HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 14: Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) sin the visitors' dugout during the MLB game between the Colorado Rockies and Houston Astros on April 14, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Last night the Colorado Rockies accomplished something that they took until August last season to do: defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rockies finished the 2025 season with a 2-11 record against their dreaded big brother in the National League West. With a win this afternoon the Rockies can not only cement at least a series split, but also tie their win total against them with plenty of season left to go.
Making the start for the Rockies this afternoon is the right-handed veteran Michael Lorenzen. Lorenzen’s season has been extremely hot or cold thus far. He’s made it through five innings just once in four starts, and two of those starts got ugly fast. He currently holds the worst ERA on the team at 8.10 and is worth a rough -0.8 wins above replacement per Baseball Reference.
His last time out, Lorenzen pitched just 2.2 innings and faced 18 batters. He gave up seven runs—two of which were earned—with three strikeouts, one walk, and a balk.
Similarly struggling out of the gate this season is Roki Sasaki, who will be making the start for the Dodgers today.
The Japanese righty holds a 6.23 ERA over his first three starts. In 13 innings he has nearly half as many walks given up (10) and home runs allowed (3) that he yielded over 36.1 innings in his 2025 rookie season. His last outing came against the Texas Rangers, where he walked five batters compared to six strikeouts over four innings of work and gave up two earned runs on five hits.
The Rockies have never faced Sasaki before. Sasaki is currently utilizing a three pitch mix consisting of a four-seam fastball, a slider, and a split finger. Opposing batters have been hitting the fastball, which averages 97 MPH, at a .381 clip. However, he has gotten much better results from the slider and split finger. Both pitches currently carry a whiff rate over 30%.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 11: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves walks in the dugout before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 11, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Select folks in the Battery Power community (in our comments and Feed) and the FOX broadcast last night seemed to be of a similar mindset – underestimating the boys from Cobb County. Pitching matchups favoring PHI, the stars in their lineup on the verge of breaking out, and the home turf advantage / house of horrors disadvantage of Citizens Bank… some folks posited it would be understandable and okay if we left Pennsylvania with one win.
Yes, it’s an April series. Yes, we’ll see them again in less than a week when they come to town. But if we’re to wholeheartedly believe in these 2026 vibes and this league-leading run differential, it felt important to take care of business, particularly when it’s of the NL East variety.
And here we are: one run given up in 18 innings and poised to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies at their own ballpark. Let’s get greedy!
Following last night’s marquee matchup, Grant Holmes and Andrew Painter will face off tonight on Peacock.
It feels like we’re always saying this about our starters, but Holmes (1-1, 3.32 ERA) will really be looking for a bounceback outing after his last one. He was pretty vocal about his incredibly short leash against the Marlins (59 pitches in four innings, 24 for strikes). And to his point, things were looking good after three perfect innings… but a BABIP one from hell would end his day. Weiss, after smoothing things over with his pitcher, attributed some of it to the righty’s workload in his last start in Anaheim, where he threw 99 pitches.
Holmes last started against Philadelphia on April 5, 2025, where he went four, walked four, and fanned six in an eventual Braves loss. No one has more than 4 ABs against him, but the ones with a single hit to date are Adolis García, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh. Harper has walked twice.
Phillies #2 prospect and rookie Andrew Painter (1-1, 3.77 ERA) will toe the rubber for the other side, making his third career start. His last outing was five innings of one run ball, limiting Arizona to three hits, one walk and striking out seven. The kicker? It was all in relief – he did all of that after waking up with a gnarly migraine and throwing up several times before the matinee game. Despite the late scratch, he recovered enough to enter in the third and do his part, even if the Phillies would go on to lose 4-3.
Painter’s fastball can touch 97 mph while he mixes in sliders, sinkers, and curveballs. Don’t be surprised if he sprinkles in the occasional sweeper.
We’re hoping to see the Braves staff pitch out of their minds like they have so far. Should something happen to Holmes early, a well-rested bullpen awaits the call (likely minus Suarez, and Iggy’s status dependent on how he slept last night).
But a dominant offensive performance like Friday night’s would also be very welcome. Fresh in my mind is the Braves doing very little against a different stellar rookie in Cleveland’s Parker Messick. However, the Braves dinked and doinked three unearned runs on their way into delivering Cristopher Sanchez his first loss of the season, so truly anything feels possible.
Rayan Cherki scored one of the goals of the season but Gabriel had a game to forget and could have seen red
Gianluigi Donnarumma Nighmarish howler allowed Havert’s equaliser. Redemption – a little – came in the second period with point-blank save from the same player. 4
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres makes a catch and avoids a collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 as he robs Yoán Moncada #10 of the Los Angeles Angels of a home run in the second inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 18, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres wasted no time putting one back into the win column with a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels last night. It was a late-inning win with the Friars waiting to put up their first runs (and the first of the game) until the eighth.
Both starters pitched scoreless outings, with Germán Márquez going 5 2/3 innings while allowing only two hits. The Padres managed to get five men on base against Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi (4 H, 1 BB), but they couldn’t convert any into runs.
Overall, although a good win for the Friars, they seemed to be making it harder on themselves than they needed to. Jason Adam pitched the eighth inning in relief and allowed his first run of 2026. He gave up back-to-back singles before getting two outs. Then he struck out Nolan Schanuel to end the inning… until he didn’t.
Strike three was overturned for ball two and Schanuel singled to score the only Halos run of the game. Adam finally ended the inning by winning a seven-pitch battle against Jo Adell, inducing a groundout to Manny Machado. It was a nail-biter frame given that the Padres only had two runs at the time.
They scored two more in the top of the ninth to add insurance for Mason Miller. It was insurance he wouldn’t need (and hasn’t all season) despite having the first “rocky” outing of 2026. He gave up a hit to Yoán Moncada and a walk to Vaughn Grissom but kept his scoreless streak intact and now is tied for the lead in saves across MLB (7).
That might feel like a lot, but it’s an important backdrop for tonight’s rubber match as the Padres look for their fifth straight series win after dropping the first two of the year.
Taking the mound
Reid Detmers (LAA) v. Michael King (SD)
Detmers has been a solid starter for the Angels. If not for the emergence of José Soriano as an absolute ace, he would be the Halos best starter. He’s pitched to a 3.57 ERA and limited the New York Yankees to one run on four hits in his last start.
He’s done a good job of limiting walks, focusing on commanding his pitches well. The Padres have faced him sparingly, but in what they have seen, they’ve hit him quite well (.363 BA, 31 ABs). If they can wake up their bats tonight after a cold series (four runs scored), it should be an easy win.
That peaceful easy feeling is due mostly to who’s on the mound for San Diego. King’s return to bona-fide ace-dom has been a welcome one for the Friars. He’s authored a 2.78 ERA across 22 2/3 innings this season, limiting opponents to a .205 batting average.
King will look to continue that tonight against a relatively potent Angels lineup. Márquez stifled that lineup last night so King shouldn’t have trouble. But, if he does, the bullpen has enough availability to pick him up.
Batter up!
Freddy Fermin had an encouraging return to the lineup after a brief concussion scare. He went 1-for-2 with two walks and scored two runs. That being said, Luis Campusano will probably get the start in today’s game.
Nick Castellanos will also probably start with the lefty Detmers on the mound. His splits are much better against left-handers than Gavin Sheets. That would have the lineup looking like this:
Ramón Laureano, LF
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Miguel Andujar, DH
Nick Castellanos, 1B
Luis Campusano, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Andujar had a great day yesterday, going 2-for-3 against the Halos. He’ll probably start against Detmers given his splits are similar to Castellanos against left-handers.
Relief corps
The Padres spent all of their high-leverage options last night, using Adrian Morejon, Adam and Miller to record the final 3 1/3 innings. Morejon was his usual self, dominating the Angels.
Adam struggled somewhat, as did Miller (though calling Miller’s outing a struggle simply for allowing two baserunners for the first time this year is a little silly).
Tonight, the Friars will have Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez to turn to following King.
Miller could also come out to close given the off day tomorrow before the Padres’ series opener against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: Matthew Liberatore #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 07, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals continue their strong start to the 2026 season going for the sweep versus the Houston Astros Sunday afternoon. Matthew Liberatore (0-1 with a 4.29 ERA) starts for St. Louis and Mike Burrows (1-3 with a 6.54 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros. First pitch at 1:10pm.
Manager Derek Shelton argues with home plate umpire Nic Lentz in the seventh inning. Shelton was ejected from the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Target Field on April 18, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
An argument between an umpire and Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton was caught on a hot microphone.
During the Twins’ 5-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, Shelton was ejected from the game after Reds star shortstop Elly de la Cruz checked his swing on a pitch, subsequently hitting a two-out single on the pitch after.
Shelton then clashed with umpire Nic Lentz over the ejection.
“I did not say anything to you,” Shelton said to Lentz. “I said, ‘Let’s f–king go.’ God damnit, c’mon. I didn’t say anything to you. I said nothing to you. I said nothing — I did not say that. I did not say that. No. No. No I didn’t. I did not say anything to you. All I said was, ‘Let’s f–king go.’ No, that’s bulls–t. You did not. God damnit. C’mon.”
Minnesota’s third straight loss bumped them down to 11-10 on the year, with the looming potential of a sweep on Sunday, while the Reds improved to 13-8.
“I don’t want to get too carried away, but I love our competitiveness and the will to keep playing,” said manager Terry Francona, whose team scored a run in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to overcome a 4-2 deficit. “And guys pick each other up.”
Shelton, who is in his first year with the Twins, had managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2020-25 and was fired 38 games into last season as the team posted a 12-26 record.
Manager Derek Shelton argues with home plate umpire Nic Lentz in the seventh inning. Shelton was ejected from the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Target Field on April 18, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Getty ImagesManager Derek Shelton of the Minnesota Twins walks to the dugout against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of the game at Target Field on April 13, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Getty Images
The Pirates had a 306-440 record in six seasons in Pittsburgh, including back-to-back 100-loss seasons in 2021 and ’22.
Under his guidance, Pittsburgh never finished above fourth in the NL Central.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks reacts during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City. 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 Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you ever doubted the Knicks…
…you better get outta here.
Only three first-round postgame Bulletins coming after this one. You know the reason. Knicks in four.
"Whosever phone this is…when you get a text it interrupts the press conference…" pic.twitter.com/ljJp2Ux4KL
On the team’s sacrifice and depth: “We feel like the team is deep and anybody can get going at any time. For us, it’s about sacrificing and not worrying about shots, minutes or anything like that. Just try to go do what you can to help the team win.”
On Brunson’s Game 1 start: “It’s big. He stepped up to the plate like he should have done, and he hit some big shots for us early to help us get out front.”
On cleaning up transition defense: “Transition — they shook free in the first half and the way we chart it, they had 18 fast break points. We talked about it at halftime and we did a little better job in the second half.”
On defending Atlanta’s small-small pick-and-roll: “We did a nice job in the second half with our transition defense. Their small-small pick and roll also is a problem, and our guys did a pretty good job of defending that the right way in the second half.”
On handling Atlanta’s Hack-A-Mitch: “We’ll see how the game goes, and we’ll leave him in until we think we need to make a sub. And whenever we feel like we need to make a sub, we will. But we’re gonna give him a chance.”
On using the bonus to counter fouling: “If they wanna start fouling, then that would get us closer to the bonus. So it’s a time for us to go back to him.”
On OG Anunoby’s impact: “OG hit some big shots.”
On preaching sacrifice and Brunson’s command: “We have capable guys. We feel like this team is deep, and anybody can get going at any time. For us, it’s about sacrifice and not worrying about shots or minutes or anything. [Jalen] was good defensively; he was good commanding a double-team. It’s something we’re going to face the entire playoff, and we have to make sure we continue to be on point about it.”
On Towns’ second-half surge: “The ball went in for him in the second half.”
On playing through Towns early: “In the first half, he facilitated a lot. We played through him. He made some great passes for some easy buckets, and so we’re just trying to mix it up for him.”
On Mike Brown’s coaching: “Intense, smart, challenges us as players. Makes some really good adjustments. His communication throughout the year has been really good with us. From meetings, talking to us, finding out what we see, doing different things (based on player feedback). He’s done an amazing job.”
On Brunson’s breakout in Utah: “It wasn’t like he wasn’t on the scouting report, but I don’t think us as a team thought he was going to perform the way that he did. It was like his coming-out party. He was just busting our ass, for real.”
On OG Anunoby’s ankle and spiritual healing: “We need OG out here, so we’re gonna make it happen. He came over to the bench and asked me if I could do (the spiritual healing) for his ankle; then he sat over there for a second, came back in the game and finished the game. Like I said, we need him on the floor so whatever I gotta do to keep it going… sprinkle a little magic on him.”
On facilitating early in Game 1: “I wanted to make sure get them going early and facilitate.”
On reading Atlanta’s game plan: “I wanted to know — they had a week of practice — to see what their game plan was. Seeing the pressure, when you’ve got someone like [Brunson] and the amazing teammates we’ve got, I wanted to make sure to get them going early.”
On team trust: “We’ve got an amazing team that, not only our starting five, but everyone on the team could impact winning and can go out there and do an amazing job. So, just us continuing to trust each other and us going out there as a team and winning as a team is the most important thing.”
On his father returning to the Garden: “To have someone who I would say is the most important person in my life, it’s really awesome to be able to have him back in Madison Square Garden supporting me. I feel like any son out there who plays basketball or plays any sport, you get to see your father there at your competition, you always have a sense of pride, and you want to make him proud.”
.@JLEdwardsIII "4 years ago today you scored 41 for Dallas vs Utah…Jordan Clarkson said he thought that was your coming-out party" … Jalen Brunson "Everyone sees that but 1st couple years…chipping away…every day…summer…[then] opportunity…stay ready…v thankful…my… pic.twitter.com/28H5kOUCqs
On the Game 1 win: “It was a hard-fought win. It was physical. It was a grind-it-out game.”
On fighting through highs and lows: “It’s really important, you never know what’s going to happen. There’s going to be highs and lows of a season, highs and lows of a game, and to be able to fight through and still find a way to impact, is very important for us, especially this point of the season.”
On growing chemistry with Towns: “The longer we’re on the court together, our chemistry’s better. I think we’ve grown as teammates, grown as friends.”
On moving past the McCollum incident: “It wasn’t purposeful, so we move forward.”
On the second-half defense: “I feel like they were getting out and they were winning a space battle (in the first half), getting open, getting to their spots and I feel like in the second half, we really cut that off. We made catches difficult, and we got to loose balls.”
On the need for steady defensive consistency: “Every single night. It’s nonnegotiable; we have to bring it every single night and be locked in.”
OG Anunoby twisted his ankle and asked to come out of the game.
Declined treatment from a trainer, re-tied his left shoe.
Here’s Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado using ancient forgotten healing methods on him: pic.twitter.com/qSLGE50m9Z
On his ankle: “It’s OK. I just rolled it; it just happened.”
On his performance: “I think I played good. I could always be better.”
On improving for Game 2: “Everything.”
"He's going to have quarters where he gets going"
Quin Snyder talks about Jalen Brunson's big first quarter and the Hawks' defensive strategy against him moving forward in this series: pic.twitter.com/uqO14Igqdf
On the Towns matchup: “That’s a challenge for us right now. It’s a little bit of pick your poison, you know? How do you handle him on the post with a mismatch? Do you just guard him? How do you handle pick and roll? How do you handle him and Brunson on pick a roll? I think for us to be prepared for all those situations, you can adjust every time down the court. Obviously, we will be doing that. That’s no secret. That’s what, you know, great offensive players demand.”
On Atlanta’s center depth: “We picked up Tony Bradley [who was on] our G-league team last year. Mo Gueye has been playing the five, which hasn’t been his primary position this year and then obviously spent time guarding [KAT]. So hopefully we can do a better job guarding him than we have. There’s times where it’s good defense, better offense. One of the biggest things is we’ve got to keep him off the foul line. There’s some ways that he scored against us I think are real. Trying to focus on that and make him do something different. I say that he can do a lot of things that are different, so we’ll just lock in, try to make it work.”
On Towns’ rebounding and pick-and-roll: “He’s always just been a gifted scorer. I think the thing that maybe gets overlooked a little bit at times is his rebounding. That’s another layer to it, because even when you feel like you’ve impacted him and he doesn’t score, he’s on the glass. The situations that he’s in [in New York] are a little different, especially the pick and roll with Brunson. That’s a layer that it’s hard to deal with when you have two players that are that gifted individually and then, when they’re connected as well, it presents more problems.”
On guarding Towns on the perimeter: “Like any player in the league, they get better as they’re in the league, but I think having him in trail as much as he is and the range that he has, those closeout situations — if they’re long, you think you’re on them and then you realize they’re seven feet tall, you’re not. Then you think you’ve done a good job at that, and he makes a quick read and jabs, shot fakes and goes around you. So do your best. But I think he’s gotten better.”
On not manipulating playoff seeding to face the Knicks: “That was completely bogus — our focus was totally on us coming into [the season finale]. If we were fortunate enough to be playing in the playoffs, I think that was the goal for us, and then to be healthy. We had lost Jock a short time prior to that, too. The focus for us was on our health. There was no easy matchup, and we weren’t concerned about that as much as we were ourselves.”
CJ McCollum accuses Jalen Brunson of flopping
and the president of the players union would never make false accusations much less do anything dirt— pic.twitter.com/Qij4lF6x3w
On the technical and Brunson’s reaction: “I shot a jumper, and Jalen thought we were at a Broadway show. He acted it out until they reviewed it. It’s a normal jump shot. Nothing there. Unnecessary, and I look forward to getting my $2,500 [fine] back.”
Danny Green, a three-time NBA champ (who won a title with OG Anunoby), backed off his prediction of Knicks winning the East because of “rumblings” of a fractured team.
Here’s what Green said in media conference call yesterday with ESPN, where he works as an analyst:
On the Knicks’ late-season form dooming them: “Simply because the fact that the Knicks this year, especially late in the season, they looked very up-and-down. They looked like they were disconnected. The chemistry wasn’t there.”
On rumblings of a players-Brown clash: “There are rumblings about some guys don’t like Mike Brown or work with the coaches. There are rumblings that some guys are feeling they’re not getting touches or there’s over usage of Jalen Brunson. That seems to me like a team that could self-implode.”
On giving Boston the edge: “Originally at the beginning of the year, I had the Knicks. The Knicks probably had the highest expectation, the most pressure on them. They made it to the Eastern Conference finals last year. Indiana dropped out with injuries. Boston had dropped down with injuries but came back, and they’ve been playing well even without Jayson Tatum for most of the year. Detroit is good. They’re just young and inexperienced. That’s why I couldn’t give the edge to Detroit. Boston and New York have to face each other in that second round at some point. The winner of that matchup is the one that’s going to get to the Finals. Right now, I’m giving the edge to Boston, even though the Knicks have played well against Boston.”
LeBron James, during his illustrious NBA career, has played in more than 1,900 games. He’s said the craziest thing probably happened in his latest one – in which the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets, 107-98, in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series Saturday, April 18.
In the second quarter, James shared the court with his son Bronny for four minutes. It’s the first time a father and son have played together in an NBA playoff game.
"That’s probably the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me in my career," James, a four-time NBA champion, told reporters after the game. "It was just so cool to be out there with him, and his brother and his sister and his mom in the building. And his grandma.
"You know, like, that’s just insane. You know, like, my mom get to watch her son and grandson during the playoffs. Now that’s crazy,"
Statistically, it was not a memorable four-minute stretch for Bronny James. He had a turnover and two personal fouls and did not attempt a shot.
Now in his second NBA season, Bronny James scored double figures in three of the Lakers’ final six regular-season games. He averaged 2.9 points in 42 games during the regular season.
His father turned in a a scintillating playoff performance in the first game of the best-of-seven series against the Rockets. LeBron James had 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds while helping the Lakers overcome the absence of Luke Doncic and Austin Reaves, both who missed the game because of injuries.
Strategy and coaching decisions are a big factor when the playoffs roll around, and line-matching plays a crucial role in taking advantage of your opponent.
As massive underdogs against the Colorado Avalanche, the Los Angeles Kings and interim head coach D.J. Smith will need to take line-matching seriously and give it careful consideration.
Offensively, the Avalanche's top-three forward lines can really inflict damage. With Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas on the top line, Brock Nelson on line No. 2, and Nazem Kadri and Gabriel Landeskog listed on the third line, Los Angeles will need to spread out its defensive expertise.
So Smith should be asking himself, 'Who will be matching up with MacKinnon, Nelson and Kadri?' Luckily for the Kings, especially the centers on the team, they thrive in a shutdown assignment.
Colorado's top-three centers are met with Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar, Quinton Byfield, and newcomer Scott Laughton.
Laughton will likely get the assignment of looking after Kadri when the two third lines meet on the ice. Kadri and Laughton both share a nasty and physical edge to their individual games, which could create a fiery matchup.
More importantly, Laughton excels in the defensive side of the game, particularly in the faceoff dot and on the penalty kill. Among players who take faceoffs regularly, Laughton leads the team in faceoff percentage at 59.4 percent.
That just leaves two-time Selke Trophy winner Kopitar and Byfield to supervise MacKinnon and Nelson.
Based on overall defensive talent, Kopitar would have the edge on Byfield with the aforementioned awards and legacy that the Kings captain has imposed.
However, there's a little more to it when dealing with the Rocket Richard Trophy winner and Hart Trophy candidate, MacKinnon. And one of MacKinnon's biggest assets is speed, which would make Byfield a sensible matchup for the Avalanche superstar center.
Byfield has proven to be not only one of the best skaters on the Kings but in the entire NHL. According to NHL Edge, Byfield is in the 98th percentile in speed bursts over 20 mph and skating distance. He's also ranked in the 89th percentile for max skating speed, reaching 23.16 mph against the Chicago Blackhawks back in December.
Furthermore, next to Byfield are Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere, who are both very strong skaters. That'll be key when MacKinnon is likely paired with Necas on the top line, also a speedster who reached 100 points for the first time in his career this past regular season.
Nathan MacKinnon (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
That leaves an appropriate matchup of Kopitar's line going up against Nelson's line. Kopitar and Nelson are a bit slower and are aging, with Kopitar being 38 years old and Nelson being 34.
Aside from the idea of shutting down the opposition, putting Kopitar's line with Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe on his flanks could benefit the Kings offensively. Reports say that Nelson is joined by Valeri Nichushkin, who is a strong offensive player but not known for his two-way game, and Parker Kelly, who has spent most of the year on Colorado's bottom six.
In the end, the home team's coach will have the upper hand in terms of getting the matchup they like, but it's always fascinating to see specific assignments.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Sep 24, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) fields a ground ball against the Athletics in the third inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
The Houston Astros (8-14) look to salvage the finale of this three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals (12-8) at Daikin Park.
Astros starter RHP Mike Burrows (1-3, 6.55 ERA), who pitched in the NL Central for the Pirates last season, will surprisingly make his first career appearance against the Cardinals today opposite LHP Matthew Liberatore (0-1, 4.29 ERA).
TODAY’S ASTROS STARTER: RHP Mike Burrows, who’s making his fifth start of the season, was acquired from the Pirates this offseason as part of a three-team, six-player trade in which the Astros sent OF Jacob Melton and minor leaguer RHP Anderson Brito to the Rays, while the Rays sent IF Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery to the Pirates.
Burrows impressed this Spring, making five starts and posting a 1.50 ERA (3ER/18IP) while allowing a .200 opponent batting average with 17 strikeouts.
VS. THE CARDS: This series is a matchup of former division rivals, who spent 19 seasons together in the NL Central from 1994-2012…overall, the two teams have played each other 724 times, with the Astros going 336-386…these teams also have postseason history, with the Astros going 7-6 vs. the Cards in the playoffs.
The two clubs faced off in back-to-back NLCS in 2004-05 with St. Louis taking the ‘04 NLCS in seven games and Houston winning the ‘05 NLCS in six games.
BLISTERED!: Last night, LF Yordan Alvarez hit a 3rd inning double with a 117.8 MPH exit velocity, marking the Astros hardest-hit ball of the season and the second hardest hit in the Majors so far in 2026 (Oneil Cruz, 119.0 MPH double, April 16 vs. WSH).
Alvarez’s ball was also the second hardest-hit ball of his career (117.9 MPH groundout on Sept. 6, 2019 vs. SEA).
DOWN IN CORPUS: The Astros had a pair of rehabbing players working down at Double A on Friday night.
OF Zach Dezenzo (right elbow sprain) went 0x1 with a HBP in a start at DH, while LHP Bennett Sousa (left oblique strain) tossed 1.2 scoreless innings on Friday night, striking out five.
HARRIS REPORTS: OF Dustin Harris (#37), who was acquired off waivers from Chicago (AL) yesterday, has joined the Major League club today.
Harris has appeared in six Major League games for the White Sox this season, hitting .250 (3×12) with a .438 OBP.
MORE ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have recalled RHP Jayden Murray from Triple-A Sugar Land and have placed OF Joey Loperfido on the 10-day IL with a right quad strain (retro to April 18).
Additionally the Astros have acquired IF Braden Shewmake from the New York Yankees in exchange for minor leaguer RHP Wilmy Sanchez. Shewmake has played his entire 2026 season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees minor league system.
THE ORDER: The Astros have used 22 different batting orders in their 22 games so far this season. Only LF Yordan Alvarez has started every game in the same spot in the lineup (second).
MVP CALIBER: LF Yordan Alvarez ranks first in the AL in extra-base hits (16), total bases (60), RBI (20), OPS (1.274), SLG (.789) and OBP (.485), ranks second in batting average (.342), tied for second in doubles (7), tied for third in runs scored (18), and fourth in walks (19).
AGENT SMITH: According to Baseball Savant, RF Cam Smith has played like one of the best all-around Major League players in 2026, ranking in the 100th percentile in fielding range (OAA), 98th percentile in bat speed, 97th percentile in sprint speed and 92nd percentile in barrel percentage.
On the season, Smith is hitting .257 (19×74) with three homers, 10 RBI and an .802 OPS in 22 games.
BEHIND THE DISH:C Christian Vázquez is hitting .375 (12×32) with a .444 OBP, four doubles, two homers and 10 RBI in 10 games.
He’s made just eight start at catcher, yet already has thrown out four baserunners attempting to steal.
HARD TO HIT: RHP Kai-Wei Teng, just the second Taiwanese-born player to appear with the Astros in their history, has held opponents to 6×41 on the season for a .146 opponent average.
Overall, Teng has gone 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA (3ER/11.2IP), a 0.86 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in 11.2 innings in relief.
KID TAKEOVER: Kids will take over Daikin Park today with a Future Astros parade happening pregame, which will be shortly followed by Kreinhop Elementary performing the National Anthem.
Kids Run the Bases, presented by Olshan Foundation Solutions will take place following the game for kids in attendance ages 5-12.
THE ROAD AHEAD: The Astros are concluding a six-game homestand today in which they hosted the Rockies (2-1) and Cardinals (0-2).
They’ll hit the road again after today’s contest for a quick three-game road trip to Cleveland beginning tomorrow.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1964 – RHP Bob Bruce throws the first immaculate inning in club history in the 8th inning of a 6-1 loss to the Cardinals. Bruce is the first of nine pitchers in club history to accomplish the feat.
He’s since been joined by LHP Pete Harnisch (1991), LHP Mike Magnante (1997), LHP Randy Johnson (1998), RHP Shane Reynolds (1999), RHP Brandon Backe (2004), RHP Will Harris (2019), RHP Luis Garcia (2022) and RHP Phil Maton (2022).
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, April 19, 1:10 p.m. CST
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 08: Joey Cantillo #54 of the Cleveland Guardians throws a pitch during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on April 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 18: Brice Turang #2 of the Milwaukee Brewers rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Miami Marlins in the fifth inning of the game at loanDepot park on April 18, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After losing six straight games, the Milwaukee Brewers have rebounded quite nicely, ripping off four consecutive wins, back-to-back series wins, and are searching for their first sweep since the opening series of the season.
The Brewers have gotten great results out of their starting rotation through this winning streak and will have their Opening Day starter on the bump to try to extend it.
It’ll be a battle of the incredibly tall, young flamethrowing phenoms on the mound today. The 6’7” 24 year old Jacob Misiorowski is starting for the Crew while the Marlins have 6’8” 23 year old Eury Perez on the bump.
Misiorowski has a 3.32 ERA through his first four starts of the season with 33 strikeouts in 21.2 IP. Last time out, he allowed two runs in 5.1 IP against the Toronto Blue Jays. Perez has a 5.40 ERA through his four starts this year and last time out he allowed three earned runs in 4 IP against the Braves.
It’s a very Sunday afternoon lineup for Pat Murphy today. There’s no William Contreras and no Sal Frelick in the order. Garrett Mitchell will lead off and DH today. That means the outfield consists of Greg Jones, Brandon Lockridge, and Luis Matos. Gary Sanchez is behind the dish. David Hamilton and Luis Rengifo make up the left side of the infield.
Can the Brewers make it five wins in a row? Perez has struggled a bit this year, but with two phenoms on the mound, it’s sure to be a fun game to watch.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - APRIL 06: Shane McClanahan #18 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Chicago Cubs during a game at Tropicana Field on April 06, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 19: The tarp is shown on the infield prior to the game between the New York Yankees against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 19, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The New York Yankees are eyeing a series sweep of the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon, and first pitch of the expected matchup between southpaws Ryan Weathers and Cole Ragans was supposed to be 1:35pm ET. Unfortunately, the weather isn’t cooperating.
Even before the Yankees revealed their starting lineup for Sunday, they posted at 10:25am ET that they didn’t expect the game to start on time due to the inclement weather forecast. Indeed, that has come to pass, as at 12:58pm ET, they said that the game would begin in a rain delay.
We’ll wait this out with anyone watching—or even in the stands on your phones—and let you know when any updates get reported! The Yankees have an interesting lineup today with the scorching-hot Ben Rice leading off at DH despite the same-handed lefty Ragans on the bump. Manager Aaron Boone has said that he’s confident in Rice against any kind of pitcher, which he’s probably earned at this point. Giancarlo Stanton’s 1-for-22 slump encouraged him to start both Rice and lefty-masher Paul Goldschmidt, who will man first. Also, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is getting a day off amid his awful start to 2026, with Ryan McMahon returning to the lineup at third after a couple days off and the surging Amed Rosario in Jazz’s spot at second.
We are officially in a rain delay. Updated information will be provided as it is received.
Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are major favorites to win both the series and Game 1 at home. It would be a major upset if the Portland Trail Blazers pulled off a win tonight.
Our prediction:Spurs to win
Not only does our NBA expert expect the Spurs to follow through on their favorite status in Game 1, but he doesn't think San Antonio loses any in the series. "The San Antonio Spurs should focus on wrapping up this series quickly if they dream of a long postseason run. The specter of the Denver Nuggets in the second round, or even the Minnesota Timberwolves, should worry the Spurs enough to emphasize rest and recovery before the second round."
Sign up now using our exclusive Kalshi promo code 'COVERS' and get a $10 trading bonus after you trade $10 on any other event contracts — including Trail Blazers/Spurs!
Sign Up Now at img src="https://img.covers.com/betting/sportsbooks/336/kalshi.svg" alt="Kalshi" width="100" height="28" style="vertical-align: middle;"
*Eligible to ALL states + DC, (excluding Nevada)
More Trail Blazers vs Spurs prediction markets
You're certainly not limited to the main game outcome for Trail Blazers vs. Spurs at Kalshi; you also have options to trade on the spread, total, and more, among other NBA odds markets.
You can buy either side of a market — for example, "Yes" on the Spurs -11.5 spread means the Spurs will cover, while "No" means the Trail Blazers will cover — with each side priced based on the implied probability (which can be converted to American, Decimal, or Fraction odds using theCovers odds converter).
Trail Blazers vs Spurs spread and total at prediction markets
Outcome
Yes
No
Spurs -11.5
49¢ (+104)
52¢ (-108)
Over 221.5 points
51¢ (-104)
50¢ (+100)
Our predictions:Trail Blazers +11.5 — Yes and Over 221.5 points — No
The Trail Blazers can slow the pace in this matchup to remain at least somewhat competitive. Assuming they're successful, that will help keep the overall score suppressed.
Other Trail Blazers vs Spurs prediction markets available
Dylan Harper 10+ points (Yes: 46¢)
De'Aaron Fox 20+ points (Yes: 41¢)
Victor Wembanyama 30+ points (Yes: 45¢)
What is Kalshi and how does it work?
Kalshi is a federally regulated U.S. exchange where you trade directly on the outcome of real-world future events. Instead of traditional bets, you trade "Event Contracts" which are simple Yes/No questions like "Will the Spurs win tonight?" These events are priced between $0.01 and $0.99, and the prices reflect the market’s estimated probability of that event occurring. For instance, $0.55 equals a 55% chance. If your prediction is correct, the contract pays out exactly $1.00; if not, it settles at $0. Kalshi is essentially a stock market for reality.
How does Kalshi differ from sportsbooks?
In a sportsbook, you bet against the bookmaker, who sets fixed odds and takes a "vig," which is a kind of commission. On Kalshi, you trade against other users. This peer-to-peer model means prices are driven by supply and demand, often resulting in fairer odds. Additionally, because these are financial derivatives, you can exit your position early. If your team takes a 14-point lead, the contract price will rise, allowing you to sell your "Yes" shares for a profit before the final whistle even blows.
Why should I wager on Trail Blazers vs Spurs at Kalshi?
Kalshi offers four unique advantages over traditional sportsbooks:
Flexibility: Unlike a "locked-in" bet, you can sell your contract at any time.
Transparency: You trade against other users, which can allow you to find better value.
Federal regulation: As a CFTC-regulated exchange, your funds are held in a secure, transparent environment.
Availability: Kalshi is available in 49 states (excluding Nevada) and D.C., including many regions where traditional sportsbooks aren't yet legal.
