The roar inside Joe Louis Arena on May 16, 1996, still echoes through hockey history. In a tense, scoreless Game 7 between the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, captain Steve Yzerman delivered one of the most unforgettable goals the NHL has ever seen.
Deep into double overtime, with every shot carrying the weight of an entire season, Yzerman gathered a loose puck near center ice after a neutral-zone turnover by Wayne Gretzky.
The Red Wings captain crossed the blue line and unleashed a blistering slapshot from nearly sixty feet away, a seemingly harmless attempt that suddenly rocketed past Blues goaltender Jon Casey and exploded into the top of the net.
Yzerman flew through the air in celebration as the Red Wings escaped with a 1-0 victory, winning the series and preserving Detroit’s Stanley Cup hopes in dramatic fashion. What made the moment even more remarkable was how unexpected it felt as only moments earlier, Casey had robbed Sergei Fedorov on a dazzling point-blank save that appeared certain to extend the game further. Then came Yzerman’s gamble, a laser beam from just inside the blue line that Casey never truly tracked.
The series had already become a clash of giants with Detroit entering the postseason after one of the greatest regular seasons in NHL history, finishing 62-13-7 with 131 points, the second-highest total ever recorded at the time. The Red Wings captured their second consecutive Presidents’ Trophy and were overwhelming favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
Yet the Blues pushed them to the brink as St. Louis iced a roster overflowing with Hall of Fame talent, including Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Al MacInnis, Chris Pronger, and Glenn Anderson. Detroit was forced to win Game 6 on the road simply to force a deciding game back at The Joe. In the defining moment of the series, Yzerman delivered when the Red Wings needed him most.
Awaiting Detroit in the Western Conference Finals was the Colorado Avalanche, a newly relocated franchise in its first season in Denver but already loaded with stars such as Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Patrick Roy, and Claude Lemieux. The series would ignite one of the fiercest rivalries in sports history.
It featured the infamous hit by Lemieux on Kris Draper, a devastating collision that fueled years of hatred between the franchises. Colorado ultimately defeated Detroit in six games before capturing the Stanley Cup, but the bitterness and intensity forged during that series transformed both organizations forever.
Yzerman’s goal against the Blues became more than just a series winner. It was the spark that ignited a dynasty.The heartbreak of 1996 hardened Detroit into a champion. The Red Wings would return stronger, winning Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998, and 2002 while establishing one of hockey’s defining dynasties of the modern era.
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ATLANTA, GA - MAY 15: Didier Fuentes (72) of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the Friday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox on May 15, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Braves went 9-4 in the first half of May. They were 22-10 through April (.688) and 9-4 is a .692 winning percentage, so… that’s remarkably consistent considering there’s no reason to expect that 13 games will look like the past 32 games, but here we are. It’s a great place to be. Only four teams have done better in May so far — the Brewers have one fewer loss, the Phillies and Cubs have one more win, and the Rays are 11-2. The Braves remain the only above .500 team in the NL East. Their division lead of nine games (over the Nationals and Phillies) is bigger than the division leads in the other five divisions combined. It’s been a good time to be a Braves fan.
For the month so far, the Braves are sixth in position player value, including sixth in hitting outputs, tenth in hitting inputs, and fourth in defensive value. The pitching continues to be “okay” and “defense-reliant” — 16th in fWAR and 19th in FIP-, but it’s actually improved a fair bit, and is ninth in xFIP- with a mark of 90 in May. (They were 15th with a 98 xFIP- in April.)
Game-by-game, going by pregame odds, the Braves “should have” gone something like 7-6 (or maybe 6-7) in the month so far. Naturally, they did much better, against a tough part of the schedule. The win in the middle game of the Los Angeles series was probably their biggest upset so far (and might be something they can’t replicate because there won’t be another game stacked against them in the same way); on the flip side, losing a Chris Sale-Ben Brown-and-Cubs-bullpen matchup was one of their least-expected losses of the year (second, behind the loss to the Athletics early on).
Over this two-week-ish span, the Braves have added another 1.5ish wins to their projected end-of-season win total, which now sits at 94.5 per FanGraphs’ playoff odds page. Their playoff odds continue to approach unity (but probably won’t get there, rounding or not, for a while given that this is still baseball we’re talking about).
How are the Braves doing for the season?
Well, they lead the Rays by a game (two more wins) for best record in MLB. They still project to end the season with the second-best record (Dodgers). They have the best run differential in MLB, and the third-best BaseRuns differential (Dodgers, Yankees).
They’re third in position player value, including third in hitting inputs, second in hitting outputs, and fourth in defensive value. They’ve clambered up to 11th in pitching value, including up to 11th in xFIP-, and still lead the league in ERA- (thanks, defense!). At this point there isn’t too much more to say about that you haven’t already read a few times. The Braves are good, yay.
How are the hitters doing?
The gray-shaded per-600 PA column gets less irresponsible each time, but is still irresponsible.
The first half of May was marked by Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson continuing to be super-awesome, while Ozzie Albies and Mauricio Dubon took a big step back. Fortunately, Austin Riley coming alive and continued good-to-great production from the various role players on the roster essentially made up for the dropoff in Dubon-and-Albies production. The lefty-swinging triumvirate of Baldwin, Olson, and Michael Harris II continues to have some great-to-absurd season-level stats, even after Harris fell off a bit these past few weeks as he recovered from his quad trouble. Dominic Smith hasn’t had any huge season-defining moments recently, but continues to power along with an almost to-good-to-be-true batting line. None of the regulars had a particularly egregious wOBA-xwOBA gap over the last couple of weeks, which is kind of weird in and of itself.
Here’s the wOBA and xwOBA stuff in visual form, for May-so-far:
As you can see, the remarkable-esque thing is that there isn’t much that’s remarkable other than Olson and Baldwin continuing to be awesome, and perhaps that Jorge Mateo is somehow solidly in the upper-right quadrant. If we do the season to date…
Also note that I changed the axis to cap out at 150, since Harris is no longer on a complete rampage that separated him from everyone else.
Mike Yastrzemski didn’t have a great few weeks, but got the hits when it counted. He actually leads the position players in WPA, though that’s partly because Olson has had a rough last few games. On the flip side, Riley is WPA vortexing again (again…) despite an overall improvement in his performance. I’d definitely call Yastrzemski the position player of early-mid May for the Braves given his very direct involvement (even when not starting!) in multiple wins over this period.
How are the pitchers doing?
My ability to do this biweekly for pitchers is getting absolutely destroyed by the fluid-but-well-managed pitching situation. At this point, the Braves have three “starters,” a prospect who is being used as a “starter” because they’re not using him as a flex arm, and then four guys who are or have been used as “starters” but are either not starting anymore, or are effectively becoming not-quite-starter opener-type guys. As a result, I just included everyone who had a start in May in the table below.
Among this sextet, there’s a pretty clear delineation between “it’s working” and “it’s not working,” with Martin Perez kinda hanging out in a weird liminal space. Grant Holmes will likely be limited to one time through the order eventually, but his numbers are suffering in the interim. JR Ritchie’s numbers are really ugly; I’m not sure he’ll be optioned down and honestly I’m not sure that I would option him down to clear up the pitching logjam, either, but that’s an option (pun sorta intended).
Spencer Strider had a rough landing in his season debut, but then bounced back and eviscerated the Dodgers in one of his better post-2023 outings. His most recent start was a mixed bag; as the table above shows, he’ll be great going forward if he can somehow run a tiny HR/FB, but since that’s unlikely, it’d be better if he reined in the walks like he did in Los Angeles. Still, I think over these two weeks, his return was a big boost to the rotation given the other numbers you see above.
As for the bullpen, well, it’s kind of the bulk-pen at this point. Oof slash woof. Dylan Lee was absolutely filthy over the last few weeks; Robert Suarez and Raisel Iglesias also did their thing without many issues. But, the real standout for the pitching staff as a whole in early-mid May was Didier Fuentes: five appearances, 7 2/3 innings, and four shutdowns recorded, to go with a 29/65/91 line. On the flip side, Tyler Kinley has had a miserable time, Aaron Bummer’s performance hasn’t gotten any better, and Reynaldo Lopez is just uncomfortable in many senses of that word at this point. That trio joins Ritchie and Holmes as the arms at replacement level or below for May so far that are still on the roster; Kinley, Bummer, and Holmes were the only guys to get saddled with negative WPA for this period. (Kinley’s -0.52 WPA was disastrous.)
See you at the end of May — and, as always, if there’s something in particular you do want to see covered here, let me know.
May 15, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene (31) celebrates at second base after hitting an RBI double against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (20-25) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (19-25)
Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: Bluebird Banter Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Casey Mize (2-2, 2.90 ERA) vs. LHP Mason Fluharty (2-0, 5.40 ERA)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 5: Bob Myers attends a game between the Denver Nuggets and the Philadelphia 76ers on January 5, 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
The calls for Daryl Morey’s ouster got louder and louder in the 48 hours between Philadelphia’s elimination from the NBA playoffs last Sunday and his official firing on Tuesday.
In the span of just over one week, the Sixers managed to come from 3-1 down against the Boston Celtics on the heels of their star power to looking like a team that was out of gas against the New York Knicks. Perhaps only the Sixers are capable of such an emotional 180, but they pulled it off. Morey’s affinity for stars appeared to finally be paying dividends during the comeback against the Celtics, only for Philadelphia’s lack of depth to be greatly exposed by the Knicks.
As the embarrassments against the Knicks piled up with each loss, it seemed like it was becoming harder for Morey to survive and he was ultimately let go. So often in sports, fans will shout to the heavens for a coach or executive to be fired without any real succession plan. Many simply believe that the next guy simply can’t be as bad as the current guy. But whoever replaces Morey still has to deal with the mistakes he made. Firing Morey doesn’t also undo the Joel Embiid and Paul George contracts. It also doesn’t bring Jared McCain back to Philadelphia. This isn’t to say firing Morey was incorrect, but it is to suggest that if you thought the team was in such bad shape prior to firing Morey, you shouldn’t instantly think the franchise is in better shape now.
Having said all of this, there are some things to like about the state of the Sixers at the moment. In true Sixers fashion, Embiid’s presence on the roster is both a pro and a con and we saw both sides of the spectrum in the playoffs. Embiid was the best player for either team in the Celtics series and didn’t even play for the first three games of the first round. He’s still a dominant offensive player when healthy and rested. But almost instantly in the Knicks series, Embiid looked like a shell of himself and we were already starting to see his body break down. Will the new president of basketball operations decide to dump Embiid at 25 cents on the dollar and deal with the fact that such a move likely makes the Sixers a worse team in 2026-27?
George might be easier for a new executive to trade simply because he has one less year remaining on his contract than Embiid. His mostly good play since returning from the 25-game suspension may have been enough to get his trade value back to neutral after it had been a negative for a long time. Whoever is making these decisions for the Sixers has to decide if it’s possible to build a deep enough roster during the next two seasons to load manage Embiid and George throughout the regular season, and weather their playoff lulls as well. Those are very difficult questions to answer and it’s entirely possible that a new executive comes in and knows full well that the team can’t win a championship with Embiid and George on the roster at their current costs and has to just deal with two years of stagnation.
On top of a new President potentially viewing the short-term salary cap situation as unsolvable in the next two years, that new person is not going to have their own head coach on the sideline. That’s never an attractive situation for someone holding the president title for a sports team. For what it’s worth, Nick Nurse strikes me as a pretty good coach and I wouldn’t consider being “stuck” with him as a problem for the new president.
Of course, all of these things are known by any candidate that interviews with Bob Myers and Josh Harris. So maybe there’s a candidate that either has a strong enough plan for the Sixers to become a serious contender as early as next year. At the same time, there could be a candidate that likes the upside of where the Sixers can go in 2028 and beyond that can sell themselves hard on how they would build out the roster with more financial freedom.
It’s that upside that does make the attractiveness of the Sixers’ president of basketball operations job a difficult thing to gauge. Philly has at least one first-round pick in every draft for the rest of the 2020s. The Sixers could have two firsts in the 2028 draft if their first-rounder that season falls in the top eight. Before you scoff at the idea of the Sixers being that bad in two years, remember the new lottery rules will make the top 10 picks much more random. The unprotected first-rounder from the Clippers in 2028 is a very nice asset to hold as are the swap rights with Los Angeles in the first round in 2029. While the Sixers do not have a second-round pick in next month’s draft, they do have an abundance of second-rounders in future drafts. For the first time in a while, Philly has ample draft capital to either draft prospects or make trades.
Remember, Morey’s staff that has also been responsible for a lot of his strong drafting while running the Sixers is all still employed by the franchise. If George plays out his entire contract with the Sixers, that would mean the new president will lead the team through three drafts before George is gone and Embiid has one more year left. A few strong drafts, and potentially a good trade or two with some of that draft capital could have the Sixers looking very exciting in a mere two years. The 2028-29 season will be Tyrese Maxey’s age-28 season and VJ Edgecombe’s age 23-season. Any confident executive that takes the Sixers president job will look at the draft picks and how young Maxey and Edgecombe are and tell themselves they can have this team contending in two years even if George and Embiid play out the full duration of their contracts with the Sixers.
Does a new executive have the patience to wait two years before they can really move the Sixers into the upper echelon of NBA contenders while working with a coach they didn’t hire? Does the new executive possibly believe they can elevate the Sixers out of the second round in the next two years while Embiid and George are likely still on the roster? If the answer to the second question is yes, then this job is wildly attractive to that kind of candidate. If the answer to the second question is no, then the new hire is going to have to really like the upside for the franchise starting in the summer of 2028.
The other component to all of this is the role Myers will have in the organization once the hire is made. Myers made it clear he will remain involved and have an ongoing dialogue with whomever he hires.
“They’ll have a lot of authority here, which they should,” Myers said of the person he hires. “I won’t be on a day-to-day level, but on the high-level decision-making, which is being here at the draft, being here leading up to the trade deadline, being available for free-agency discussions, free-agency meetings, things like that. I’m going to be involved at that level, and I can tell you that I imagine — and I’m not saying this lightly — I’ll be communicating with that person daily, if not five out of seven days a week.”
It’s easy to feel confident about Myers overseeing basketball operations both on an interim basis right now and having a heavy role in decisions moving forward. But don’t forget he inherited Steph Curry and Klay Thompson by the time he was promoted to general manager in Golden State. This isn’t to say Myers can’t steady the ship for Philadelphia, but his presence in the organization also might not be a fast track to the conference finals.
How attractive is the title of president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers? We can answer that with another question — if you’re interviewing for this job, are you a glass half-full or glass half-empty person?
San Diego, CA - April 15: Alek Jacob of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park on April 15, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres made a roster move on Friday before their first game in the three-game series versus the Seattle Mariners. RHP Alek Jacob was recalled from Triple-A El Paso to join a bullpen that was depleted by the short start (1.2 innings pitched) of starter Griffin Canning on Thursday.
Starter/reliever Matt Waldron has been placed on the injured list with a right Brachialis muscle injury. Waldron started the first game in the recently completed series against the Milwaukee Brewers. He didn’t last long, giving up six runs in 2.2 innings pitched in a 6-4 loss. He also pitched two innings to finish the loss to the Brewers on Thursday. The trio of Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, and Waldron each pitched two innings in relief of Canning, saving the rest of the bullpen for other games.
Even with that effort, it was expected that a fresh arm would be called up with two of the last three games being mostly carried by the bullpen.
Alek Jacob started the season with El Paso after not making the Padres bullpen out of Spring Training. He was called up on April 14 and pitched one inning on April 15 versus Seattle. He allowed one hit and no runs with a walk and was optioned back to El Paso on April 17.
With the Chihuahuas, Jacob has pitched 17.2 innings with a 4.08 ERA. He has 18 strikeouts to 10 walks. He throws a four-seam fastball at 85 mph, a changeup, a sinker, and a sweeper from a sidearm delivery.
Jun 7, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A general view is seen of the stadium during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Why don’t we score more than two runs?
I have stuff on this morning, but should be back to watch the game by the second inning. But I’m putting together the GameThread the night before, so I don’t have the lineups
They are saying Mason Fluharty will start and Spencer Miles will be second up. I’m hoping Miles can to 3 innings again. On the Tigers side it is Casey Mize (2-2, 2.90)
This is ‘rivalry weekend’ and our rival is, apparently, the Tigers. The Tigers were once our rivals, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. But now? I guess someone has to be our rivals. I suppose I would say the Yankees’ are our rivals, but then half the teams in baseball would call them their rivals. But really, why are the Red Sox and Braves rivals?
Really, all baseball wants is a way to hype the Yankees/Mets series. The others aren’t such a big deal.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 03: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox heads back to the dugout after he struck out swinging in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park on June 03, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just yesterday we told you about how well Nick Sogard was doing down in AAA. Well, now we’ll get a chance to see if he can keep that going in the big leagues. Ahead of tonight’s game against the Braves, the Sox called up Sogard to take the place of Trevor Story, who has been placed on the 10-day IL.
If you’re thinking to yourself, wait… Trevor Story is hurt? You’re not alone. But Chris Cotillo reports that he’s been “battling a groin issue” since late April.
It goes without saying that this groin issue is probably minor, and probably the type of thing he’d keep playing through if he wasn’t literally one of the very worst hitters in baseball this year. But he is, raising the question of whether this this a “phantom IL” stint and, if so, will MLB investigate? My gut says and yes to the former and no to the latter. And, anyway, MLB should probably spend some time investigating Aroldis Chapman’s hat from last night’s game:
Suffice it to say, Trevor Story is not going to be the shortstop on the next great Red Sox team. So it will be interesting to see whether the Sox start the clock on the Marcelo Mayer era at shortstop now, or whether Andruw Monasterio mans the position for the next week or two. Stay tuned.
Jhonatan Narváez powered away from his breakaway rivals to win stage eight of the Giro d’Italia on Saturday for his second victory and a third for the injury-decimated UAE Team Emirates XRG.
Adam Yates, Jay Vine and Marc Soler have all been forced out of the Giro after a gruesome stage three pile up in Bulgaria, but the super-team from the Emirates has refocused impressively.
The Texas Rangers were shut out by the Houston Astros on Friday night, falling 2-0.
However, with Jacob deGrom taking the mound this evening, my Rangers vs. Astros predictions expect the visitors to flip the script at Daikin Park.
Let's dive deeper into my MLB picks for Saturday, May 16.
Who will win Rangers vs Astros today: Rangers (-145)
Jacob deGrom has posted a 2.81 xFIP and 2.60 SIERA in 2026, indicators that he is every bit deserving of his strong 2.61 ERA.
The Texas Rangers' right-hander has not allowed much quality contact, striking out a remarkable 32.8% of opposing batters on the year.
Now, the two-time Cy Young winner has a mouthwatering matchup against the Houston Astros,who rank 23rd in wOBA and own the second-highest strikeout rate vs. right-handed pitching in May.
DeGrom will have his way against Houston's struggling offense, giving Texas a great chance of prevailing.
Generating offense has been a major problem for the Astros, with several key bats missing from the lineup. They have hit their team total Under in 13 of the last 15 games (+10.35 units, 55% ROI), and a date with deGrom is only going to highlight their woes at the plate — especially when it comes to striking out.
The Rangers aren't exactly firing on all cylinders either. They are hitting only .216 in May and own the fifth-highest ground ball rate, leading to a lot of easy outs.
Don't expect fireworks in this one.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 17-10, +3.48 units
Over/Under bets: 11-15-1, -6.41 units
Rangers vs Astros odds
Moneyline: Rangers -145 | Astros +125
Run line: Rangers -1.5 (+115) | Astros +1.5 (135)
Over/Under: Over 8 (+100) | Under 8 (-125)
Rangers vs Astros trend
Texas has hit the game total Under in 17 of its last 25 games (+8.4 Units, 31% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Astros.
How to watch Rangers vs Astros and game info
Location
Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Date
Saturday, May 16, 2026
First pitch
7:10 p.m. ET
TV
RSN, Space City HN
Rangers starting pitcher
Jacob deGrom (3-2, 2.62 ERA)
Astros starting pitcher
Kai-Wei Teng (1-3, 3.12 ERA)
Rangers vs Astros latest injuries
Rangers vs Astros 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.
Sep 26, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Max Muncy (13) celebrates after scoring on a sacrifice fly RBI from right fielder Kike Hernandez (8) in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
It’s not so much that he’s found a new gear; you’d have a hard time differentiating between his 2025 and 2026 component statistics. That’s basically my point, though. What he’s doing isn’t surprising, because he’s made it commonplace. He’s hit more or less like this for a decade.
Kiké Hernández has played six games so far on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, including three games this week in Albuquerque. Hernández talked to Geoff Grammer at the Albuquerque Journal about several topics, but also his health relative to last season:
“I knew it was going to be a long rehab. And even though I’m ahead of schedule, it still feels like it’s forever, because it’s the first time in my entire career that I missed spring training and I missed Opening Day,” said Hernández. “… Last year was miserable, you know? Not only performance wise, but I was just in a lot of pain every time I took the field. So I’m just happy that I’m pain free right now.”
Former major league outfielder and current ESPN broadcaster Doug Glanville wrote about his time guest-hosting ‘This Week in Baseball’ while with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2000, at his Welcome to Glanville newsletter.
“The show took viewers around baseball without heavy bias toward one particular market,” Glanville wrote. “It simply made you love baseball wherever, and whenever, it was being played.”
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 01: Danny Coulombe #67 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on May 01, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In this bullpen game, every pitcher gave up their share of Buffalo (Blue Jays AAA) runs. The team was bogged down, moreover, by uninspired offense. Despite drawing 8 walks, they hit 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position, had just four batters record a hit, and never held a lead. By the time Buffalo’s Je’Von Ward hit a homer off Wyatt Olds, it was a 4-2 game that felt out of reach despite not being so.
Red Sox fans in Hartford, Connecticut (Rockies AA) that stayed for some extra baseball were treated to Max Ferguson’s third hit of the night driving in what would become the winning run after a game that lacked offensive firepower across the board on Franklin Arias’ night off. This wasn’t due to a lack of runners getting on, as, and stop me if you’ve heard this before in this season organizationally, they couldn’t bring the runners home. This game shouldn’t have been close, but it was. At least Portland pulled it out.
Also notable was John Holobetz putting together one of his best outings of the season in five innings after an opener from a rehabbing Danny Coulombe. I gotta be honest real quick: I don’t really see the appeal of rushing back a 36-year-old mop-up guy with an ERA nearing 6 and an inability to strike guys out to a high level in relief. I’d instead opt to give some younger relief arms some shine or at least some experience. But what do I know?
If you’re playing the “The Drive have still only won once this month” game with me, know that Greenville has now lost thirteen of their last fourteen games. Marcus Phillips couldn’t make it out of the fourth, Shea Sprague got peppered by Hot Rods bats (Rays High-A) and Greenville was hitless in 11 chances with runners in scoring position. Perhaps the one bright spot was Yophery Rodriguez mashing his 10th home run of the year, but even that cut the deficit to 5-2 and Bowling Green would score two in the next inning anyway.
Salem found themselves in an early 3-1 hole in Fredericksburg (Nationals A) but fought back. In the end, the only home run of the game the RidgeYaks let up back in the first inning ended up being the difference in this one as even Ty Hodge’s two hits to drive runners in couldn’t place Salem in the win column in this hard-fought game.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 15: Spencer Strider #99 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park on May 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It does appear that the days of Spencer Strider reaching back and delivering some electrifying stuff in the form of a four-seam heater are over. Strider has made three starts so far to get his 2026 season going and so far, he’s been sitting in the range of 96-97 mph when it comes to his four-seam fastball. Indeed, it’s looking like the version of Strider who could simply blow away other hitters while touching 100-mph on the radar gun is firmly in the rear-view mirror at this point.
With that being said, there’s something exciting brewing when it comes to this current form of Spencer Strider and his breaking balls, in particular. During Friday’s walk-off win over the Red Sox, Strider finished with 5.1 innings under his belt and just one run allowed on three hits and three walks. He also struck out four batters but I’m not here to talk about the strikeouts. I’m actually here to talk about the hits. One hit in particular stood out. In the fifth inning, Ceddane Rafaela led things off by hitting a ground rule double.
While a ground rule double itself isn’t shocking, the fact that Rafaela got a hit in itself was shocking. It isn’t because of anything that has to do with him (though he is off to a fine start so far in 2026 so props to him), it has to do with the pitch that he got the hit off of. It was a curveball. That was the first time in 2026 where an opposing hitter got a hit off of a curveball from Spencer Strider.
Not only that, it was the first time that anybody has gotten a hit off of Strider on anything but his fastball. Indeed, Strider has given up eight hits over 14.2 innings pitched so far and only one of those hits came after Strider threw anything but a fastball. In fact, opposing hitters still have yet to hit his slider or his changeup, either. He’s through three starts now and the Batting Average against his slider and changeup is still at .000.
It’s also not like he’s simply been just “getting away with it,” either. Heading into his start on Friday, the xBA against his slider was at .002. The xBA against his curveball was at .005 and while he’s rarely thrown the changeup so far, the xBA on that pitch is still at a paltry .087. It’s been early yet for Strider but at the same time, the fact that his breaking stuff has been quite literally near-unhittable has been very impressive to see so far.
“I think that was some growth during the time after he came back from the injury,” opined manager Walt Weiss when I asked him about the success that Strider has had with his breaking balls lately. “The fastball last year wasn’t what it was and so [he’s had to] get a little creative and work on some of his secondary pitches. He did and he’s better for it now. In the end, I think he’s going to be a more well-rounded pitcher.”
A more well-rounded version of Spencer Strider would be an awesome sight to see. If Strider can continue to get more efficient with his pitches so that he has to really battle to get through six innings, then we might be in the early stages of seeing a special version of Strider on the mound. The fact that his breaking stuff has such good underlying metrics is indicative that he could end up being dominant with that stuff until hitters figure out a way to counter it.
Hopefully it takes opposing batters a very long time to figure out how to crack the code that Spencer Strider has put out there with his breaking pitches because right now, it is giving the opposition a real devil of a time. It’s still early yet for Strider but it’s still very encouraging to see how effective he was against the Dodgers on the road and then to see him build upon that start with what he did in his first home start of the season. This could be the earliest sign so far that would indicate Strider may be on his way back to being one of the most effective pitchers in both Atlanta’s rotation and baseball in general. We’ll see what happens!
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 18: Matt Strahm #25 of the Kansas City Royals leaves the game due to injury during a Spring Training game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on March 18, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals have made a roster move this morning, sending Matt Strahm to the Injured List. In his place, Bailey Falter will return from the Injured List.
Jaylon Thompson with a few more details:
Matt Strahm seemingly injured his knee in the 9th inning. The #Royals checked on him and he finished the frame.
— Jaylon T. Thompson (@jaylonthompson) May 16, 2026
During the game last night, I remember Strahm threw a couple of odd pitches and Matt Quatraro and the training staff went out to check on him. But they seemed ok with what they saw. He finished out the at-bat. But John Schreiber, who warmed up quickly, came in to face righty Iván Herrera to end the inning.
Strahm, in his return to the Royals this season, has pitched in 17 games with a 1-1 record and a 3.86 ERA and 17K in 16.1 IP.
The back of the bullpen is starting to look mighty thin as he joins closer Carlos Estevez on the IL.
Falter has been throwing down in Omaha and has a 2.70 ERA in 13.1 IP. He hasn’t pitched for the Royals since April 1st.
A one-of-kind baseball card of Judge in his first professional season with the Yankees sold at auction for a staggering $838,750 on Friday.
The 2013 Bowman Aaron Judge Superfractor 1/1 — depicting the eventual Yankees captain just after he was selected by the team in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft — is considered the most important unsigned Judge card to exist.
This Aaron Judge baseball card sold for $838,750 at auction.
Its previous owner, a Texan, didn’t realize the card’s value until a dealer came to his house to purchase cards — and was left awestruck by the rare find, explained Chris Ivy of Heritage Auctions.
The dealer, knowing its true value, posed the question, “So if I offered you $25,000 for this card, you would take it?”
He didn’t even let the owner answer before advising him not to accept his lowball offer.
“Don’t, this card is worth a lot more. You should reach out to an auction house,” he said.
“Collectors helping other collectors is the foundation of our hobby and we are thrilled to be a part of it,” said Ivy. “The huge result for the card is a life-changing moment for the consignor and his family and we couldn’t be happier for them.”
In March, the autographed version of the same card sold for $5.2 million, setting the record for the most expensive modern baseball card ever sold.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 15: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round Two Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 15, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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
Guess who just got back to the WCF? Those crazy cats down in San Antone. Making sure Game 6 is all they need, Stephon Castle responded to the Timberwolves’ defensive switch-up and scored a game-high 32 points along with 11 rebounds. De’Aaron Fox chipped in 21 points with 9 assists while Victor Wembanyama “casually” scored 19 points with 3 blocks.
These lobs between Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama look so organic. Occasionally, Wembanyama will add some spice like dunk the ball from the side or with his back facing the rim. Next, I expect him to bounce one off his face like a seal and then flush it through.
Castle in the sky for this exclamated dunk. I know “exclamated” isn’t a word, but have you seen Howl’s Moving Castle? If you’re a fan of Hayao Miyazaki, I would highly recommend watching it.
Dylan Harper out here making going left look like going right. It’s legitimately bonkers how bonkers Harper is playing in the playoffs right now. Explosive plays? Sure. Clamped down defense? Of course. Composure beyond his years as a rookie? Indubitably. Meme-able reactions that go viral on the internet? More on that below.
Look, I get nervous when Wembanyama catches a lob with his back to the basket and quickly spins around for a dunk for fear of him hitting his head on the rim if he misjudged his jump and location. Luckily, that doesn’t happen as often as I fear. On this play, De’Aaron Fox puts up a pretty full-court pass on the dot to our favorite sci-fi enthusiast who immediately pirouettes into a dunk off of one pivot of the foot.
Just in case you forgot that the Spurs have a young, budding wing like Castle, they draft Dylan Harper who they bring along patiently and then unleash in the playoffs. Just in case you forgot they have young, promising wings in Castle and Harper, here comes Carter Bryant flying in and soaking in every minute of the 10-13 minutes per game that Mitch Johnson puts him in for. I can’t wait to see Bryant’s increased role next season but am enjoying the burst of energy and effective defense he brings off the bench. What a fun team.
This post is a Julian Champagnie appreciation post. Rock solid is usually the description used to describe Champagnie, but if he was on any other team, you’d see regular highlights like below. Good thing he isn’t on another team because he fits right in with this crew.
You can almost see the light of enlightenment shine on Champagnie when he was about to pull up for an open three and realized his buddy Wembanyama is even more open down by the basket. Just ignore that little love tap Wemby gave out just like the (redacted)s ignored the other love taps give out on Wemby throughout these playoffs (wink).
There’s a lot of work left for these Spurs, but it’s just amazing to see their journey this season. It hits extra hard to our hearts to see a new band of lovable, fun players bring us basketball joy. Especially after that 2014 team, I myself did not think I would ever find that kind of sports joy again, but these guys make it a lot easier.
There’s so much homerism and bias in that paragraph that it almost makes you forget you’re reading it on a San Antonio Spurs site. Almost.
Wow! With all that adrenaline from Friday night’s big series finishing win, winding it down and sending everyone out with some comfort sitcom music, starring Dylan Harper with the most “The Office” face ever:
COVERS INTEL:
