record eighth Crucible title.
NEW YORK (AP) — The middle game of the three-game series between the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets was postponed more than eight hours before the scheduled first pitch on Saturday, with persistent rain in the forecast this weekend.
The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday, with the first game beginning at 1:40 p.m. EDT, weather permitting.
Rockies left-hander Jose Quintana (0-2, 6.23 ERA) had been scheduled to start Saturday against his former team, and Mets righty Kodai Senga (0-3, 8.83) was set to pitch on seven days’ rest.
SPRINGFIELD, MO - APRIL 09: Jake Gelof #6 and Kole Myers #5 of the Tulsa Drillers walk to the dugout prior to the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field on Thursday, April 9, 2026 in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo by Shanna Stafford/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Brock Stewart loaded the bases but pitched a scoreless sixth inning with two strikeouts for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday night, his second game for the Comets and fourth minor league rehab appearance so far. The right-hander induced four swinging strikes among his 15 pitches.
Stewart has pitched on either two or three days rest thus far, pitching on Tuesday and Friday both last weekwith Class-A Ontario and this week for Oklahoma City. You’d have to think Stewart will pitch a little more often, perhaps even in back-to-back outings on his rehab assignment before he gets activated off the injured list. But at the very least, he’s getting closer to rejoining the Dodgers bullpen.
Player of the day
Tulsa third baseman Jake Gelof homered twice for Double-A Tulsa, as the Drillers tried to overcome an early deficit.
Gelof has only eight hits in his 42 at-bats this season in his first taste of Double-A, but he started the season 0-for-18 with 12 strikeouts. Of those eight hits over his last 24 at-bats, four are home runs plus a double. Add in the 12 walks and he’s hitting .190/.370/.500
The 24-year-old was drafted in the second round in 2023 out of Virginia, where he held the school’s career home run record. Last year, Gelof hit 16 home runs and had .230 isolated power and a 116 wRC+ in High-A Great Lakes. His isolated power early on in Double-A is .310.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Comets never led and allowed runs in five different innings in a loss to the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners).
The Triple-A learning curve for Jackson Ferris has been steep, allowing runs in three of his five innings, totaling seven runs (six earned) in 4 2/3 innings. Ferris now has a 9.00 ERA in his first 15 innings for Oklahoma City, with more walks (12) than strikeouts (seven).
Ryan Ward had a two-run triple in the loss. Noah Miller had a two-run single.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers offense did their best, but giving up eight runs in the first two innings proved too big a deficit to overcome in a loss to the Frisco RoughRidgers (Rangers).
Payton Martin got tattooed in his start, facing 15 batters and only retiring four of them. He got another out on his ledger thanks to an outfield assist by Josue De Paula, but the damage was vast — eight runs on nine hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Martin’s 2026 season to date has been one of extremes. In his first start he allowed six runs in 1 1/3 innings, but in his next two outings combined to allow only one run in nine innings before Friday’s clunker. He only has nine strikeouts in his 58 batters faced (15.5 percent) this season, to go with eight walks in his 12 innings.
Zyhir Hope had an RBI double in the loss. First baseman Joe Vetrano had three hits. Shortstop Sean McLain singled and stole two bases.
High-A Great Lakes
Four Loons pitchers combined to blank the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), recording the second shutout of the season for Great Lakes.
Brooks Auger was out since mid-March after pulling his groin during spring training, but was impressive in his first game back. The right-hander, drafted in the sixth round in 2024 out of Mississippi State, struck out five in two scoreless innings. Auger worked around three singles and a walk in his two frames thanks to a caught stealing and striking out all four batters he faced with a runner in scoring position.
Jacob Frost followed Auger with 3 2/3 scoreless innings of his own with four strikeouts to earn the win. The left-hander worked through his own traffic with three walks and two hits, but managed to escape unscathed, with a little help from Adam Makarewich getting a strikeout to end the sixth to strand Frost’s two bequeathed runners. Frost, drafted in the 10th round last year out of Kansas State, has impressed this year in his professional debut, with a 2.25 ERA through four games and 12 innings, with 14 strikeouts (28.6-percent strikeout rate) and eight walks.
Logan Wagner homered in the sixth for Great Lakes.
First baseman Easton Shelton hit a three-run double in the eighth inning to break a tie in the Tower Buzzers road win over the San Jose Giants. Shelton doubled twice in the game.
Left fielder AJ Soldra, the 16th-round draft pick out of Seton Hall last year, hit his first professional home run. already had three triples this year for Ontario but his solo shot in the ninth inning provided insurance.
Isaac Ayon struck out six in three innings of relief, with one run allowed, for the win.
Apr 18, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Luke Raley (20) hits a solo home run sixth inning against the Texar Rangers at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
The M’s turn to Bryan Woo today in a morning contest. As Woo is my favorite of the bunch, I’m always excited for a Woo start day. Which Mariners starter do you get most amped to watch right now?
Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai is slated to begin a rehab stint in his journey back from arm fatigue. Houston, which has surrendered the most runs in the American League (162) will need all the help it can get.
“It was like a cramp after I threw the ball and swung the bat,” Garcia said of what he felt on Wednesday. “I was playing careful that day. After my third at-bat, I didn’t want to have another at-bat playing careful. Got it checked out and did my treatment, and feel better. For this game, I’ll be able to come off the bench and play tomorrow hopefully.”
Prior to Wednesday’s game, the Royals ranked last with runners in scoring position. They entered with a paltry .197 batting average in such situations.
The biggest indictment came Monday against the Orioles. The Royals were 5-for-21 with RISP and left 16 men on base. In the third inning, a bases-loaded opportunity — with no outs — didn’t produce a run.
To make matters worse, the Royals have lost five games trailing by just one run.
“We have to figure out how to win games,” Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia said.
I loved the acquisition in the offseason, but Collins has been pretty terrible in every facet of the game. His defense has taken a step back and his bat is a mess. He did have two hits on Monday night, but he still has a 48 wRC+ and a 35.8 percent strikeout rate. I’m not saying he can’t be a contributor at some point, but right now, he’s actively hurting this team. To me, you have two options to call up. The first is the guy we saw last year and he wasn’t good enough – John Rave. The second is the local guy they acquired – Kameron Misner. Either of them would be great choices. Rave has more walks than strikeouts and has a .240 ISO. Misner has nearly as many walks as strikeouts and he has a .306 ISO. I’d probably lean Misner, but either works for me.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Dixon Williams #63 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the second inning of a Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
From extra innings, to late-inning heroics, Friday’s slate of minor league games had plenty of action. Let’s dive into it all.
It was a disappointing night all-around for Gwinnett as the pitching staff didn’t do its job while the offense was rather stagnant in the Stripers’ loss.
Lucas Braun got the start and put up what was definitively his worst start of the 2025 campaign. In 5.1 frames of work, Braun gave up six runs (five earned) on five hits while issuing a walk and striking out six. While he did manage to get 14 swings and misses in the process, that doesn’t necessarily mean much when you give up a pair of homers on the night.
The biggest blow to Braun’s outing came in the second inning as he gave up a solo homer to Kemp Alderman and followed it up later in the inning by giving up a three-run shot to Jared Serna to give Jacksonville an early 4-0 lead that Gwinnett never could dig themselves out of.
Although, it wasn’t entirely his fault as his defense also didn’t do him any favors, as the Stripers committed a pair of errors on the night as well.
Offensively, while the score may reflect it was a somewhat solid night, it was the contrary for Gwinnett.
Scoring three runs on six hits, the only knock of major consequence came off the bat of Jose Azocar in the bottom of the second as he tallied a solo homer — at a staggering 108.7 MPH off the bat — to cut the deficit to 4-1 in the early going.
One other offensive performance of note was Jim Jarvis, who again went hitless on the night. It appears as though the shortstop may be coming back down to earth after a scalding start to the season.
While he did go 3-3 on Thursday night, Jarvis is just three for his last sixteen at-bats, during which he has struck out five times. He has, however, managed to draw at least one walk in each of his last nine games including Friday, so perhaps not all is lost and it’s simply just a bad stretch for Jarvis.
It took extra innings, but Columbus managed to scratch out a win against Birmingham on Friday.
Herick Hernandez got the start and it was another discouraging outing from the lefty as he again failed to make it beyond three innings for the second straight start. The main issue, as it always has been with Hernandez, has been his inability to throw strikes and when he does hit the zone, it’s often up which leaves him vulnerable to get knocked around.
Hernandez’ overall numbers are solid as he’s carrying a 2.84 ERA on the season. But the current trajectory he is on is worrisome and hopefully it’s just a blip on his radar and he can get his control taken care of.
At the plate, Columbus did just enough to get the job done.
David McCabe laced an RBI-single to put the Clingstones on the board in the first inning and the game went back-and-forth from that point forward.
However, the Clingstones got a significant boost from Jordan Groshans who, in the top of the ninth while trailing 3-2 with two outs, took a 1-0 pitch and crushed it over the left field wall to send the game into extra innings. It was Groshans’ fourth homer of the season for Columbus.
Shay Schanaman came on in relief and tossed two innings of scoreless ball to keep Columbus in the game in the eighth and to send the game to the tenth as well. Schanaman struck out three while giving up just one walk in his two frames of work.
In the top of the tenth, Columbus capitalized on a Birmingham mistake, as Ambioris Tavarez — who came on to pinch-run — scampered home on a wild pitch to give the Clingstones a 4-3 lead. Tristin English later came around to score on an RBI-single off the bat of Cal Conley to provide an insurance run and extend the lead to 5-3.
Elison Joseph was called upon to get the save and did so despite giving up a hit and issuing a walk.
The Emperors got back in the win column following a loss on Thursday, as Colin Daniel spun six innings of three-run ball while getting a massive night at the dish from 2025 draftee Dixon Williams.
Across his six innings of work, Daniel limited Greensboro to three runs on five hits while striking out five. The best news is that he did not issue a single walk on the night. He also managed to get 18 swings and misses on the night, which was good for second-best across all high-A performances on Friday based on when this recap was written.
In four starts this season, Daniel has sort of been a middle of the pack type of starter. His stuff hasn’t exactly been overwhelming and he’s given up his fair share of homers — four to be exact — but he has somehow managed to put up somewhat decent numbers.
At the plate, it was the Dixon Williams show who homered not once, but twice to pace Rome’s offense. It was Williams’ first (and second) homers of the season, as he works his way to full speed after starting the season on the injured list.
The first of Williams’ homers came on an inside-the-park shot with two outs in the top of the first that bounced off the right center field wall and he beat the throw home to score. What is ironic is that his second homer, which came with two runners on in the top of the fourth inning, managed to go over the wall in almost the same exact spot his inside-the-park shot hit off the wall.
Sprint or jog? You decide!@Braves prospect Dixon Williams races around the bags for an inside-the-park home run … and then does it the more conventional way for @GoEmperors. pic.twitter.com/2pcjgOe3Ir
In five games for Rome thus far, Williams has posted an OPS of 1.054 while striking out six times and walking four.
In other offensive news, while it wasn’t his typical three-homer night performance, Eric Hartman had a decent night at the plate as he went 1-3 with a run scored and a pair of walks to his credit. John Gil also drove in a run and later came around to score as he finished 1-4 on Friday.
(11-8) Augusta GreenJackets 11, (10-9) Columbia Fireflies 10
When your starting pitcher gives up six runs in just 4.1 innings of work and a reliever gives up another four runs, you can pretty much chalk it up as a loss almost every time.
The key word in the previous sentence is: almost.
That was not the case for Augusta, as the GreenJackets rode an 11-run, 12-hit performance on Friday to an exciting victory where Tate Southisene got the opportunity to play hero and he did so with swagger.
Getting the start was Ethan Bagwell who simply did not have his best stuff. In 4.1 innings, Bagwell struggled by giving up six runs (five earned) on five hits, while walking four and striking out four. It was Bagwell’s shortest outing of the season, and the third consecutive in which he has given up two or more earned runs after his stellar six-inning shutout to open his season on April 3.
As mentioned, thankfully the Augusta offense showed up and showed out after scoring just three total runs in the previous two games.
Southisene got the party started for Augusta — and he would ironically end it later in the game — by drawing a leadoff walk in the first at-bat of the game and proceeded to swipe second for his 13th stolen base of the season. Southisene later came around to score on an RBI-single off the bate of Luis Guanipa who eventually stole his 11th and 12th bases of the year as well.
From that point forward, there were a total of seven lead changes between Augusta and Columbia throughout the remainder of the game.
The biggest breakthrough of the night came in the top of the ninth inning.
Trailing 10-8, Southisene came to the plate with two outs, the bases loaded and on a 1-0 count, the 2025 first round draft pick took a fastball to the opposite field, lacing it over the right fielders head to unload the bases and give the GreenJackets the 11-10 lead.
Despite the late-inning heroics from Southisene, the GreenJackets would need a bit more to go their way in the final half-inning.
With two runners in scoring position — and the tying run just 90 feet away — Luis Guanipa fielded a pop out into shallow centerfield for the second out, but proceeded to fire the ball home which was in time to get the tagging runner for the final out of the inning and the game.
Catcher Tanner Smith had a tremendous night at the plate as well, as the former University of Miami backstop hit a home run and a double, driving in a whopping four runs on the night. He also drew a walk on Friday and managed to raise his season OPS to .936 while batting .293 for Augusta through eight games.
Southisene’s night extends his hitting streak to six games, while also increasing his season OPS to .951. It is an incredibly encouraging start to the year for Southisene who has shown an improved zone recognition and increased raw power as well early on this season.
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 24: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammate Taylor Ward #3 after hitting a home run in the fourth inning during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Friday, April 24, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees won their seventh straight game on Friday, demolishing the Astros to the tune of 12-4 thanks to the entirety of their infield hitting home runs. The win came with a cost, as Giancarlo Stanton left in the sixth inning after appearing to aggravate something in his leg while running the bases, but the prospect of a Stanton IL stint in any season is more of an inevitability rather than a possibility at this point. Hopefully it’s nothing major and he’ll be back after a short recovery period, but the Yankees will have to press on in the meantime.
Thanks to their success on the diamond though, the rest of the field is once again pressured to play catch up. With one rival covered by their own play, how did the rest fare?
Baltimore Orioles (13-13) 10, Boston Red Sox (9-17) 3
The Red Sox are reeling, and after getting swept by New York they took another gut punch as they traveled down to Baltimore. The Orioles greeted Brayan Bello with a barrage of hits, totaling 13 against Boston’s starter and scoring eight runs in just 3.1 innings, and five of those hits left the yard. The fireworks started right away with Gunnar Henderson leading off and pulling one 410 feet, and Adley Rutschman followed suit with a two-run shot to right. Pete Alonso flew out for the first out of the inning, but Dylan Beavers launched the third homer of the frame to make it 4-0 in a hurry.
Wilyer Abreu got one back with a solo shot in the second, but a Rutschman grounder restored the four-run lead in the bottom half. Then in the third, Samuel Basallo became the fourth Oriole to take flight with a solo shot, and in the fourth Rutschman capped off the scoring against Bello with — surprise — another homer, and yet another two-run blast. The home team was quite literally firing off more fireworks than they could’ve expected, as they had a display set up for each bomb they hit on the night, and they didn’t end up prepared for how well they’d do.
The physical fireworks may have run out, but the bats didn’t. Coby Mayo made it six homers for the birds with a leadoff shot in the fifth, and Rutschman concluded his six-RBI night with a base hit to score one in the seventh. The eighth inning was uneventful for a change, one of just two innings where the Orioles didn’t score all game, but it hardly mattered by that point. The Red Sox had no answer for the onslaught, dropping their fourth straight game and six of their last seven.
Cleveland Guardians (15-12) 8, Toronto Blue Jays (10-15) 6
It was apparently en vogue for AL East rivals to go down a bunch of runs early on Friday, because the Jays followed suit in their matchup with Cleveland. The Guardians put up a five-spot in the first inning, starting off strong with a Daniel Schneeman leadoff blast. The Jays managed to get to two outs without surrendering any more runs, but George Valera made it 3-0 with a two-run double and Angel Martínez launched a two-run shot to keep the rally going.
Toronto clawed a good portion of that back quickly though, getting two runs in the bottom of the first with Jesús Sánchez hitting a solo homer before Kazuma Okamoto hit one of his own in the second. Martínez struck again in the third, however, clubbing another two-run shot to give Cleveland the eventual game-winning runs. It didn’t stay a laugher though, as the Jays continued to close the gap with runs in the fifth and sixth innings to make it 8-6. Then in the ninth, the first two batters managed to get aboard to bring the winning run to the plate. Unfortunately for Toronto, that batter was a pinch-hitter in Eloy Jiménez who promptly hit into a double play to effectively kill their chances at a walk-off. Davis Schneider popped up to officially end it a batter later, dropping Toronto back to five games under .500.
Tampa Bay Rays (14-11) 6, Minnesota Twins (12-14) 2: The Rays managed to buck the trend of the rest of the division, instead steadily building their lead throughout the game. Junior Caminero started them off with a solo shot in the first inning, and Nick Fortes led off the third with a double and came around to score on a groundout to make it 2-0. The fourth inning saw Jonathan Aranda add to the mix with a home run, and while the Twins finally got on the board with a Brooks Lee solo homer in the fifth the Rays got it right back with another Aranda blast in the sixth. Caminero put up the only crooked number of the game with a two-run homer in the seventh inning to ice it, as the Twins managed only a garbage time Royce Lewis solo homer in the ninth.
Cincinnati Reds (17-9) 9, Detroit Tigers (14-13) 8: The Tigers are clawing their way back from an early slump, but they ran into a barnburner in this one against a very good Cincy squad. Detroit jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the fourth inning thanks to homers from Riley Greene and Javier Báez, but the script flipped starting in the fifth inning. Matt McLain hit a two-run shot to get the Reds on the board, Nathaniel Lowe hit a solo shot in the sixth to cut the lead down to 5-3, and then LcLain hit another homer in the seventh to tie it. Lowe later reached on an error that scored a run to put Cincinnati ahead, and Tyler Stephenson hit an RBI double to push them ahead 7-5.
That wasn’t the end of things, though. Detroit answered back in the eighth, with Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter hitting home runs to take the lead back and go up 8-7. Then in the ninth, Cincinnati went down to their last out before getting the tying run aboard and brought Lowe to the plate as the winning run. Lowe delivered, launching the walk-off homer to keep the Reds tied for the best record in baseball.
Athletics (14-12) 8, Texas Rangers (13-13) 1: The A’s continue to hold onto the AL West lead with an outburst against the Rangers, scoring all eight of their runs on five home runs including three in the first inning. Carlos Cortes got a hold of two of them, joining in the initial derby in the first before providing a three-run shot in the fifth inning. That was plenty enough for old friend Luis Severino, who pitched 6.2 innings of one-run ball and handed it off to the Athletics ‘pen for a scoreless end to the blowout.
Seattle Mariners (12-15) 3, St. Louis Cardinals (14-11) 2: The Cardinals outhit the Mariners eight to four in this game, but the only offense St. Louis could capitalize on came in the fourth inning when Masyn Winn hit a two-run single. Seattle, on the other hand, managed to find three opportunities to score despite the meager contact: Randy Arozarena doubled in the second and scored on a Cole Young single, Josh Naylor walked and later scored on a Dominic Canzone single in the fourth, and Naylor homered into the Cardinal bullpen in the sixth.
Although a rain drop has not fallen yet, the Mets and Rockies postponed today’s game in anticipation of poor weather. The game will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader tomorrow, starting at 1:40pm.
In the modern age, rainouts are complicated by a variety of features, including giveaways and themed nights. And so, both the Queens Culture Day and the Mr. Met at the Unisphere Light-Up Bobblehead giveaway will both be moved to other dates to be announced. Additionally, a ticket to today’s game will not be valid for tomorrow’s doubleheader. I’lll let the official Mets’ press release explain:
Fans currently holding a paid ticket in their account valid for entry to today’s game will receive a digital voucher loaded into their My Mets Tickets account (accessed by clicking the Vouchers tab) and will be accessible tomorrow morning. Digital ticket vouchers can be exchanged for a ticket comparable in price and location to select Mets 2026 regular season home games at Citi Field including Sunday’s doubleheader (exclusions apply*), subject to availability.
Ticket holders for today’s game with a prepaid parking pass will automatically receive a digital parking voucher. Digital parking vouchers can be accessed via My Mets Tickets and are redeemable for prepaid parking for select Mets 2026 regular season home games at Citi Field (exclusions apply*), subject to availability.
Ticket and parking exchanges for eligible games through June are available now. Exchanges for eligible games in July-September will be available when tickets go on sale to the public at a later date. Fans can view eligible games by logging into their My Mets Tickets account to redeem their vouchers.
Complimentary tickets to today’s game and those marked “NO RAINCHECK” have no value and do not constitute a rain check.
*Dates excluded from exchanges are May 15-17 vs. Yankees, July 24-26 vs. Dodgers, August 1 vs. Miami (1986 World Series Reunion & Celebration) & September 19 vs. Philadelphia (Carlos Beltrán Mets HOF Induction & Number Retirement); additional blackout dates may apply.
Today’s pitching matchup was supposed to be Kodai Senga against old friend Jose Quintana. Presumably, they will pitch in one of the games tomorrow.
