ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 11: Blake Snell #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers poses for a photo with Zach Neto #9 prior to the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Monday, August 11, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Tom Wilson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Had things gone according to plan, Friday would be Blake Snell’s 2026 debut with the Dodgers, who open a series against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. But instead this will be Snell’s second start of the season.
Jack Kochanowicz starts for the Angels, with his 3.97 ERA and 5.00 xERA through eight starts. He’s coming off his worst game of the season, with seven runs (six earned) allowed in four innings against the Blue Jays on Saturday in Toronto. Before that, the right-hander had a 2.17 ERA in his previous six starts.
But that almost didn't happen. He seriously contemplated retirement, according to ESPN.
Although he never went through with the decision, there have been multiple instances where retirement has crossed his mind, per ESPN.
ESPN says he discussed retirement for the first time in June 2025, about a month after the Warriors lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals in five games, losing star Stephen Curry to injury in the process.
"My wife and I have been talking about it a lot," Kerr told ESPN's Wright Thompson then. "I have a year left on my contract. Maybe one more season. Maybe two. When Steph Curry and Draymond Green leave, the franchise deserves a clean start. We are one injury from completely falling apart."
That's nearly what happened during the 2025-26 campaign. The huge blow was losing Jimmy Butler to a torn ACL in January, especially as the team was starting to roll.
Even before then, retirement had crossed Kerr's mind. The Warriors lost an overtime game to the Toronto Raptors, a contest they led for most of the game. The loss didn't sit well with Kerr.
"I think things have run out here," he said. "It's just time to move on. For me and for them. I'm probably being too emotional after yet another close loss, but it's probably true. ... We will commiserate and drink beer and watch the game on our computers and complain about all the dumb plays we made."
That loss was in late December. Golden State turned into one of the better teams through January until Butler got hurt. About a week and a half later, they lost Curry for 27 straight games to runner's knee.
The battered Warriors scraped their way to the 10th seed, somehow finding themselves still in NBA Play-In contention, as the season drew to a close. Even then, Kerr said he had his mind made up on calling it quits after the season, before the Warriors played a March 25 game against the Nets.
He told ESPN's Thompson that he spoke with his wife, Margot, at the time and they both agreed that the 2025-26 season would be his last. All Kerr wanted was a classy ending.
Critics wrote them off and said the dynasty was over. Their demeanor changed when Curry returned at the end of the season and they went into the NBA Play-In Tournament against the Los Angeles Clippers.
It was a fight and, in the end, Curry's heroics saved the day, reminding Kerr of what he'd be walking away from.
The atmosphere of the game, the postseason environment and the story of Golden State's season – that contest was gratifying for the Warriors and the thought of their once-existent dynasty.
"For one night, we're us," Kerr said. "We are champions again."
It was after that game he told Thompson in a whisper, "I'm not leaving." According to Thompson, Kerr also received a text from his wife, too, that read "You're not leaving."
The Warriors lost the next Play-In game to the Phoenix Suns, and Kerr shared a moment with Curry and Draymond Green. After the game, he said: "I still love coaching, but I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date. There's a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it's time for new blood and new ideas and all that."
He met with team owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. over weeks of discussion until a deal was ultimately reached. All sides agreed that there is still a competitive fire and they look forward to the upcoming season.
"We're thrilled that Steve's tenure with the Warriors will continue," Dunleavy said in a news release. "His impact on our franchise has been enormous, well beyond the championships and incredible on-court success. The character and leadership that he exudes each day helps set the tone for what we hope our franchise represents both now and in the future."
And despite considering retirement, Kerr said he's grateful for the opportunity to remain the Warriors coach.
"This organization has meant so much to me for the last 12 years − from ownership to our players, our staff and our fans − and it's an incredible privilege to be a part of something so special," Kerr said in a news release. "I'm excited to keep competing with this group."
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 13: Mauricio Dubón #14 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the eighth inning during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park on May 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves have already clinched the series win against the Cubs in their second-consecutive high-profile series. Now they’re going for the really loud statement of pulling off a sweep against the Cubs. Ben Brown and the rest of the North Siders aren’t likely to just roll over, so this should be another closely-fought contest between the two. Hopefully we’ll be talking about a Braves win once the end of the night comes around. For now, settle in and and enjoy yourselves while the game is happening.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 14: Mitch Garver #18 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates after hitting a two run home run against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning at Daikin Park on May 14, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In a day when the Mariners lost their starting catcher with Cal Raleigh going on the IL, Mitch Garver stepped into the role and had his best game of the season – on both sides of the ball – in an 8-3 victory. With that win, the Mariners not only secured a series win over the Astros, but guaranteed a winning season record over their AL West rivals.
It wasn’t just Garver contributing to the offense, though. The Mariners batters had seven extra-base hits, setting a season high, and seven of their eight runs came with two outs. They had traffic in all but two innings, pounding out 11 hits, and struck out just six times while walking five times.
The Mariners offense staked Castillo to a nice three-run lead early, thanks to a leadoff Brendan Donovan double and then some two-out production: Randy Arozarena walked and Luke Raley got a fastball on the plate from Astros starter Mike Burrows that he did not miss:
I do not know why, in a 1-2 count, after Raley had swung and missed at a changeup previously and then fouled off another, Burrows then thought the next move was “fastball up in the zone to a man with arms that look like Douglas firs stapled to his shoulders” but I’m not upset about it.
For a moment, it looked like Luis Castillo was going to give all those runs right back. He got his first two outs before walking Yordan Álvarez, which, understandable, but then walked Isaac Paredes on five not particularly-close pitches. His command wasn’t much better to Christian Walker, although he was able to get Walker to fly out harmlessly to end the inning. But it came at the cost of his pitch count: 23 pitches in the first inning alone on a day when the Mariners bullpen was perilously short-handed.
The Astros had a little more life in the bottom of the second, but Castillo was bailed out by a baserunning error by Braden Shewmake, trying to make it from second to third on a Cam Smith infield hit right at J.P. Crawford (and then maybe bailed out again on a challenge that went the Mariners’ way). Castillo got out of that inning, and after that, seemed to lock in. He did give up a solo homer to Álvarez in the third, because Yordan gonna Yordan, but also struck out three in that inning, and then worked a clean fourth – again with some help from Garver, who made a clutch challenge to overturn ball three into an inning-ending strike three – and a clean fifth, this time with some help from a nifty snag by Cole Young.
Meanwhile, the Mariners hitters continued to stack offense for Castillo. With J.P. Crawford on board but two outs in the fourth, Burrows hung a slider to Garver in an 0-2 count—which again, feels like a bad idea when in his previous at-bat he’d hit a slider hard but straight to center, but hey, I’m not the professional here – and this time, Garver did everything the same (literally the exact same exit velo, 99.1, and actually ten feet shorter via Statcast – 369nice vs. 379) but yanked the pitch into the Crawford Boxes instead.
Rewatching that, I feel like 369 feels short as a measurement, but also, I delight in Mariners hitters making the homer-inflating Crawford Boxes work for them, so it’s a quandary. Perhaps as a certified Tall Person I should consult José Altuve on what it feels like to be short.
That homer gave the Mariners and Castillo some breathing room, but Cole Young decided to crack the window even further in the sixth after the two batters ahead of him had reached with two outs – Dominic Canzone on a single and Garver on a walk. Young fell behind 0-2 but laid off a changeup and a slider (good Cole!) until he got a sinker right on the plate he could smash into right field. A little adventurous fielding from Astros right fielder Cam Smith allowed seventh-percentile-sprint speed Garver to score all the way from first without a slide. (NB: If you’re watching this highlight at work or in front of delicate ears, mute it, because Burrows swears loudly and distinctly right after this pitch gets hit.)
That healthy lead let Dan Wilson roll with Castillo into the sixth, and it looked like it was going to be another inning of smooth sailing for The Rock despite a one-out Álvarez single. Again, Garver came up with a clutch challenge, flipping a count for Paredes from 2-0 to 1-1; Paredes would eventually strike out. But then Christian Walker refused to just strike out, instead working a nine-pitch walk. Trying to get one last out and maybe a quality start for Castillo, the Mariners opted to leave him in, and he left a fastball on the plate for Braden Shewmake to send to that tricky left field wall, scoring both runners. Nick Davila, making just his fifth big-league appearance, was called in to stop the bleeding and did, getting Brice Matthews to ground out.
Davila went on to deliver a scoreless seventh, working around a walk, and Domingo Gonzalez – now given a five-run lead after a J.P. Crawford RBI double in the eighth – worked around a leadoff double to, who else, Álvarez, and then capped things off in the ninth. Of his six outs, Gonzalez got two strikeouts and four ground-ball outs, which seems like a pretty useful reliever even if the Mariners’ infield defense is shaky on the left-hand side.
The Castillo-Garver battery isn’t the matchup most Mariner fans are most excited about this season, but today the supposed weak links of the roster gave what they had to this victory: Castillo, whose velocity was up a full tick on his fastball, hanging in there for 108 pitches; and Garver, calling a good game for Castillo (who doubled his changeup rate today, with some success – two of his six strikeouts were on the pitch), winning back strikes with savvy ABS challenges, showing patience at the plate, and punishing the mistake pitch he saw. Add in the bullpen performance from Davila and Gonzalez, two pitchers buried in the pile this spring training, and you have a solid win in a game that might have looked like a loss on paper. It’s especially weird because I thought this recap would be all about Brendan Donovan, who had three hits and fell a homer short of the cycle today, but the 2-4 hitters behind him today combined for just one hit and five strikeouts (Randy did walk twice, not trying to take anything away from ArOBParena). Huh, maybe RBI is an important stat.
Jorge Polanco hasn’t played a game for the Mets since April 14 against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to a wrist issue as well as a lingering Achilles injury.
Around that time, about a month ago now, Polanco received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his Achilles to try to help aid the healing process, reports The Athletic’s Will Sammon.
While the shot has made the injury feel better for Polanco, he’s still not fully healthy and his timeline to re-join the team remains unknown. David Stearns said on Tuesday that Polanco needs to be “asymptomatic” before the Mets can even think about setting a possible return date for the veteran.
“We want to have more good days than the days I don’t feel so good,” Polanco told The Athletic. “That’s when I know I’ll be ready to go.”
The 32-year-old, who signed a two-year, $40 million deal in the offseason after a great year with the Seattle Mariners, has only appeared in 14 games for New York and is hitting .179 this season with one home run.
“It is tough to deal with, but at the same time, I can’t control that,” Polanco told the Athletic. “I wish I could because then I could be on the field every day… but what else can we do but try to stay positive, keep going and come back.”
In the middle of Thursday's game at Citi Field, the sun came out for the Mets -- literally and metaphorically.
Following a dreary morning and early afternoon where the tarp didn't come off the field until the first pitch was getting close -- and after Nolan McLean and the Mets found themselves in an immediate 3-0 hole -- New York erupted.
They hit five home runs, including the first big league homer for 21-year-old rookieA.J. Ewing.
The red-hot Carson Benge was in the middle of things again, going 2-for-5 with a stolen base and a run scored.
And McLean, who got jumped for a three-run homer in the first inning, didn't allow any Tigers to cross the plate after that. On a day where there was constant traffic on the bases and his stuff (especially his two-seamer) wasn't really there, McLean showed moxie while getting through seven innings and emotion as he struck out the last two batters he faced.
The result was a series sweep, with the Mets erasing deficits in all three wins.
On Tuesday, New York trailed 2-0 before pounding out 10 runs. In Ewing's debut, he provided an immediate spark, ripping a triple, drawing three walks, scoring two runs, and driving in two more. Meanwhile, Benge had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored.
On Wednesday, the Mets fell behind 2-0 again and didn't tie it until the seventh inning. From there, the bullpen locked things down until Benge delivered a walk-off hit in the 10th -- driving in Ewing.
On Thursday, the Mets were down 3-0 before Ewing homered to cut it to 3-1 and Brett Baty went yard to tie things. From there, the offense exploded, with Mark Vientos,Juan Soto, and Marcus Semien also going deep.
May 14, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) celebrates his solo home run against the Detroit Tigers with right fielder Carson Benge (3) during the third inning at Citi Field. The home run was the first of Ewing's MLB career. / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
The Mets are still just 18-25. They have a long way to go.
But they are 8-4 over their last 12 games, and the baby Mets (plus McLean, Soto, the pitching staff, and others) are giving us a glimpse of what this team can still be in 2026 -- and beyond.
That caveat was the offense, which was a league-worst unit as recently as a few days ago.
And despite their showings on Tuesday and Thursday, it's fair to believe the offense will have to grind things out for the foreseeable future since the team is still without Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr., and Francisco Alvarez.
The Mets got good news on Lindor before the game, the day after he had a follow-up MRI on his calf. Manager Carlos Mendoza said "it's getting better, showing signs of healing," but added that there is still no timetable for Lindor to resume baseball activities.
But without Lindor and three other key offensive cogs, the Mets' offense has come to life.
Speaking after the game, Mendoza did not mince words when admitting that it felt like "the game was over" earlier this season when the Mets fell behind by a couple of runs. That isn't the case anymore.
"Now, we're down three in the first inning, you still feel good," Mendoza explained. "You could just have that sense in the dugout. Sure enough, we get that homer. In general, the pitching is gonna keep us in games -- they've been doing that the whole year.
May 14, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean (26) pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
"And it's just good to see the guys fight back. They're resilient, and they're not gonna give up. They're not gonna put their heads down. They're gonna keep going. That's who we are."
Regarding Ewing and Benge, Mendoza said they have brought "contagious" energy. But it hasn't just been them. Baty has been better at the plate recently, Vientos has been providing power (and has his OPS for the season up to .720), and Semien had a big day on Thursday as he reached base three times.
More will be needed, especially from Bo Bichette.
But as the Mets wait for Bichette to come around and their injured players to return, they've shown that they have what it takes to hang in there.
So much of it will come down to the pitching, which has featured McLean, Clay Holmes, and Freddy Peralta performing like All-Stars and Christian Scott starting to re-establish himself. There's also a chance Jonah Tong, who has found his footing in Triple-A, could be up sooner rather than later and add another element to the rotation.
As far as the bullpen, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, and Huascar Brazoban have all been lights out recently.
When the Mets fell to 10-21, it felt like their season was in danger of slipping away, but it also felt like anything that could've gone wrong had gone wrong.
Yes, the offense was struggling badly, but there were also extenuating things. That included the injuries (especially one that kept Soto out for three weeks), the absurd travel schedule (three trips to the West Coast), and the awful, often extremely cold conditions the Mets were playing in regularly.
With all of those things in the rearview, the season has stabilized, and there's an energy around the team that wasn't there a few weeks ago.
Things are still tenuous and the Mets will need to grind it out until they get healthy, but it feels like a corner has been turned.
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers got a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first inning Thursday night, and they put a runner in scoring position in three of the next four innings. Over that same time period, the Giants had two hits: One at 71 mph and the next at 73 mph.
And yet, the final matchup of this four-game series was tied up heading into the sixth inning. The Giants had a chance to steal one, but those two bloops ended up being their only hits. The offense fell flat Thursday and they fell 5-2, finishing with a series split after winning the first two games.
With Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts getting the night off, Will Smith led off — and he blasted a sinker out to right-center. The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead an inning later, but the Giants tied it up in the fifth when Teoscar Hernandez misplayed a Jung Hoo Lee bloop into an inside-the-park homer.
Hernandez made up for it an inning later, lining his third hit in as many at-bats to put two runners on and end Landen Roupp’s night. Matt Gage has been a magician in the middle innings this year, but after a strikeout of Dalton Rushing, he gave up a two-run single to pinch-hitter Alex Call.
That was more than enough against the Giants, who had plenty of big moments in the four-game series but left town eight games under .500.
Jung Hoo History
Lee blooped an 0-2 pitch into the left field corner with two outs in the fifth and Hernandez appeared to think it was going to bounce off the dirt and into the seats for a ground rule double. Instead, the ball hit the padding and rolled all the way to the left field wall, and Lee never broke stride. Third base coach Hector Borg was waving him all the way and Lee slid in safely ahead of a high throw from Miguel Rojas.
Amazingly, it was the first inside-the-park homer for the Giants at Dodger Stadium, which was built in 1962. It was Lee’s first inside-the-parker in the big leagues and the first by a Giant since Patrick Bailey’s memorable walk-off last July. There have been a few at Oracle Park, but Lee became just the ninth San Francisco Giant to hit one on the road. The last Giant to hit one against the Dodgers was Larry Herndon off Fernando Valenzuela at Candlestick Park in 1981.
Officially, Lee’s third homer of the season left the bat at 73.2 mph and traveled 225 feet. He made it around the bases in 15.2 seconds.
Landen in L.A.
Until the single from Call, it was looking like Roupp would escape with one of the grindiest outings of the year. He had just one clean inning and it felt like there was a runner in scoring position for just about every pitch he threw, but he kept getting strikeouts when he needed them. Smith went down with two on in the second and Roupp got Kyle Tucker with a runner on third and two outs in the fifth.
The dangerous living finally caught up to him in the sixth. Roupp left with two runners on, and the single from Call brought them home. He was charged with four earned in 5 1/3, which raised his ERA to 3.49.
The New Kershaw?
Emmet Sheehan has a 3.99 ERA in three big league seasons and has battled inconsistency this year while pitching at the back of a star-studded rotation. But when he sees the Giants, he puts up the kinds of numbers that Clayton Kershaw did over more than a decade of pitching in rivalry games.
Sheehan’s MLB debut came against the Giants in 2023, and he pitched six no-hit innings before getting lifted with a high pitch count. In four subsequent appearances against them, he has allowed five hits in 22 innings. Overall, Sheehan has given up just four earned runs in 28 career innings against the Giants, and half of that total came on Lee’s bloop homer.
Already down a starting defenseman, the Vegas Golden Knights found themselves without another mainstay on the back end early in Game 5 after Brayden McNabb was ejected for his hit on Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Poehling. Poehling left the game following the hit and did not return.
Following the game, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety issued a one-game suspension for the hit. This is McNabb’s first suspension in his 14-year career.
Ducks coach Joel Quenneville confirmed that Poehling won’t be available for Game 6.
“You never want to see anyone get hurt,” said defenseman Rasmus Andersson. “I hope Ryan is okay over there.
The Golden Knights empathized with McNabb, too. He’s one tough customer and is annually among the team leaders in hits, but he’s far from a dirty player.
“He’d like to be out there with us,” said forward Keegan Kolesar. “I’ve been in that position. You feel gutted, putting the team in that situation, in a 5-minute major, and then down a guy early… We got through that 5-minute major with only [allowing Anaheim] one goal, I think that’s a win.
“The year we won, I took a 5-minute major in Edmonton,” Kolesar continued. “I felt pretty gutted. Thankfully, we won, and I just went around and hugged everyone. You feel awful during those moments, and having good teammates is what picks you up from that.”
The Golden Knights never shy away from facing adversity, and they do so because of how close they are with each other. Coaches and players alike rave about the strength and resilience in the locker room, as well as the tight-knit bonds among the players.
“It’s just what we do as a team: we pick each other up,” said Kolesar. “I think we just wanted to rally around each other.”
As a result of McNabb’s ejection, Ben Hutton and Dylan Coghlan stepped into elevated roles in Game 5. Their importance will carry over into Game 6 as the Golden Knights look to play a potential series-clinching game without their long-time alternate captain.
“Losing Nabber, he’s one of the leaders, if not the leader, on the back end. It’s time for other players to step up,” said Rasmus Andersson following Game 5. “I thought Hutty and Cogs did an unbelievable job. They gave us really good minutes, and I thought they were as steady as it comes.
“That’s what we need in the playoffs,” finished Andersson. “We need people to step up when their opportunity is called.”
When asked, Keegan Kolesar said that, while the group continues to rally around each other, there is no emphasis on winning for McNabb.
“It’s not like he died, or anything,” he joked. “We wanted to rally around each other, not just him alone.”
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 14: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park on May 14, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game Summary
Today’s game featured stingy starting pitching from both the A’s starter Lopez and the Cardinals Michael McGreevy. McGreevy lowers his ERA to 2.10. Jordan Walker and Victor Scott II hit homeruns, leading the Cardinals to a late 3-1 lead. However, the Cardinals bullpen was unable to hold the lead against the powerful A’s line-up. Stanek and Romero combined to give up 4 hits and 2 walks to gift a late 4-3 lead to the A’s.
But the Cardinals’ reputation for relentlessness held up when they mustered an HBP, an RBI single and an RBI double, all with two out in the ninth to regain the lead. O’Brien faces the meat of a powerful A’s line-up and wins the duel, closing out with a K on Rooker. Cardinals win 5-4.
Line-up (and roster) machinations
An early start today, followed by a long flight to St. Louis tonight (and a game tomorrow).
An RH heavy line-up against a soft-tossing LHP today. Fermin at first, Pozo back at DH, Herrera at C. Scott II, JJW and Gorman represent the LH side of the line-up.
Burly gets a day. He has needed one.
The early going
Cardinal pitchers continue to assist Nick Kurtz improve his power numbers as he leads off the game with a solo HR. Michael McGreevy and the Cardinals benefit significantly from the sequencing gods as the A’s fell just a triple short of the cycle in that first inning but left with only a 1-0 lead.
The Cardinals meanwhile came out swinging in their getaway day offensive game plan. I didn’t quite get this considering he is a pitcher who walks more than he strikes out. But a flight home awaits! Throughout four innings, only Pozo manages a dinker of a hit into centerfield. True to form, Lopez walks 3 and K’s but two. Otherwise, eleven outs on weak contact.
In the early going, McGreevy allowed a fair bit of traffic, battling his command. But battle he did, holding the A’s to that one run through the first four innings, working only 53 pitches, so efficiency was good.
The middle innings – 3rd time through the lineup
Scott II violates the 3rd time rule by hitting a HR in his second AB, tying the tame in the fifth. The top of the Cardinal line-up, coming up for that third time, continue to mishit. This pitcher is throwing strikes, so what are you gonna do? Ends up with a 10-pitch inning even with the HR.
In the bottom of the fifth, McGreevy strikes out Kurtz and we look up and realize that McGreevy has now set down nine in a row. I am sure he is going to say after the game that he did not have his best stuff, but boy he pitches.
In the sixth, the third time through rule hit Lopez quickly as Walker hits an oppo HR, then Winn golfs a pitch just off the ground back to the pitcher that turns into a pinball machine triple that ends up ruled a two separate throwing errors. The A’s do not play good D, that is for sure in this series. Gorman gets a little dinker for an RBI single. He seems to have a knack for that. Lopez exits without getting an out in the sixth with the Cardinals up 3-1. After Leiter enters, a warning track flyball and GIDP end the uprising. McGreevy works through the bottom of the sixth on 74 pitches. 3 K. 1 BB. 5 H. 1 R. Ho-hum.
The run to the barn (or the airport)
Ryne Stanek relieves McGreevy in the bottom of the seventh. A strikeout, homerun and walk define his day. Romero relieves him and they ding him for three singles in a row plus a later walk and regain a 4-3 lead before the uprising is quelled.
In the eighth, the Cardinals strand a one-out double, bookending it with three popouts, the final one on a pinch-hit appearance by Alec Burleson. Svanson gets the bottom of the eighth. He works a mostly uneventful inning, collecting 2 K’s.
In the ninth, a Pozo single and a Wetherholt HBP with two out lead to a key 2-out RBI single by Herrera to save the day for the moment. This tied the game 4-4. Walker drops a double down the right field line for another RBI. Seen here. A new pitcher hits Winn to load the bases but Gorman flies out to douse the heroics.
Taking a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth, Manager Oli Marmol called on Riley O’Brien to preserve the game, win a series and bring home a winning west coast road trip. A tall order against this team, in this park, with this bullpen. He gets to face Kurtz, Langeliers, Soderstrom and Rooker if anyone gets on. No big deal, right?
An HBP on Kurtz was an auspicious lead-off moment. A strikeout on yet another ABS challenge dispatches Langeliers, bringing up Soderstrom. Ole’ Abner did it again, huh? Soderstrom flies out. Rooker misses on three straight sweepers to close the deal. Good win. Relentless. Cards win 5-4. Svanson collects a win, O’Brien the save. Ho-hum.
Post-Game Notes
Will have to check, but it seems like the home plate ump got overturned by ABS an unusually high number of times. I think it was into double digits, and even then limited because the A’s ran out of challenges.
Can’t tell you how many times I had to change the title and the summary…
Check out The Feed for this Post ”Today on the Farm – Wednesday 5/14” for updates on MiLB action.
Home to St. Louis for an inter-league series against the Kansas City Royals.
Is it my imagination or does the Cardinal offense struggle on getaway day games? It must not be my imagination, because this sentence is part of the Game Recap template and I rarely erase it.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 5: Head Coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game against the Houston Rockets on April 5, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors made it official on Tuesday, announcing the return of head coach Steve Kerr after the two sides agreed to terms on a multi-year contract. In a press release posted by the team, Kerr expressed his gratitude to the organization and said he is “excited to keep competing” with the Warriors once again.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue coaching this team,” Kerr said via the team’s press release. “This organization has meant so much to me for the last 12 years — from ownership to our players, our staff and our fans — and it’s an incredible privilege to be a part of something so special. I’m excited to keep competing with this group.”
Kerr’s return brings stability to a Warriors organization entering a pivotal offseason after finishing the 2025-26 season with a 37-45 record and missing the playoffs. Despite the disappointing finish, Golden State is clearly still placing its trust in the coach who helped lead the franchise to four NBA championships and help build one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties.
So with Kerr now officially back in the fold, attention quickly shifts to the Warriors’ offseason plans and how the front office decides to build around Steph Curry for what could be one final run at another championship.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Thursday, May 14th:
STEVE KERR WALKED into the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire with a secret. Win or lose, he’d decided to retire as head coach of the Golden State Warriors. It was a Tuesday morning in mid-April, the day before the team’s first postseason play-in game in Los Angeles. When this season ended, his 12-year run with the Golden State Warriors would end, too. In the airy hotel restaurant behind the concierge desk, Kerr gave his name and room number, 516 — “Johnny Bench Joe Montana” — and a hostess showed us to a table by the window. He looked around and lowered his voice.
“I think it’s over,” he said, almost mouthing the words.
It was stressed to me Tuesday night that Myers — although he is scheduled to arrive soon in Chicago to dive into his various pressing tasks — will step back into an advisory role once Morey’s successor is named.
I’m also told Myers will interview candidates internally as well as externally to take over … but also that it’s far too early to name any possible favorites for the role.
One item, however, that has been spelled out rather definitively: For all the recent rumblings about Myers’ affinity for former Golden State Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, I’m told Philadelphia does not plan to consider the ex-Sixer and current executive director of the NBA Players Association as a potential candidate for its new front office.
Draymond on Pacers losing their pick to the Clippers in the NBA Draft Lottery
“Are they (Clippers) gonna draft the fifth pick and put him next to Kawhi Leonard or are they gonna move Kawhi Leonard, try to get more draft assets and start a rebuild?… but I will say, tough luck… pic.twitter.com/AxROfKLGKz
— The Draymond Green Show (@DraymondShow) May 13, 2026
The Cleveland Cavaliers won a road playoff game and did so despite shaky shooting from Donovan Mitchell.
It’s hard to tell which one was more disbelieving, but both happened in the swing game of their semifinal series, and because of that, the Cavs can close out the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in Cleveland on Friday.
The Cavs, who won on the road for the first time in these playoffs, had most of the answers in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and in overtime. They were scrappy, determined, unbothered by their previous mistakes.
But the Warriors also don’t have a lot of options better than taking a home-run swing on Antetokounmpo if they want to maximize the rest of Steph Curry’s career, and trading for Antetokounmpo is probably more likely than convincing LeBron James to take a substantial pay cut to relocated 350 miles north.
It’s still quite early to be making moves, but as a wise man from Tupelo, Mississippi, the Warriors need a little less conversation, and a little more action.
Follow@unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 12: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round Two Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 12, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Here are the NBA playoff games for Thursday, May 14, 2026:
New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers — 7:00 PM ET (ESPN)
San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves — 9:30 PM ET (ESPN)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 11: Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons looks on during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 11, 2026 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
At the start of the series, there was discussion about Donovan Mitchell not getting to the foul line enough. In the second half of the series, the discussion turned to Pistons’ head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, bemoaning the free-throw disparity between the two teams.
Bickerstaff believed that his team was on the wrong end of a few missed calls down the stretch, including a possible loose-ball foul on Jarrett Allen in the closing seconds of regulation.
“[Allen] fouled Ausar [Thompson],” Bickerstaff said postgame. “It’s clear. He trips him when he’s going for a loose ball. End of game situation, that’s tough.”
If it had been called a foul, the Pistons would’ve been awarded two free throws in the final second to break what was a tie game.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Donovan Mitchell and James Harden NBA Jam shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
“During live play, both players were going for the ball and there was incidental contact with the legs with no player having possession of the ball,” Brothers said.
He then confirmed that a foul shouldn’t have been called when asked to clarify.
“No, there was no incidental contact on the play,” Brothers said. “The play will be reviewed by the league office tomorrow and will be posted in the L2M (Last Two Minute Report).”
Well, the Last Two Minute Report is out, and it backs up Brother’s statements. This wasn’t a foul.
“Allen (CLE) and Thompson (DET) legally step to the same spot while pursuing the loose ball [before either player has possession], and both lose their balance from the marginal contact.”
Additionally, the report states that there were no missed calls in the final two minutes of either regulation or overtime of Game 5.
One of the other controversial calls from the end of overtime was a foul called on Paul Reed against James Harden with 24 seconds left in overtime. Harden was drifting out of bounds, but a foul was called before he went out.
In the moment, the Pistons argued that he went out of bounds before the foul, but the Last Two Minute Report stated that Harden remained “in bounds with possession of the ball prior to the illegal contact. by Reed.” As a result, Harden was awarded two free throws.
BOSTON – A cold rain fell all afternoon and into the early evening in this city Thursday. There was a lot of chatter that the final game of the series between the Phillies and Boston Red Sox would be postponed and made up at a later date.
Kyle Schwarber is glad the skies cleared and the game was able to be played after just a 22-minute delay. He loves hitting in Fenway Park.
And, of course, he loves winning.
Who doesn’t?
Schwarber belted a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to break a scoreless tie and help spur the Phillies to a 3-1 win over the Red Sox.
The homer was Schwarber’s seventh in seven games. He led the NL with 56 last year and is leading the league again this season with 18.
Despite scoring just six runs in three games, the Phillies ended up winning the series. They have played five since Don Mattingly took over as manager and won them all to pull within two games of .500. They were 10 games under .500 when Mattingly took over on April 28.
“I think the biggest thing the whole series was the pitching,” Schwarber said. “It was lights out the whole series. Our pitchers were in the zone, keeping guys off balance, giving us opportunities. Even though we weren’t putting up many runs, they kept us in games and when we did get the lead they were able to keep it.
“The defense was big for us, too, in this series. We got a lot of big double plays and a play tonight with the infield in. It was a really good series with us not scoring many runs. That’s the way baseball is sometimes. You just have to find a way to win a game and we did a good job grinding and finding a way to win.”
Phillies pitching gave up just five runs in the three games. Starting pitchers Zack Wheeler, Andrew Painter and Jesus Luzardo allowed just two in 18 1/3 innings. Luzardo swapped zeroes with former teammate Ranger Suarez on Thursday night.
Schwarber helped the Phils win the first game of the series, 2-1, with a first-inning homer Tuesday night.
His two-run homer Thursday night, a blast to right, came on a 3-1 cutter from lefty reliever Tyler Samaniego with no outs. Trea Turner, who in the sixth inning made a run-saving play at shortstop, had led off the eighth inning with a single.
“I thought Trea just getting on base there to start that inning was huge to put a little pressure on them because he’s a guy they know will run,” Mattingly said. “It puts the pitcher in a little bit of a bind from the standpoint of trying to hold the runner and make pitches. It divides their attention just a little bit. So, him getting on was big, but obviously Schwarber’s still got to hit it. Lefty, righty, it doesn’t seem to matter. If they make mistakes, he’s such a good game-planner he knows what they’re trying to do.”
Lifetime at Fenway Park, Schwarber is hitting .333 (33 for 99) with eight homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games.
The starting pitching matchup was a good one, Luzardo against Suarez, the current Phillies lefty against the former Phillies lefty.
Neither pitcher allowed a run.
“It was definitely fun going against Ranger,” Luzardo said. “He’s like a brother to me. He made it tough on us.”
Luzardo bounced back from a poor start (six runs in three innings) against Colorado and delivered six shutout innings. He scattered four hits, walked one and struck out four.
Suarez did what he usually does – he mixed pitches, changed speeds, hit spots and limited hard contact over 5 1/3 shutout innings. He gave up four hits, all singles, walked one and struck out eight.
Suarez, who had not pitched since May 3 because of a tight right hamstring, was perfect through three innings and did not allow a hit until Alec Bohm led off the fifth with a single. The Phillies ended up loading the bases with two more singles in that inning, but Suarez deftly pitched out of trouble by striking out Edmundo Sosa swinging at a changeup and Turner looking at a cutter.
In a scoreless game, the Red Sox threatened in the bottom of the sixth. Luzardo allowed a leadoff double. A ground out pushed the runner to third with one out. The game remained scoreless thanks to Turner, who, while playing up with a man on third, made an excellent diving play in the hole to save a run.
Luzardo was sure to compliment Turner for the run-saving play after the inning.
“Big play,” Luzardo said. “I told him he was my hero. It was huge. It saved me. I put myself in a bad spot and the defense saved me.”
Two innings later, Turner sparked the offense with a leadoff single and Schwarber crushed his game-changing homer. Jose Alvarado and Jhoan Duran closed things out to complete the series win.
After the game, the Phillies headed to Pittsburgh, where they’ll go for another one this weekend.
BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 19: Isaiah Thomas is honored during the game between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics on December 19, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Former Celtics star Isaiah Thomas is joining the organization as a pro and college scout, as first reported by the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. Thomas will remain based in Seattle and serve as one of several regional scouts for the Celtics, working closely with Brad Stevens and the Celtics front office.
Thomas is currently at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago with Celtics executives and will assist with scouting in the year ahead. (The Celtics already have regional scouts in Atlanta and Dallas).
Thomas, who played for 11 different NBA teams, became a star during his three-year tenure with the Celtics. Thomas’s best season came in 2016-2017, when he averaged 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game and finished fifth in MVP voting.
Thomas sat courtside alongside new Celtics owner Bill Chisholm at a December home Celtics game and has routinely spoken positively about his relationship with the team, even though his tenure ended abruptly, with him being traded for Kyrie Irving in 2017 after he suffered a hip injury.
Isaiah Thomas is in the house and just received a massive standing ovation
He’s sitting next to Bill Chisholm, who was encouraging the crowd to get louder pic.twitter.com/i8SCRI2Q1R
Thomas recorded a voiceover for a Celtics hype video earlier this year and wrote the foreword for the Boston Globe’s 2024 Celtics championship book. And, a few weeks after the Celtics won the 2024 NBA title, Thomas told CelticsBlog it’s been an honor to still be so connected to the Celtics fanbase.
“It means everything,” he said. “It’s a blessing. I always talk to my friends about it — you would think I played 10 years here, you would think I won multiple championships. The love I have with the city, and vice versa, it’s just genuine.”
Talked to Isaiah Thomas about seeing people donning his jersey at the Celtics championship parade:
“It means everything. It’s a blessing… you would think I played 10 years here, you would think I won multiple championships. The love I have with the city, it’s just genuine.” pic.twitter.com/zDi99iAdV2
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 29: Dorian Finney-Smith of Rockets warms up before the NBA playoffs game 5 between Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets at the Crypto.com Arena on April 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
It wasn’t supposed to be this way, man. Dorian Finney-Smith was supposed to be a difference maker for the Houston Rockets.
An impact player, if you will. The Rockets’ brain trust even tabbed Finney-Smith as Dillon Brooks’ replacement. (And we know how valuable he became and how important he was for this Rockets ball club).
And justifiably so. The Los Angeles Lakers viewed him as a potential missing piece. DFS started on a Dallas Mavericks team that went to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and averaged 11.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 47.1 percent from the field, 42.6 percent from deep, 61.8 percent effective shooting and 63 percent true shooting during the Mavs’ title chase that year.
Sadly, that feels like forever ago. Frankly, it was forever ago.
Finney-Smith didn’t fare well for the Rockets in his debut season. And that’s being kind.
In fact, a farewell would be a much greater contribution. In all seriousness, Finney-Smith was clearly bothered by an ankle injury that he underwent surgery on last offseason.
His shot looked off (again, that’s being kind) — to the tune of 27 percent from long-range. His mobility was significantly affected, which limited his effectiveness on defense. Finney-Smith even logged DNP-CD’s in the playoffs.
Again, it wasn’t supposed to be like this, man.
Finney-Smith did have a few highlight blocks here and there.
(Okay, maybe just like two, but again, we’re being kind here).
Finney-Smith looked like one of Rockets’ GM Rafael Stone’s worst pickups since his arrival as Houston’s GM and it was a bit perplexing hearing Houston’s end of season presser by Stone and Rockets coach Ime Udoka, as the two stated that they were caught off guard by the amount of time it took for Finney-Smith to rehab and recover from the surgery.
One would think the front office would have done their due diligence on something of that magnitude. Especially since they gave him a four year deal worth $52.7 million, which consumed Houston’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
The positive, however, is that Finney-Smith just has one more year of guaranteed salary, which is next season, which gives him valuable on the trade market as expiring salary.
