PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 30: Washington Nationals second baseman Luis García Jr. #2 hits the ball during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals on March 30th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was a beatdown at Citizens Bank Park, but for the first time in a while, the Nats were the ones delivering the beating. They destroyed the Phillies in a 13-2 blowout. The good guys had 17 hits and had the Phillies by the neck from the jump. It has been a while since the Nats have delivered a beating like that.
With this 13 run performance, the Nats have their second double digit run game. That offense that we were worried about this spring just flipped the switch and has looked awesome in the regular season. The bats have been hunting in packs so far this season.
This year’s #Nationals team has now passed 2018 with their ninth-inning explosion.
Meanwhile, Washington now faces a position player on the mound while winning for just the third time since the 2021 trade deadline really opened the rebuild.@TheNatsReporthttps://t.co/hVg6JC7Yh0
This win has the Nats up to 3-1, making this the team’s best start in a long time. We know this balloon can pop at any time, but I am having so much fun watching the Nats to start the season. They are playing a fun and energetic style of baseball with a ton of hustling and great at bats. Some of the defensive miscues still need to be cleaned up, but this group’s effort cannot be questioned.
Once again, the Nats offense was led by cult hero Joey Wiemer. While Wiemer finally got out today, he still had a really nice day at the plate. His season averages may have dropped, but Wiemer still went 2/4 with a walk. He also tied Carlos Delgado for the most consecutive plate appearances to start a season without getting out. This was an all time heater from Wiemer and it was truly amazing to watch.
Joey Wiemer ties Carlos Delgado's record for most consecutive plate appearances to reach base safely to start a season at 10! pic.twitter.com/tiXwIPyoZZ
It was not just him though, there were contributions up and down the lineup. Every Nat got at least one hit and seven had multi-hit games. It is tough to pick out an offensive star because everyone was getting knocks. If I had to pick one, I would probably choose Jose Tena, who had the only three hit game for the Nats.
The Nats weren’t doing this with the long ball either. This was just a steady barrage of base hits that came from stringing together quality at bats. I have not seen anything like it from this group in a while. So many times in the past, the Nats would have a big first inning and then pull their punches. Today, they kept their foot on the gas and made it so bad the Phillies had to bring in a position player to lob in pitches at the end.
On the mound, Foster Griffin made his Nats debut and he was solid. He threw five innings of two run ball. The southpaw faded a bit in the fifth inning, but did a nice job limiting the damage and finishing the inning. He did enough to get his first Nats win. I like Griffin’s deep pitch mix and command. He could be a guy who has a lot of success.
Foster Griffin last pitched in a Major League game on September 22, 2022.
Overall, this was an exhilarating night for Nats fans. For so many years, the Nats were on the other end of these kinds of beat downs. It feels nice to be the ones delivering the punishment for once. This team may not end up being good, but they will be much more fun.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 30: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celticsdrives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 30, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks tied the season series 2-2 in their final game against the Boston Celtics with a 112-102 Monday-night win at the State Farm Arena, continuing the team’s 13-game winning streak at home.
The Celtics beat the Hawks 109-102 without Jaylen Brown three nights ago in Boston, but struggled to score against or stop Atlanta — which has won 16 of its last 18 games — on Monday without Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta, both of whom sat out the night.
After playing last night in the win over the Charlotte Hornets, Tatum sat out the second night of the back-to-back for right Achilles repair management. Queta was inactive due to a right thumb strain.
The Celtics were also missing Nikola Vučević, who continues to recover from a fracture in his right ring finger, and Ron Harper Jr., who suffered a right ankle sprain against the Hornets.
On the other hand, Brown and Derrick White returned to the lineup after missing last night’s game with left Achilles tendonitis and a right knee contusion, respectively.
Boston started White, Brown, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Luka Garza.
Atlanta started CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu.
The Hawks’ only inactive player was Jock Landale, who sat out with an illness.
The start of the first quarter was all about Luka Garza. Garza scored 8 of the Celtics’ first 12 points with a handful of impressive plays, including a spin move from the free throw line to get a finger roll layup at the rim.
However, when Coach Joe Mazzulla pulled Garza about six minutes in for Amari Williams at center, it then became the Payton Pritchard show. Pritchard hit 3-5 from the field, with two three-pointers, one of which bounced high off the rim and fell back in.
Jaylen Brown struggled to find his own shot in the first quarter. He had a few early feeds to his teammates, but shot 2-7 from the floor, finishing the quarter with 6 points.
On the other end of the court, the Hawks did what they do best and forced 7 turnovers off the Celtics, converting on most of those takes. Johnson finished the quarter with 7 points and Zaccharie Risacher hit a pair of 3s for 6 points.
By the time the quarter ended, the Celtics were up 30-29, with Garza and Pritchard tied for the scoring lead at 8 points apiece.
The Hawks started the second quarter with three quick buckets to go up 36-30, while the Celtics did not score for almost 2:30 minutes.
Pritchard broke the seal with a short pullup jumper at 9:32 and Garza, who started the quarter, hit a three-pointer from the top of the key to bring the game to 35-36.
With about 8 minutes left to go in the quarter, Mazzulla subbed in Charles Bassey, who immediately made an impact with his defense and energy. He tapped in a rebound for a couple points and got a couple blocks in a row, then bothered a third shot on the next play.
Brown’s struggles continued into the second quarter, and he appeared frustrated with a lack of calls from the referees. He finished the half with 6 points — 0 in the second quarter — on 2-9 shooting from the field and 4 turnovers. He still contributed with 5 rebounds and 6 assists, but his own scoring game was rough as he was blanketed by Daniels from the jump.
Derrick White also struggled offensively to start the game, shooting 3-9 from the field and 1-4 from three-point range, but also chipped in with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block.
By the half, both teams were tied 54-54, with Garza and Pritchard still leading the pack with 13 points apiece. On the Hawks side, Dyson Daniels had 11 points and 3 steals, Jalen Johnson had 10 points, and team had racked up 10 steals as a whole.
Maybe Brown got through to the refs over the halftime break because he got a couple fouls calls to go his way early in the third quarter. That may have boosted his confidence, as he then hit a slick midrange shot to put the Celtics up 59-58, but he continued to struggle against Daniels and was 4-18 from the field by the end of the period.
Garza’s contributions continued in the third. He hit his second three-pointer about 4 minutes into the quarter to get to 16 points on 6-6 shooting, then made an impressive effort play a play or two later, where he saved the ball and got it to Brown for a bucket.
Pritchard also chipped in with another three-pointer, but the Hawks went on a 16-5 run over about four minutes in the third quarter and took the game’s first double-digit lead, 79-68, near the end of the period on an easy under-the-rim basket by Jonathan Kuminga.
The Celtics battled back with a few buckets, including a nice Hugo Gonzalez three-pointer, but Daniels hit a second three-pointer (he went 2-2 through the third quarter despite shooting 15% from three-point range for the season) to put the Hawks up 90-76 by the end of the quarter.
Daniels finished the quarter with 18 points, leading all players in points on 8-9 shooting from the field.
The Hawks’ barrage continued with a CJ McCollum three-pointer and floater in the first couple minutes into the fourth quarter to put Atlanta up 95-77, and their defense did not let up.
With about 8 minutes to go in the game, the Hawks were up 101-80 and the Celtics could get nothing to fall. Brown was 5-21 from the field, White was 3-12, Jordan Walsh was 1-4 and Baylor Scheierman was 1-3. Garza even missed his first shot of the night, ruining his perfect evening.
When the Celtics broke through the Hawks defense with a Scheierman three-pointer and a putback layup by Garza, Atlanta called a timeout with 5:45 minutes to go in the game.
That failed to stop Boston’s mini-run, as Brown got a thunderous dunk shortly after to extend it to a 7-0 run. Garza then got a cutting layup on the next play to get to 20 points for the night and bring the Celtics back to within 12 of the Hawks, at 89-101.
Johnson hit a jumper, but Walsh hit a 26-footer on an assist from Brown, then Brown hit a pullup three-pointer to cut the lead to 8 points, 95-103.
Brown hit another three-pointer shortly after to keep the game interesting, but it was just about over by the time he missed his next attempt with 1:37 to go.
The game was sealed when Walsh fouled Alexander-Walker on a three-point attempt, allowing the Hawks to extend the lead back up to 11 points with less than a minute to go.
Over the course of the game, the Celtics turned the ball over 14 times and shot 41.2% from the field. The Hawks solidly outshot Boston, hitting 46.7% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range.
A late burst from Jaylen Brown got him to 29 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists for the night on 9-29 shooting from the field and 8-14 shooting from the line. He also had 6 turnovers.
Garza was the team’s second-leading scorer with 20 points and 9 rebounds on 8-9 shooting from the field over 28 minutes.
Pritchard finished with 16 points on 4-6 shooting from three-point range, but posted Boston’s worst +/- of the night with -19 over his 25:33 minutes of play time.
White ended the game with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks on 3-12 shooting from the field and 1-6 shooting from three-point range.
On the Hawks side, Johnson finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists on 53.8% shooting from the floor. Okongwu also finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 rebounds, 3 steals and a block. Daniels finished with 18 points on 8-11 shooting from the field, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.
The Celtics are 7-5 on the second night of back-to-back games following tonight’s loss.
Boston is now 50-25 and two games up on the New York Knicks for the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference, with only seven games left to be played in the regular season.
The Celtics’ next game will be against the Miami Heat at 7:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, April 1, at the Kaseya Center in Miami. ESPN will broadcast the game.
Chase DeLauter is on pace for 162 home runs! Sal Stewart is batting a very sustainable .700! Surely, they are locks to take home the American League and National League Rookie of the Year honors this fall.
Slow your roll. As impressive as they are, there's a chance that we're jumping the gun here.
Below, I identify how the MLB Rookie of the Year odds markets have overreacted to these performances — and make some MLB Rookie of the Year predictions for guys offering real value in the respective ROY markets.
Rookie of the Year overreactions and early picks for 2026
Overreaction
Early pick
Chase DeLauter +350
Samuel Basallo +2000
Sal Stewart +450
Owen Caissie +1300
Early American League Rookie of the Year pick + overreaction
AL Rookie of the Year overreaction: Crown Chase DeLauter already!
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter hit two home runs on Opening Day against the Mariners and finished the four-game set by going 6-for-17 with four long balls.
It was a historic debut for the 24-year-old, who became just the third player in MLB history to homer in each of his first three games (funnily enough, fellow AL ROY contender Munetaka Murakami became the fourth shortly after).
DeLauter is not without pedigree, either, as the 24-year-old entered the season as Cleveland's No. 2 prospect and was ranked 44th overall by MLB Pipeline. Chances are, he'd have been even higher were it not for a history of injury concerns throughout his minor-league career.
In February, DeLauter was +2000 to win AL ROY. That number shrank to +1200 ahead of Opening Day. He's on a real upward trajectory, so hopefully you got in on the ground floor.
DeLauter odds to win ROY: +350 at FanDuel
AL Rookie of the Year pick: Don't forget about Samuel Basallo
As part of the "what have you done for me lately" crowd, Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo seems like a forgotten man after baseball's first weekend. It's easy to see why, as he has just two hits (both singles) in 10 at-bats, but this is the perfect time to pump the brakes.
Basallo has prodigious power, as evidenced by the 23 home runs he hit in 76 games at Triple-A in 2025. The Orioles have also shown that they are not going to mess around with his playing time. Even when Adley Rutschman has been behind the plate, Basallo has served as designated hitter and first baseman.
The 21-year-old slugger was +1100 on Opening Day, so this movement is offering a ton of value.
Basallo odds to win ROY: +2000 at FanDuel
Current AL Rookie of the Year odds & favorites
Player
Odds
Kevin McGonigle
+300
Chase DeLauter
+350
Munetaka Murakami
+650
Kazuma Okamoto
+700
Carter Jensen
+1600
Early National League Rookie of the Year pick + overreaction
NL Rookie of the Year overreaction: Sal Stewart is a hitter's name
Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart has seen his odds halved from +900 entering Opening Day to +450 after just three games.
Stewart went 7-for-10 with a home run, three doubles, and three walks while not striking out once while terrorizing Red Sox pitching over the weekend. Obviously, he won't hit .700 all season, but he showed why his bat has been so highly touted. And while he will certainly strike out eventually, he might not exhibit a ton of swing and miss, either, as he hovered around a 15% strikeout rate throughout his minor-league career.
Add in the fact that he plays his home games at hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark, and Stewart will become a Cincinnati folk hero by July, with an NL Rookie of the Year award soon following based on this pace.
Stewart odds to win ROY: +450 at FanDuel
NL Rookie of the Year pick: Owen Caissie isn't a platoon bat
I wanted sportsbooks to overreact to Konnor Griffin starting the season in Triple-A while his peers lit up the MLB scoreboard, but so far, that hasn't materialized, as he's still a robust +700.
While I'm tempted to go with a pitcher that has yet to debut in either Bubba Chandler or Andrew Painter (both of whom I highlighted in our MLB Rookie of the Year odds), I want to single out Miami Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie, whose odds have only slightly shortened from +1800 to +1300 after an impressive weekend.
Caissie wasn't initially in Miami's Opening Day lineup against the Rockies because left-hander Kyle Freeland was on the mound, but was a late add due to a Christopher Morel scratch. He hit a double off Freeland.
The lefty slugger followed that up by going 3-for-4 on Saturday, before being relegated to bench duties on Sunday (again with a lefty on the mound), but entered as a pinch-hitter, ultimately walking off the Rockies with a mammoth home run.
Caissie got his first taste of the majors last summer, and it didn't go so well, but it looks like the jitters are all the way gone, and this line won't last much longer either.
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.
After scoring five second-period goals to overcome a two-goal deficit in Saturday’s win over the Panthers, the Islanders allowed the Penguins to do the same Monday, closing a crucial five-game homestand by surrendering seven unanswered goals in an 8-3 loss at UBS Arena. The embarrassing defensive effort — in which the Islanders allowed the most goals in a game this season — led to Ilya Sorokin being pulled for just the second time this season, as the team gave away a pair of two-goal advantages and a massive opportunity in the crowded Eastern Conference standings.
“We were just awful defensively,” defenseman Ryan Pulock said. “We know what we did. We know what went wrong. We know what we need to do to play the right way … That’s not us.”
In a potential playoff preview, the Penguins (37-21-16, 90 points) earned their first regulation win in two weeks and jumped ahead of the Islanders (42-28-5, 89 points) for second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders remain one point ahead of Columbus for the final wild-card spot, while Ottawa — the next closest playoff contender — is three points behind the Islanders, with two games in hand.
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin #30 of the New York Islanders reacts after he gives up a goal during the second period at UBS Arena, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Elmont, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Seven games remain — including Tuesday at Buffalo — in the regular season. Five more will come at home. Ultimately, this loss may not impact the Islanders’ playoff hopes. But conveying that to the packed house in Elmont was impossible, as the collective mood segued from elation to silence in barely three and a half minutes.
For 23 minutes, Ilya Sorokin was impenetrable. Anders Lee was opportunistic, burying a backhand off the boards for the game’s first goal in the opening minutes of the second period. Mathew Barzal was a magician, setting up scoring chances virtually every time he touched the puck. He put the Islanders up 2-0 with a wrist shot 2:56 into the second period, then later fired a shot that rebounded off Pittsburgh’s Arturs Silovs, which allowed Brayden Schenn to score for the second straight game, putting the Islanders up 3-1 with 10:43 remaining in the second period and halfway to a three-point lead over the Penguins.
Then, the defense disappeared, repeatedly putting Sorokin on an island, leading to three Pittsburgh goals in the span of 3:34, beginning with Rickard Rakell’s short-handed goal.
Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores a goal pass goaltender Ilya Sorokin #30 of the New York Islanders during the second period at UBS Arena, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Elmont, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“It was definitely a turning point in that game, but after that we had a chance to get back in the game and we didn’t match [them],” coach Patrick Roy said. “The momentum shifted and we just couldn’t get it back … It stings that we’ve been doing so well lately and we just had a bad one in the system.
“You don’t like to be embarrassed like this in front of your fans, so we need to regroup and be ready for [Buffalo]. … We can’t give that many chances and think we’re gonna win hockey games.”
Just 2:29 after the short-handed goal, Ryan Shea tied it with a one-timer. Then, Anthony Mantha broke free, beating Sorokin five-hole to put the Penguins ahead with 6:25 left in the second period. Mantha closed the period with another goal, taking advantage of a defensive breakdown to beat Sorokin with a backhand.
Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins defends the net against center Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders during the first period at UBS Arena, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Elmont, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
After the Penguins scored two more to start the third period, Isles backup goalie David Rittich replaced Sorokin, who allowed seven goals on 28 shots. Sorokin had allowed a total of four goals in the previous four games.
“We let him down,” Kyle MacLean said. “He’s been so good for us and we can’t play like that in front of him. He deserves better.”
MIAMI (AP) — Miguel Vargas hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs, Austin Hays hammered a three-run shot and the Chicago White Sox beat the Miami Marlins 9-4 on Monday night for their first win this season.
Batting leadoff, Vargas drove in Everson Pereira with a single in the third inning. Hays' homer to right field quickly made it 4-0.
Vargas' slam in the fourth gave the White Sox an 8-0 cushion. Luisangel Acuña scored in the sixth on Vargas' sacrifice fly.
Tristan Peters and Pereira each had two hits for Chicago. Munetaka Murakami went 1 for 5 with a single, ending his home run streak at three games.
Davis Martin (1-0) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings with six strikeouts and two walks. Sean Newcomb fanned five in 2 2/3 innings of relief, and Jordan Hicks got four outs for his first save with Chicago.
Liam Hicks homered and knocked in three runs for Miami. He got the Marlins (3-1) on the board with a two-run shot in the fourth and added an RBI single in the eighth. Jakob Marsee had a run-scoring single in the fifth.
Miami starter Chris Paddack (0-1) pitched four innings, giving up eight runs and eight hits on 79 pitches. He struck out six and walked none.
Up next
Chicago RHP Erick Fedde (4-13, 5.49 ERA) starts Tuesday night against RHP Janson Junk (6-4, 4.17) in the middle game of the series.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander practices during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Time/Place: 10:10 p.m., Chase Field SB Nation Site: AZ Snake Pit Media: Detroit Sportsnet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Justin Verlander (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Soroka (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
* Note: Stats in the table below are Fangraphs’ 2026 projections
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 30: Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 30, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks were in action on Monday evening to face the Boston Celtics. It was just two games ago that these two saw each other, with the Celtics walking away with the victory. The Hawks came into this one with a rest advantage as the Celtics just faced the Charlotte Hornets yesterday.
Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta were ruled out for this matchup, and Jock Landale was out for the Hawks due to illness.
The Hawks were active on defense early, which led to an easy bucket in transition for Onyeka Okongwu.
The Celtics made a little separation as the quarter progressed, but the Hawks were right there. Mouhamed Gueye came in and made his presence felt in the paint.
Zaccharie Risacher knocked down two three-pointers during his stint in the quarter, which were big in keeping the Hawks in the game. They trailed 30-29 going into the second.
Kuminga cut his way through the basket for this easy layup.
It was a competitive half, and both teams went into the locker room tied at 54.
It was a good start to the quarter for the Hawks, and Okongwu was able to knock down back-to-back three-pointers to give them the lead. Later on, Johnson found Daniels for an alley-oop.
The Hawks kept their lead throughout the quarter, and it was what they did on defense that helped them. On offense, they continued to get good looks at the rim.
The Hawks built a 21-point lead in the fourth, but the Celtics started to chip away at their deficit. The Hawks were able to weather the storm just a bit, but the Celtics continued to knock down shots, and got their deficit down to single digits.
Luckily for the Hawks, there just wasn’t enough time left for the Celtics to keep making their comeback.
Johnson finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, Okongwu finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Daniels finished with 18 points, and Alexander-Walker finished with 17 points.
The Hawks will be back in action on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 27: Kyle Manzardo #9 of the Cleveland Guardians walks on the field before a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on March 27, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners won 5-1. (Photo by Maddy Grassy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here is the Guardians’ lineup:
Guardians 3/30
S. Kwan LF C. DeLauter DH J. Ramírez 3B K. Manzardo 1B D. Schneemann CF B. Rocchio 2B G. Arias SS A. Hedges C A. Martínez RF
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 27: Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers takes the field during the 2025 Back-to-Back World Champions Ring Ceremony prior to the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Friday, March 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Dodgers are back after Sunday’s off day as they open up a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians at home on Monday. Roki Sasaki makes his season debut against left-hander Parker Messick.
Mar 30, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood (29) slides safely into home ahead of tag by Philadelphia Phillies catcher Rafael Marchán (13) during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The Nationals’ starting pitcher tonight, Foster Griffin, recently returned stateside from his years with the Yomiuri Giants of Tokyo. By taking that journey, Griffin followed in the footsteps of Lafcadio Hearn, a resident of New Orleans who moved to Japan and became the author of the collection of ghost stories and tall tales known as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. This subtitle could also apply to the events of tonight’s game.
The start was inauspicious, and then unpleasant, and then outright ugly. Taijuan Walker walked James Wood, and a light hit up the third base line gave Luis García Jr a double that was gentle on the ball, and less so on Phillies’ fans stomachs. A subsequent ball to Edmundo Sosa at second became an RBI when he threw it home in a thwarted attempt to stop a sliding Wood, and a ball hit through the left-side gap by CJ Abrams scored the second run.
The fact that many of the hits were on light contact was cold comfort. Drew Millas gently blooped one to shallow center, loading the bases. The next batter, José Vivas, hit it to about the same spot, but a little harder, and was rewarded with an RBI. A sac fly put the fourth run on the board in a sour inning.
Then the sour became the absurd. A grounder from Joey Wiemer seemed to end the inning when Walker raced to the bag to get the out. Realizing that the call was close, the Phillies made sure to tag Millas on the way from third to home, just in case. The subsequent challenge of the call at first resulted in Wiemer being ruled safe, and Millas being sent back to third. Thomson came out to voice his objection to the Millas call, and was then ejected. Don Mattingly took over. A punchout of Wood finally ended the dreary top of the first.
The Phillies bats took their first hacks against Foster Griffin. As Griffin wandered through Japan, he perhaps learned of the Tale of the Heike, a centuries-old narrative of a battle between the Taira and Minamoto clans. The opening line of said tale notes that the ringing of monastery bells evokes “the impermanence of all things”. Also impermanent were the Phillies, as they went down in order.
Kwaidan is full of stories about hauntings and curses. A haunting or curse perhaps explains all of the shallow bloops and seeing-eye singles that the Phillies surrendered in a silly second. It is rumored that Bryce Harper recently neglected to leave out an offering of cucumber for the river goblins known as kappa, and perhaps this is why he bobbled a ball at first, as a fielder’s choice allowed the Nationals to score their fifth run. It is also rumored that Trea Turner provided the wrong answer when the deadly spirit known as the Kuchisake-onna asked him if she was pretty. The folktale states that answering either yes or no will result in horrible maiming (the only way to escape is to be noncommital). In this case, however, she scarred only his pride, as he mishandled a ball in the top of the third. A series of fielders choices resulted in the Nationals taking a 7-0 lead.
Meanwhile, the Phillies offense remained quiet, posting just a pair of singles through four. Walker allowed a double in the fifth and was then replaced with Jonathan Bowlan. His final tally was 7 runs (6 earned) on 10 hits.
By the time the Phillies came to bat in the bottom of the fifth, the mood of the fans could be best described as disgruntled. But there are a few things that can help to restore the pluck of a phractured phanbase, among them being home runs and a big play from an unexpected source. The Phillies got both when Rafael Marchán hit a homer to left to score two and give the Phillies their first runs of the night. Turner doubled to left, Griffin plunked Kyle Schwarber, and Harper came to the plate, smashing a high arcing ball to right. For a moment, before the ball swung foul, it seemed like the mood might shift. Harper would end up grounding out. The moment was disappointing, but in a more mundane way than the oddity that had defined the earlier innings.
Strangeness, however, ended up reasserting itself. In the top sixth, Otto Kemp dove for a fly ball, seemingly catching it in an excellent play. The ball was hard to see as Kemp’s glove slid towards the wall, but replay confirmed the ball slipped out as he hit the ground. The final result was a double. An error from Sosa put the next runner on. An unusual 5-3 double play gave the Phillies some additional juice, but the Nationals singled to score their eighth, and then again to put runners on the corners. Both runners made to steal at the next at-bat, and while the final out of the inning was made between second and first, the Washingtons succeeded in putting another run across before the out was secured. This sort of trickery is usually reserved for yokai spirits, whom the Nationals may have hired as special, spectral assistants.
The Phillies finally got a lucky break of their own in the bottom eighth, as Brady House dropped an easy pop fly to allow Alec Bohm to reach second to lead off the inning. But the next three Phils made outs, and the Fightins entered the ninth in the unenviable position of down seven.
José Alvarado took the mound, and loaded the bases with a pair of singles and a walk. He walked another as the Nationals hit double digit runs, and another single allowed them to reach a dozen.
The Phillies then settled for the ignominy of a position player pitching, in the form of Dylan Moore. His eephuses (eephi?) wrapped up the inning with one more run scored, for a baker’s dozen (if Dusty Baker was still their manager, this would’ve been a clever bit of wordplay; alas). The bottom of the ninth saw the Phillies put a pair of baserunners on, but they ended the game with their pair of runs, and the grumblings of an unhappy Monday night crowd.
The Phillies are 1-3. The series against the Nationals continues tomorrow at 6:40, with Andrew Painter scheduled to make his MLB debut.
BALTIMORE, MD - MARCH 30: Chris Bassitt #40 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 30, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles have shied away from drafting pitchers in the first round under Mike Elias. The team recently acquired and extended a former first-round starter in Shane Baz, but Baltimore has opted time and time again to prioritize position players in the draft. Tonight’s opponent—the Texas Rangers—used top 10 picks on a pair of starters in 2021 and 2022. The Orioles faced the higher of the two draft picks tonight.
Former number two overall pick Jack Leiter held Baltimore to two runs over six strong innings. Leiter made an early mistake against Gunnar Henderson, but he minimized hard contact for the duration of his outing. Baltimore’s offense failed to build on Sunday’s strong offensive performance, and the Birds fell 5-2 in the first of three games at Camden Yards.
The Orioles built their rotation through trades and free agency. Baltimore inked Chris Bassitt to a one-year, $18.5 million deal, and the 37-year-old made his Oriole debut tonight against Texas. Bassitt took the loss after allowing four earned runs over 4.1 innings.
Bassitt ran into trouble right out of the gate. The former Blue Jay allowed a leadoff single to Brandon Nimmo, and Wyatt Langford beat out an infield hit after an assist from instant replay. Corey Seager advanced both runners with a soft ground out to second base, and Bassitt made his first true mistake after his next pitch.
Bassitt generated a comebacker that could have been a rally killer, but the righty failed to make another quality throw to home plate. The starter had Nimmo dead to rights, but he spiked a comically bad throw that allowed the leadoff hitter to score.
Bassitt recovered by striking out Joc Pederson and retiring Josh Jung, and Henderson picked him up in the bottom of the frame. Leiter fell behind 2-0 before grooving a middle-middle fastball to Baltimore’s shortstop. Henderson jumped at the pitch and sent the ball 410 feet to dead center. Just like that, the score was event at one.
Bassitt wasted no time relinquishing the lead for the second time. He allowed a leadoff double to Evan Carter before walking Kyle Higashioka. Nimmo struck again with his second single in as many innings to provide Texas a 2-1 advantage. Higashioka advanced to third on a fly out by Langford, and Bassitt loaded the bases with a free pass to Seager. Jake Burger increased the early lead with a base hit up the middle, and Pederson drove in the Rangers’ fourth run with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Bassit allowed base runners in the third and fourth innings but managed to post a pair of zeros. He issued a leadoff walk in the fifth inning, and exited after striking out Jung. His final line read 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K. He threw 61 of 100 pitches for strikes.
Orioles fans may have some concern after watching Charlie Morton and Kyle Gibson fall off a cliff, but Bassitt deserves more than one start before we all press the panic button. The veteran was not sharp in his Camden Yards debut, but he’ll have an opportunity to make a stronger second impression next week.
Dietrich Enns and Rico Garcia kept the Orioles in it with impressive performances out of the bullpen. Enns struck out four batters over 1.2 innings, and Garcia blanked three over two clean frames.
Baltimore cut the deficit in half with a run in the fifth. Colton Cowser got things started with an infield single, and Blaze Alexander moved him into scoring position with a base hit up the middle. Cowser advanced to third on a flyout by Ward, and Henderson drove in Baltimore’s only other run with a sharp single up the middle.
Baltimore’s best chance to even the score came in the bottom of the eighth. Ward and Alonso singled to put the tying run on base with one out. Unfortunately, Adley Rutschman lined out to center and Tyler O’Neill produced a harmless grounder to end the threat.
Tyler Wells continued his rocky start to the season with an earned run in the ninth inning. The former starter allowed a one-out double to Burger before allowing consecutive singles to Andrew McCutchen and Josh Smith.
Pinch hitters Jeremiah Jackson and Ryan Mountcastle failed to generate a rally in the ninth inning.
The Orioles will look to climb back above .500 with Zach Eflin on the mound tomorrow at 6:35 p.m.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 30: Atlanta pitcher Bryce Elder (55) throws a pitch during the MLB game between the Athletics and the Atlanta Braves on March 30th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA.(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Bryce Elder’s first start of the season was a successful one, as his six strong innings and some early offense ended up being the formula for a comprehensive 4-0 series-opening win for the Atlanta Braves over the Athletics.
The game got off to an auspicious start for the Braves, as Elder got his night going with a 1-2-3 inning and then the Braves pounced on A’s starter Jacob Lopez right out of the gate. Ronald Acuña Jr. led off the game with a walk and usually when Acuña reaches base to begin a game, good things usually follow. Sure enough, good times were on the way as Matt Olson put the Braves ahead early with an RBI double and then Mauricio Dubón plated both Olson and Drake Baldwin (who got on with a single earlier on in the first) with an RBI single to make it a three-run first inning for the Braves.
While pitching with a lead has gotten Bryce Elder in trouble at times in the past, that wasn’t the case here on Monday night. Elder sat down the A’s in order in the second inning — even though he gave up a hit to the returning hometown hero Lawrence Butler, Butler’s time on the base paths was short-lived after Elder picked him off at first to end the inning. That was actually Elder’s first career pickoff throw and it also should’ve been the clearest sign that he was going to be on top of his game on the mound tonight.
Elder ran into a bit of trouble in the fourth inning when Tyler Soderstrom and Mississippi State legend Brent Rooker were both on base together with just one out in the fourth inning. Fortunately, Elder was able to retire Jacob Wilson and Lawrence Butler in consecutive harmless fly ball outs (both off of changeups) in order to escape the mini-jam without sustaining much damage. Elder then struck out the side (a Carlos Cortes walk, notwithstanding) in the fifth inning with a nasty-looking sinker punching Nick Kurtz out looking to end the fifth.
Elder eventually finished his outing with six shutout innings under his belt along with five strikeouts. There were still a fair share of baserunners for Elder to deal with as he gave up five hits and a walk but ultimately, he was able to prevent the A’s from doing any type of serious damage. While this might only be Elder’s first start of the season, it would certainly be an incredibly encouraging development if Elder can be consistently relied upon like he was during the first half of the 2023 season.
While that was going on, Jacob Lopez ended up only lasting four innings in this one as the Braves were able to keep him throwing a ton of pitches on the mound. Atlanta racked up five hits against Lopez but they also coaxed five walks out of him as well. That’s a pretty quick way to get the pitch count up and Lopez ended up throwing 91 pitches on the night. Meanwhile, it took Elder 83 pitches to get through six innings — one guy was dealing and the other guy was scuffling and fortunately, the guy who we’re all rooting for was the one doing the dealing.
The A’s bullpen entered the game and eventually settled things down as the Braves didn’t really threaten too much from the fifth inning onwards. Ronald Acuña Jr. did hit a deep fly ball to left-center that looked like it was leaving the park off of the bat but instead, it landed at the base of the wall for a double and that’s where he would be stranded to end the frame.
The Braves offense eventually returned to the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth inning, which is exactly when you want to start adding some breathing room before the final inning of the contest. Mike Yastrzemski got things going in a big way by hitting a line drive that got over Jeff McNeil’s head. Once the A’s finally got to the ball and the smoke cleared, Yaz was at third with a triple. Mauricio Dubón brought Yaz home with his third hit of the game and just like that, the Braves had a four-run advantage heading into the ninth. Dubón may have had a couple of errors in this one but his big day at the plate helped to balance things out.
The Braves bullpen entered the game in the seventh inning and things went pretty smoothly for that particular group. Aaron Bummer struck out a pair during his scoreless seventh inning and then Robert Suarez did his job as the set-up man by inducing an a ground ball for an inning-ending double play that completely snuffed out the A’s chance at potentially getting a rally going in the eighth inning. That set things up for Raisel Iglesias to finish things off in the ninth inning. A double play and a pop-out made it a relatively quick inning to finish things off and push the Braves to 3-1 on the year.
Again, it bears repeating that the Braves could absolutely do with having guys like Bryce Elder step up and deliver some reliable production at the back of the rotation. If they can get pitching like this on a somewhat regular basis then that alone should help this team improve from how they finished last season. On top of that, the offense seems to be in solid form to start the season as well. While this wasn’t a perfect win (the errors and some sloppy base running (which manager Walt Weiss is willing to accept for the time being as the team learns to be more aggressive on the base paths) come to mind), a win is a thousand-times more pretty than a loss and so far the Braves are doing pretty well here in the early going.
Hopefully things will continue in the right path as the Braves go for another series win on Tuesday night starting at 7:15 p.m. ET.
As the Ottawa Senators prepare to take on the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night, it's not unreasonable or even sarcastic to wonder if their eight-million-dollar starting goalie will be rested enough to play or not.
On Saturday, two days after Linus Ullmark and the Ottawa Senators lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was expected that Ullmark would start in Tampa against the Lightning. After all, their next game was still three days away.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss Linus Ullmark sitting out Saturday's game because he needed rest.
But when game time rolled around, it was 38-year-old backup James Reimer who led the Sens onto the ice for what turned out to be a 4-2 loss to the Lightning. Reimer wasn't the reason for the loss, but not going with Ullmark seemed like a curious choice.
With no local media on the road, Sens host Jackson Starr, who's a Senators employee, asked head coach Travis Green after the game what went into the decision to start Reimer over Ullmark.
"I want to play Linus every night," Green replied. "But he needed a rest and he wasn’t available to start tonight.”
Ullmark has yet to give his account of why he didn't play, but Green's explanation that he needed a rest has had Sens Nation and the hockey world buzzing over the past two days.
Former NHL player Jeff O' Neill is never one to pull punches on his TSN Toronto radio show, Overdrive, and he certainly didn't on this story.
"What Linus Ullmark did on Saturday night was completely unacceptable," O' Neill said on Monday's show. "I know he's had his difficulties this year. His team stood by him, and the organization stood by him. This is about the team chasing the playoffs and everybody contributing.
"And he said he needed a day off in the biggest game of the year? Not buying it. It's not part of the league. You don't get to pick and choose when you wanna feel good and when you don't."
O' Neill was clearly fired up, loudly interrupting co-host Jamie McLennan, who got all of five words into his reply.
"It's hard. And I think..." McLennan began.
"You're damn right it's hard!" O Neill yelled. "When everyone else is busting their nuts, they've got defenseman out (of the lineup), and they've got kids playing back there. And everyone's dying to try to get into the playoffs, and a guy just says, 'Not tonight?' Unacceptable! Can't have it in the NHL."
O' Neill had some sympathy for Sens' head coach Travis Green and how he must be feeling when everyone else seems to be buying in and giving their all, even though most of them are banged up and running on low fuel at the end of the season.
"Travis Green has done such a great job with that Ottawa team. He's established himself as a great coach. The team has come together, and everybody is pushing. You can't have a guy who's the most important player on your team say, 'Not really feeling it tonight.'
ELMONT, NEW YORK - MARCH 30: Ilya Sorokin #30 of the New York Islanders reacts to a goal by Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:54 of the third period at UBS Arena on March 30, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pregame
There are lots of moving parts for the Penguins, who are using three different lines for tonight. The happiest change is that Sidney Crosby is able to return and Bryan Rust shrugs off his maintenance day yesterday to play too. Rickard Rakell stays at center for the second game in a row, this time between the ‘big’ winger duo of Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau. Tommy Novak slides to the wing for the first time in a while, joined by Ben Kindel and Avery Hayes. Arturs Silovs gets the start in net.
Both teams play a little tight and tense at first. The Islanders get the puck down low and try to jam it in, nearly doing so a couple times. On the other end of the ice, Erik Karlsson shoots a puck off Ilya Sorokin’s stick nob and then a Sidney Crosby shot hits the crossbar a little later.
The Islanders gain momentum and start stacking up chances. Adam Pelech shoots from the blueline through plenty of traffic, Silovs doesn’t track the puck but luckily for him it hits the post and stays out. Crosby and Karlsson then hulk up and generate a bunch of chances.
Pittsburgh traps some tired Islanders in their d-zone and amps up the pressure to the max by double shifting the first line following an NYI icing call but they can’t quite get it to go.
First penalty is called with 3:15 to play, Sam Girard goes for holding and Mat Barzal joins him for the extra spinning, turning fall to exaggerate the hold. The 4v4 is uneventful, after it ends J.G Pageau bonks Chinakhov on the head with a stick and that creates the first power play with 56 seconds left in the period. The Islanders get a 2-on-1, period ends.
The whole period felt like a desperate race mainly between Crosby and Karlsson trying to create a goal before the Islanders could get on the board. Neither ended up succeeding in the first 20 minutes. Shots were 11-7 Pittsburgh, both team struck some iron, yet the score stays 0-0.
Second period
Pittsburgh starts the period with a little over a minute on the carryover power play, they still don’t get anything going. Bo Horvat chugs down the ice and Rakell has to hook him to slow him down for the first NYI power play.
The Islanders score on their chance, Adam Boqvist sends a shot wide off the back wall, it takes a healthy bounce and Anders Lee is able to steer it in to open the scoring 1:27 into the second.
The Pens respond with a good shift following the goal but then it dries up. NYI gets a 2-on-1 and Silovs cheats too much to the near side so Barzal snipes him to the far-side top corner. 2-0, 2:56 in.
The Islanders apply more pressure and trap the Pens. Faceoffs are 21-6 NYI, Pittsburgh can’t win a draw and get in trouble after Silovs can’t freeze a high shot. They survive long enough to get a change and start pushing back. The fourth line gets a great shift and creates some traffic of their own. Karlsson glances another shot off the post, Noel Acciari and Elmer Soderblom go to work down low with Soderblom finding the puck after a scramble and lifting the puck over a fallen Sorokin. 2-1.
Acciari takes a penalty, and it’s the Penguins who score on the PK. Rakell and Bryan Rust work a give-and-go that ends with Rust setting Rakell up to steer a puck through Sorokin’s five-hole. 3-2 game.
Game is wide open now, the Pens let Barzal get behind them again, his breakaway shot sails wide. Pittsburgh answers again with their second goal in 2:28. Anthony Mantha goes low-to-high to Ryan Shea and this time it’s Sorokin who is caught deeper in his crease and Shea’s shot hits the mark. 3-3.
Pittsburgh then takes their first lead of the night. Mantha gets behind the NYI defense and Justin Brazeau sends it into space for him to skate into. Mantha tries his classic breakaway move to feint and lay the backhander through the five-hole, it works. 4-3 PIT.
There goes that man again! As if on repeat, Brazeau makes another great pass to Mantha after Kris Letang pinches down and wins a puck back. The Islanders defensive structure is totally gone, no one picks Mantha up so he skates it all the way in, makes another move to the backhand and uses his long reach to steer in a second goal of the period. 5-3 Pens.
Well, that was a wild ride. Eight total goals, the Islanders look like they’re about to run away with things but then four unanswered goals by the Penguins put them ahead 5-3 at the second. Shots are 13-8 PIT in the middle frame.
Third period
Matthew Schaefer takes the puck to the net trying to make something happen, the Pens survive.
Soderblom and Scott Mayfield get tied up and are angry enough to get in a fight. Soderblom uses his size and strength to hold the smaller player off and throws a few nice shots in to drop the Islander.
Two rookies combine to extend the lead to 6-3. Sorokin stops Ben Kindel with the Pens on a 3-on-1 rush but leaves a rebound and loses his net. A great second effort by Kindel passes the puck back to the mouth of the crease for Avery Hayes to score an easy one, courtesy of no defender getting to him in time.
Pittsburgh ends Sorokin’s night, Brazeau blisters a shot that the goalie can’t handle. The generous NYI defense can’t get the stick or body of Rakell, who drives to the net and finds a way to finish it. 7-3 with 12:06 to play forces a goalie change to put David Rittich in.
The Isles get a chance, Silovs waves his blocker hand at the puck and falls to his stomach, the rolling puck ends up on his back and down behind him heading for the goal-line. Parker Wotherspoon is there to save the day and jam it back into the goalie to get a stoppage.
Game is ambling on, the Pens make a normal looking breakout but Scott Mayfield offers no resistance to Bryan Rust. Crosby hits Rust with a pass and it’s way too casual defending to let Rust snap a shot in. 8-3.
Egor Chinakhov has been so productive this season and when you’re a winger on the Penguins having great success, you’re going to find your way to Crosby’s line sooner or later. The need for Rakell as a center (though the team did have Novak as a typical option for their second line center) meant that Chinakhov-Crosby combo got tried for the first real time in earnest with little build up on practices, instead of going with Rakell.
That’s one of those things if it works, the coach looks like a genius and if it doesn’t, well, that makes for a tougher conversation. The genius touch (or, hey the one that worked and makes the coach look good) ended up being the call to reunite Mantha and Brazeau. Those two each had three-point games and combined to put the biggest impacts on this game when it was up for grabs.
Same with the choice of goalie, though perhaps neither option is really a preferable one. Silovs was as impassive and deep in the net as a shooter tutor on the Barzal goal. NYI scored three goals on 1.24 expected. After that, the Pens were able to give the Islanders basically nothing while they went and out-scored their problems in net. Luckily for Pittsburgh they were able to exploit the Islanders’ biggest weakness (a blatant disegard for playing competitive defense) before NYI could touch up the Pens’.
Crosby was on a mission in the first period: six shot attempts, some smart passes, super-high battle level, he was dialed in. You could tell it was a big game just from watching him, fun to see him turn the clock back before our eyes coming back from injury and leading the team during an important game. He didn’t end up being THE story of the game but it’s great to see him back in the lineup and playing such a driven brand of hockey.
Defensemen had 8/19 of the Islanders’ shot attempts in the first period. They weren’t trying anything fancy, they were getting forwards to the net and letting their blueliners shoot from a distance to see what would happen.
Rust and Rakell creating a shorthanded goal was incredibly pivotal. The Pens were down 3-1 and possibly on the ropes while killing a penalty. Then, boom, they’re right back in it. Then Mantha put his imprint on the game with a primary assist and two goals to completely change the game. Recently when good things have been happening, it usually has something to do with those names, this was no different.
In that way, it was very fitting for the Pens’ season; it may not always be pretty and they might be on the ropes at time, but they’re always going to keep pushing. This team has some admirable fight from within.
Great adjustment by the Pens going into the second. Early on, they were often looking for passes and trying to find back door plays to do the work. They simplified in the second, and you saw a lot of the size and muscle of this team taking over. Soderblom was a beast down low. Brazeau and Mantha were doing their things along the walls and then by the net. It might go unnoticed (but probably not for long) about just how much length and strength that the Pens have built up lately into their team. It’s not easy to get the puck off of 6’5”, 6’6” and 6’8” forwards from down low when they can really lean into it.
The support plays for the Pens were so good too. Wotherspoon grabbed a couple of secondary assists getting the puck going north. Letang pinched and won a puck back to start the sequence for a Mantha goal. Novak slipped the puck off the wall for Kindel to skate into for an odd-man rush. Crosby got a puck behind the net over for Mantha to start a play. The finishes and immediate setups were nice too, but every play has to start somewhere, the Pens had some great building blocks to start sequences.
Seven goals and Evgeni Malkin didn’t play, Erik Karlsson had no points and Crosby had the one assist. That’s an incredible offensive output from up and down the lineup. 15 out of the 18 Penguin skaters for tonight registered a point. Very few had multiple point games until the garbage time goal, all things considered from the first seven goals (Mantha 2G+1A, Rakell 2G, Brazeau 3A, Wotherspoon 2A until Crosby, Rust and Letang joined the multi-point club with the late third period goal). Just a lot of balance and obviously a couple of massive efforts from the like of Mantha and Rakell.
If NYI/PIT does end up being a first round playoff game, my goodness, I don’t know how we’ll survive. Certainly the blood pressure will be going up, neither team is all that dutiful at defending and both have some scary forwards when they get time and space to sneak behind all-too-oblivious opponents. Thought the biggest factor in this game, probably by far, was the awful effort of the NYI defense, whether it was in their structure or just showing basic pro level competitiveness. They must have sensed the game was slipping away from them and pretty much packed it in for the night and let the Pens do whatever they needed to do in the last 30 minutes.
Best thing: no more Josh Bailey, Jordan Eberle is long gone and Kyle Palmieri is on IR. All the old familiar NYI nightmares are over. Players like Horvat, Barzal and Schaefer present enough challenges on their own but it’s no small comfort that a lot of those from the past can’t show up on a night like tonight.
Pittsburgh ends the year 2-0-1 against NYI, who they now are ahead of by one point in the standings (the Pens do have a game in hand). That’s a massive outcome to take 5 out of 6 available points against a critical opponent, while seeing them walk away with just two from the season series. Will there be more in the playoffs? If the Islanders play such sloppy and uncommitted defense like they displayed tonight, sign us up!
This week was accurately billed as so crucial to the playoff hopes of the whole season. It couldn’t really have started any better, the Pens score the last seven goals of the game and don’t exactly have a tough or physical, bruising type of contest so they should have a lot of momentum when they return home for another huge game tomorrow night against Detroit.
The expected has become official: The NBA Board of Governors has approved the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers, a group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon.
The franchise was valued at $4.25 billion for the sale. The new owners purchased the team from the Paul Allen Trust, which has been run by Allen's sister Judy Allen since 2018, when the Microsoft co-founder died. All proceeds from the sale will be directed to charities, as the trust requires.
Dundon takes over a team that has just received state approval for major upgrades and renovations to the Moda Center. On the court, the Trail Blazers are a transitioning team that has veterans — Jrue Holiday, next season Damian Lillard — but is really built around younger stars such as Deni Avdija, Sharron Sharpe and Scoot Henderson.
"I'm just getting to know Tom," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said of Dundon after last week's Board of Governors meeting. "I've known him by reputation for a long time, not just through his ownership of the Carolina Hurricanes, but also through the other sports investments he's made. He's a go-getter, he's got a great reputation from having led a turnaround in the NHL. He has enormous passion and spirit. He wants to be successful both as a businessman in Portland and he wants to be successful with the team on the floor."
Chase DeLauter
Samuel Basallo
Sal Stewart
Owen Caissie
Kevin McGonigle
Munetaka Murakami
Kazuma Okamoto
Carter Jensen
JJ Wetherholt
Nolan McLean
Konnor Griffin
