The Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers meet in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. Toronto evened the series on Sunday with a 93-89 victory in Game 4. The Cleveland Cavaliers are favored by 8.5 points, with the over/under set at 216.5.
How to watch Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Vegas Golden Knights are looking to take a series lead over the Utah Mammoth after tying things up at two. They’ll get their chance in Game 5 on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena.
Puck drop for Game 4 is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. PST.
Carter Hart will start in goal for the Golden Knights. Hart has a 2-2 record and a .886 average save percentage in four games this postseason.
Karel Vejmelka will start in goal for the Mammoth. Vejmelka has a 2-2 record and a .899 average save percentage in four games this postseason.
The teams were last in action for Game 4 on Monday at the Delta Center. The Golden Knights quickly jumped out in front, but squandered a 3-0 lead and fell behind 4-3. They found the equalizer with 10 minutes remaining in the third period, and won a 5-4 thriller in overtime off a goal by Shea Theodore.
Golden Knights Lines
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Brett Howden
Reilly Smith — Mitch Marner — Mark Stone
Pavel Dorofeyev — Tomáš Hertl — Keegan Kolesar
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Colton Sissons
Defense
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Jeremy Lauzon — Kaedan Korczak
Goaltenders: Carter Hart / Adin Hill
Mammoth Lines
Clayton Keller — Nick Schmaltz — Lawson Crouse
Kailer Yamamoto — Logan Cooley — Dylan Guenther
JJ Peterka — Alex Kerfoot — Michael Carcone
Liam O’Brien — Kevin Stenlund — Brandon Tanev
Defense
Mikhail Sergachev — MacKenzie Weegar
Nate Schmidt — John Marino
Ian Cole — Sean Durzi
Goaltenders: Karel Vejmelka / Vitek Vaněček
Special Teams
VGK power play: 15.4%, 9th
VGK penalty kill: 88.9%, 4th
Mammoth power play: 11.1%, 13th
Mammoth penalty kill: 84.6%, 8th
Game Notes
Tonight’s game could very well decide the fate of the Golden Knights’ season. Historically, teams that take a 3-2 series lead go on to win 79.5% of the time.
The Golden Knights are 8-8 in Game 5s in franchise history.
The Golden Knights changed up their power play units after going 0-5 on the man advantage in Game 3. But after going 0-for-4 in Game 4, they’ve shuffled the units once more.
PP1: Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, Pavel Dorofeyev, Mitch Marner, Shea Theodore
PP2: Tomáš Hertl, Ivan Barbashev, Brett Howden, Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin
Shea Theodore’s overtime game-winning goal was the first by any Golden Knights defenseman in postseason franchise history.
How to Watch
TV: Vegas 34, TNT, truTV
Streaming: KnightTime+
Radio: FOX Sports Las Vegas 94.7/1340, Deportes Vegas 1460
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 6: Jalen Brunson #11;Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When breaking down a playoff series, one can occasionally overthink things. They may look at matchups, schemes, depth, injuries, past matchups, and analytics. I’m guilty of that myself, and even did that for the Knicks’ current series against the Hawks. But Games Four and Five served as a friendly, but very loud, reminder that in basketball, sometimes it just comes down to who has the best player.
That isn’t always the case—ask Detroit. But, more often than not, the team with the best player on the court tends to prevail. And in the Knicks’ case, they have the best player, the second-best player, and they even have a strong argument for having the third-best player in the series. However you want to rank them, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby have cases, to varying degrees, for being the top three players in the series.
For New York, while it took a couple of games longer than fans would have liked, this realization—that they not only have more depth and experience, but also possess much more talent up top—has resulted in back-to-back convincing wins. For Atlanta, though, this has resulted in a challenge they don’t seem to quite have the answers for.
In Game Four, the Hawks started out putting Dyson Daniels on Brunson again and made life for the captain difficult. But unlike the past couple of games, the Knicks finally took what the defense was giving them. Instead of Brunson having to initiate everything, he was delegated to playing off the ball more. We saw him set more screens, use his gravity for the betterment of the team, and act as a decoy at times. And the team finally leaned on Towns to be the catalyst of their offense.
Secret sauce for the Knicks: getting off ball movement back on the table. Helps balance the Knicks offense. Play through KAT at the top. Looks like a stagger for Clarkson but he and Hart just exchange. Clarkson fakes a backpick (by setting NAW up) and cuts backdoor. pic.twitter.com/ocd4VXLORx
The big man was patient and deliberate, and the team greatly benefited from his offensive process—one that saw him score at ease while also racking up 10 assists. The other beneficiary was the other undoubted top-three player in the series. Anunoby picked apart a good Hawks defense by masterfully timing backdoor cuts, hitting open threes, and attacking closeouts by imposing his physicality.
Karl-Anthony Towns finds OG Anunoby for the corner 3, giving him a triple-double pic.twitter.com/kwSHICQIBv
And as many had preached, playing through Towns not only helped the team, it made Brunson’s job easier in the long run. The Hawks, who were out of answers for Towns, started Game Five with Daniels now on him. And that allowed Brunson to get back into a groove early. When the point guard went on his fourth-quarter rampage, Daniels was back on him, but it’s difficult for a defender, no matter how good they are, to stop an offensive force like Brunson when he is in the kind of rhythm he was in.
Now, Quinn Snyder and the Hawks, with their season on the line, are tasked with the difficult challenge of trying to slow down more than just one of these guys. It’s plausible that any of them could just have a bad game. But if those three continue to trust the process and trust each other, all they will need to do is take what the defense gives them and attack.
If the Hawks want to put Daniels on Brunson again, New York should gladly play through Towns, look for cuts, and then clear out for him to attack the paint if the initial actions don’t work out. Not a single player on the Hawks roster can stop Towns consistently, and they’ll be forced to give up a big scoring effort or get in foul trouble trying to stop him from doing so.
Conversely, if the Hawks decide to put Daniels back on Towns, their best bet might as well be to just pray that Brunson has an off game. And as somebody who has seen Brunson heat up late in playoff series and send teams home with big games, that might not be a plausible strategy either.
Regardless of what the Hawks do, though, the Knicks should have all of the answers and counters. All they need to do is be smart and execute.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 26: Jordan Clarkson #00 of the New York Knicks plays against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on March 26, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On January 19, the Knicks got absolutely blasted by the Dallas Mavericks in an embarrassing game at home on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In the postgame recap, I likened it to an extremely similar game in an extremely similar situation against the same opponent in the same arena a few years ago. That game led to the permanent benching of Derrick Rose and Cam Reddish and sparked a turnaround the next night.
Of course, the Knicks then emphatically ended their 2-9 nightmare slump with a 54-point blowout over the rival Nets that featured one big rotation change. Jordan Clarkson, who signed with the Knicks in July after agreeing to a buyout with the Utah Jazz, was now out of the rotation after several games of increasingly bad play.
After his NBA Cup heroics and microwave scoring potential sparked optimism to start the year, he had become the new Evan Fournier. While Fournier was benched nearly a month before the Mavs catastrophe, he shares more similarities to Clarkson than the divisive Reddish and ultimate vet Rose.
He played a total of seven minutes in the next five games combined, all in garbage time. But midway through that stretch, Deuce McBride went down with a knee injury that turned into a multi-month absence due to core surgery, and while Mike Brown initially decided to give his minutes to Tyler Kolek and a mix of more run for Landry Shamet and Mo Diawara, he eventually turned back to the veteran to get some run right before the trade deadline, where he performed admirably.
But when Jose Alvarado came into the fold in early February, he was once again pushed out of the rotation, as the Knicks’ bench took shape as Alvarado, Shamet, Mitchell Robinson, and a mix of Diawara and Jeremy Sochan.
That was until March 8 in Los Angeles, when the Knicks’ offense was being handcuffed by a fiery Lakers team without LeBron James. Needing a spark, Mike Brown called on Clarkson, who did his best in an eventual loss. While it didn’t immediately lead to re-entering the rotation, it was a start. A few days later, he took advantage of a Josh Hart injury for a memorable return to Utah.
From there, he was back. He played meaningful minutes in the team’s final 15 games of the season, emerging as Diawara endured growing pains and Alvarado struggled to entrench himself in the rotation, even when McBride returned as the season drew to a close. But it wasn’t the microwave scoring that had earned Coach Brown’s trust; it was a total reinvention of who he is as a player.
For much of Clarkson’s career, he’s only been known for scoring. He doesn’t pass, he doesn’t defend, he doesn’t do the little things. There’s a reason that Mike Breen was so disgusted with him when he played with Utah. He was there to do a very specific role, and since he wasn’t doing it, he was benched.
But what if he started to do those little things? That’s likely what went through Clarkson’s brain after he got benched, and you saw the change immediately.
Jordan Clarkson with great defense on Reed Sheppoard for nearly 20 seconds, and then Amen Thompson finds Tari Eason for the corner 3, Knicks timeout pic.twitter.com/2uEHwhrCoj
All of a sudden, Clarkson was picking up full court. He was pressuring ballhandlers. The effort we were seeing was drastically different, and it looked like a player who knew he was playing for his job.
He was still taking a fair amount of shots, but the dumb shots were dwindling. He shot 52.5% from the field after being reinserted in the rotation after being a pitiful 42.8% into early March. He was also passing more, putting up multiple games with at least four assists.
And while this, coupled by him becoming a paint-scoring machine, is good enough to warrant consideration off the bench, he’s also decided to channel his inner Josh Hart and become a rebounding machine.
Offensive rebounds: First 56 games: 41 (993 minutes) Last 21 games: 30 (364 minutes)
He’s grabbed nine through five playoff games. He had at least four on two different occasions in the final month of the regular season.
He’s suddenly become a key part of a Knicks team that has championship aspirations, while being a completely different player than he has been his entire career.
Jordan Clarkson is rebounding a hilarious 12.2% of NYK misses in playoffs.
This follows a season in which he sported the highest OREB% of his long career, and the Knicks overall OREB% was 3.2% higher with him on floor.
The near-34-year-old looked doomed to be in Fournier’s shoes, out of the league once his contract expired, to suddenly looking like a desirable vet for a team next season. But that’s not what’s on his mind right now. He’s been given a new lease on life and, after a half-decade in the doldrums of a tanking Utah team, he’s finally somewhere that’s trying to win and has reinvented himself to do so. It’s certainly admirable.
Jorge Polanco, signed to a two-year, $40 million contract with the hopes that he could transition from the middle of the infield to first base, has been hurt most of the season and played poorly when on the field.
Brett Baty, introduced to the position during spring training, has been inconsistent in the field and at the plate. He’s shown flashes of his lefty power, but ended an 0-for-10 skid going 1-for-3 in Wednesday’s 14-2 loss to Washington at Citi Field.
And then there’s Mark Vientos, who has struggled badly on both sides of the ball, looking to recapture at least the power he displayed two years ago, which seems to be more and more of a distant memory.
Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (27) falls off the bag, allowing a batter on during the ninth inning when the New York Mets played the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Altogether, they entered Wednesday with the fourth-worst OPS at the position this season (.581), a year after Pete Alonso helped them to the second-best OPS in the majors (.861).
Neither has stood out defensively, either.
And according to FanGraphs, the group has the second-lowest WAR (-0.5).
Asked about the spot, Carlos Mendoza said the duo of Baty and Vientos has “handled the position fine,” adding Vientos has been OK defensively.
But the manager acknowledged: “Offensively, we expect more.”
In fairness, the lack of production has been a failure of almost the entire lineup — not just at first base.
Jorge Polanco (11) throws out Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Ryan O’Hearn at first base during the seventh inning of a baseball game. APPete Alonso of the Baltimore Orioles blows on his finger gun as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run. Getty Images
But it’s felt there especially, since they had such a consistent threat at first with Alonso.
“They took a strength and made it a weakness,’’ one National League scout said. “I think Baty can hit, but he shouldn’t be at first base. If they had just kept him at third, where he looked comfortable last year, I think he would have come on at the plate. But they’re making it harder on him, all to get another guy who’s out of position [former shortstop Bo Bichette] into the lineup.”
Mets third baseman Brett Baty (7) fields a throw during the first inning when the New York Mets played the Pittsburgh Pirates. Robert Sabo for NY Post
With Polanco nursing both a right wrist contusion and Achilles discomfort — and considered week to week by David Stearns — the Mets figure to go with Baty and Vientos.
“We signed Polanco to play there and he’s had health issues,’’ Mendoza said.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 25: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins talks with Garnet Hathaway #19 of the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period in Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This game started out like it might be something special for Jameson Taillon, but then the home-run bug bit him again.
Jamo recovered from that to throw seven strong innings and the Cubs squeaked out a 5-4 win over the Padres with some nails relief pitching from Ben Brown and Hoby Milner, winning the series and ending a road trip that has to be termed a success with a 3-3 mark against two very good NL West teams.
As they have so many times, the Cubs had plenty of baserunners early. They loaded the bases with one out in the first on a Nico Hoerner single (a popup that dropped between two Padres infielders!), another hit by Alex Bregman and a walk drawn by Ian Happ. Unfortunately, Michael Busch hit into a double play to end the inning.
The Cubs got on the board in the second. Michael Conforto hit a deep fly to center that glanced off Jackson Merrill’s glove for a double. (Yet another reminder that defense matters.) Conforto went to third on a ground out by Matt Shaw, but had to hold there when Pete Crow-Armstrong grounded to first.
That ball was a hanging sweeper and PCA did not miss it, homering for the second time in as many games. He seems to have finally locked in and I hope for a big homestand from him beginning Friday.
Taillon retired the first 14 Padres he faced before he, too, was victimized by a sweeper that didn’t sweep. Miguel Andujar homered to break up any thought of a no-hit or perfect game bid. Look where this pitch was!
Way above the zone and Andujar just yanked it out of the yard.
Maybe that rattled Taillon a bit, because then he walked Jake Cronenworth and Nick Castellanos, who came into this game with a .151/.196/.208 slash line, smacked his first home run of the year to tie the game.
Home runs have been an issue for Jamo this year. That’s nine home runs allowed in 34.2 innings, yikes. Nevertheless, Taillon settled down after that and retired seven of the final eight Padres he faced. Overall Taillon had a good outing — seven innings, 95 pitches (66 strikes), three hits, one walk, six strikeouts.
More on Taillon’s afternoon from BCB’s JohnW53:
Jameson Taillon is the Cubs’ third starter this season to complete seven innings. Shota Imanaga and Edward Cabrera did it against the Phillies, two days apart, April 21 and 23. Imanaga gave up one run on three hits and one walk; Cabrera, three runs (two earned) on six hits and no walks.
Taillon had pitched six innings in three previous starts.
Taillon’s longest as a Cub was eight innings, with one hit and two walks, at New York against the Yankees on July 7, 2023. He has gone 7.1 twice, both in 2024. This was his 10th of 7.0, for a total of 12 of at least 7.0, in 86 starts as a Cub.
While Taillon was holding the Padres down after the home runs, the Cubs took the lead back. Busch led off the sixth with a walk and was forced at second by Conforto. Matt Shaw doubled, with Conforto stopping at third.
With only one out, that’s a risky contact play. Conforto never hesitated and made a great slide under the attempted tag by Luis Campusano and the Cubs had a 4-3 lead.
Corbin Martin entered to throw the eighth. It did not go well. He walked the first three hitters he faced. That brought Ben Brown into the game, raising the question: Why didn’t Craig Counsell just start the inning with Brown?
Also, here’s a not-so-fun fact about Martin, from John:
Martin became just the 10th Cub since 1901 to walk the only three batters he faced.
The first four were in 1910-37, then Eddie Solomon in 1975, Chuck McElroy in 1993, Justin Berg in 2011, Steve Cishek on April 3, 2019, at Atlanta, and Dan Winkler on April 8, 2021, at Pittsburgh. The Cubs won only two of the previous games: 6-3 at Philadelphia in 1993 and 4-2 at Pittsburgh in 2021.
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a deep fly to center field that made it 5-4. Brown then induced Manny Machado to hit into an inning-ending double play [VIDEO].
That was just about the best possible result you might expect with a reliever coming in to a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation. Brown did an excellent job here, recording the three outs on only five pitches, and he’s clearly well into Counsell’s circle of trust.
Mason Miller, who gave up two runs to the Cubs Monday night, entered to throw the ninth. This is the first time this year, in his 15th appearance, that Miller pitched when the Padres were trailing. With one out, he walked Bregman and wild-pitched him to second. But Happ struck out on an ABS challenge and Busch hit a deep fly into the gap that Merrill ran down to end the inning.
Brown stayed in to close things out. He struck out Xander Bogaerts and got Ty France to ground to third. The Padres sent Gavin Sheets up to pinch hit for Andujar, and Counsell countered with left-hander Hoby Milner. The Padres burned Sheets and sent up Ramon Laureano to bat for him.
That is absolutely outstanding relief work from Brown and Milner, who recorded six outs in about the highest-leverage situations you can imagine, on just 14 pitches. Really good stuff — and as pointed out on the broadcast, that was just the second save of Milner’s career, the other one coming two years ago for the Brewers.
Some last notes on this big win from John:
The Cubs have won all three games this season in which their starter completed seven innings. Last year, they were just 13-10, including five straight losses and seven of eight from Aug. 2 to the end of the season.
This was just the 12th game since 1901 in which the Cubs allowed four runs on three hits. The first three were in 1914, 1944 and 1956, then there have been eight since 1987. The previous one was at home vs. the Giants on Sept. 1, 2016. That was only the second the Cubs won, both by 5-4. The first was at home vs. the Mariners in 2007.
They lost four times by 4-3, once by 4-2 and four times by 4-1.
None of the previous games were vs. the Padres.
Two of the hits were homers in one earlier game, a 4-3, 12-inning loss at home against the Phillies on Aug. 11, 2009.
The Cubs will certainly have a happy flight back to Chicago this evening and enjoy their off day at home Thursday. Then they will open a three-game series against the Diamondbacks Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Colin Rea will start for the Cubs. The D-backs, who have an afternoon game Thursday in Milwaukee, have not yet listed a starter but if they stay on rotation, it will likely be Zac Gallen. Game time Friday is 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and MLB Network outside the Cubs and D-backs market territories).
Sep 3, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Ryan Bergert (38) pitches during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
You can never have enough pitching.
The Royals acquired Ryan Bergert from the Padres last summer hoping he could provide additional depth to their starting rotation. He impressed with a 4.43 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 40.2 innings over eight starts, but was sent to Omaha to begin this season. He exited his third start with right elbow discomfort.
The Royals announced today that Bergert successfully underwent Tommy John surgery this week to reconstruct his right ulnar collateral ligament. The typical timeline after Tommy John surgery requires 12-16 months of recovery.
Bergert had a 3.66 ERA in 76.1 innings in his debut season last year, split between the Padres and Royals. He was acquired with pitcher Stephen Kolek for catcher Freddy Fermin last July. Kolek is currently out with an oblique injury, although he has begun a rehab assignment in Omaha.
MLB.com reporter Anne Rogers also reports that Royals pitching prospect Ben Kudrna underwent an olecranon stress fracture fixation surgery on his elbow. The typical recovery time for that injury is 3-6 months. Kudrna had a 5.30 ERA in 105.1 innings in the minors last year, and made just one start for Omaha. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the #9 prospect in the organization.
Apr 29, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) hits a two RBI single against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Much is made about the so-called ‘sophomore slump’ in sports — you never know how a young player will respond as their opponents do anything and everything in their power to adjust to their game. After a slow start over the first couple of weeks, Cole Young has stabilized, and then some. It’s only fitting that he provided the exclamation point to close out the first full month of the year.
Behind a pair of clutch hits from Young in the late innings, the Mariners came from behind to defeat the Twins 5-3 Wednesday to take the series and guarantee a .500 record at the end of April.
Facing a drawn-in infield, down a run with one out in the ninth, Young snuck a grounder back up the middle to score two runs and give the Mariners the lead — and it wasn’t the first time on the afternoon that he came up huge. Just two innings earlier, he drove a double into the opposite-field gap to produce a tying run with two outs. Both of the hits came with two strikes.
“When we have that type of a hitter in those kinds of situations, you feel really good about your chances,” manager Dan Wilson said about having Young near the bottom of the order. “He’s really delivered.”
Things were looking bleak at multiple points later in the game, especially with the Mariners struggling to get runners into scoring position against Twins starter Taj Bradley, who eclipsed 110 pitches over seven innings and allowed only four hits and two walks. Prior to Young’s game-tying double in the seventh, Bradley’s only run was surrendered on a solo homer by J.P. Crawford in the third.
Thanks in part to Young, however, the Mariners were able to make the most of their few scoring opportunities, going 3-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Meanwhile, for Mariners pitching, it felt like they couldn’t catch much of a break. George Kirby worked 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits — none of which came on hard-hit balls. Balls were dropping where fielders weren’t, and soft contact wasn’t resulting in outs the way they might’ve hoped.
Despite that, Kirby nearly made it through his outing unscathed, passing the game off to the bullpen with the game in reach. His two runs allowed both came across on a weak flare by Brooks Lee that dropped in for a two-out single in the fourth.
To add injury to insult, Matt Brash left the game after throwing only two pitches to begin the bottom of the eighth. Wilson said postgame that Brash has been feeling some discomfort in his side and that he will be evaluated again tomorrow.
Gabe Speier was sprung into action as a result. He allowed a Ryan Jeffers single to center, and pinch runner James Outman was able to steal second base to move into scoring position with nobody out. Though Speier was able to strike out both Kody Clemens and Luke Keaschall to get the first two outs of the inning, pinch hitter Victor Caratini was able to slip a base hit just under a ranging Crawford’s glove to score the go-ahead run.
Needing only three outs to close the game out, the Twins called upon righty Eric Orze to face the 5-6-7 of the Mariners order. His first six pitches of the ninth were balls, and Randy Arozarena was able to work a lead-off walk as a result. After Orze bounced back to strike out Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone singled to right and move the tying run just 90 feet from home plate. Leo Rivas pinch-ran for Canzone and stole second to set up Young’s game-winning single.
Cal Raleigh tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly later in the inning, giving Andrés Muñoz some additional breathing room in the bottom half. This time, Muñoz had no problem, setting down the Twins in order to pick up his sixth save and close out a 5-1 roadtrip for the M’s.
The Mariners will return home to face the Royals for three games starting Friday night at 6:45 pm on Apple TV.
MILWAUKEE, WI - AUGUST 25: Hoan Bridge over Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on AUGUST 25 2012. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
BREWERS
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Brandon Lockridge – LF
Ketel Marte – 2B
Brice Turang – 2B
Corbin Carroll – RF
William Contreras – C
Adrian Del Castillo – C
Jake Bauers – 1B
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Gary Sanchez – DH
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Luis Rengifo – 3B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Greg Jones – RF
Jose Fernandez – DH
Blake Perkins – CF
Alek Thomas – CF
Joey Ortiz – SS
E. Rodriguez – LHP
Brandon Sproat – RHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.
Recalled from Triple-A Reno: LHP Philip Abner (No. 50)
Optioned to Reno following last night’s game: RHP Andrew Hoffmann
Probably a necessary move, simply for an extra arm. Though the chart above doesn’t necessarily show it, the D-backs bullpen has been wheezing. Jack went into more detail about that earlier today, due to a combination of short outings by starters and close contests. But it is interesting to note that Arizona are below MLB average, both in terms of bullpen innings, and batters faced. They are above the median in relief outings – but at 101, only five percent above it (96). So why is it a problem for Arizona? Part of the reason might, oddly, be the stability of the D-backs bullpen.
This is only the second “true” change to the bullpen since Opening Day, over a month ago. The first was DFA’ing Joe Ross, who was replaced by Taylor Rashi. When he was optioned to Reno to make way for the return of Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt got bumped to the bullpen. But that has been it. Consequently, Arizona has used only 11 relievers all year, and that includes James McCann. The teams atop the bullpen usage by innings, the White Sox and Nationals have also used the most relievers – a startling twenty-one already in Chicago’s case, almost twice as many as the D-backs. Arizona has been leaning heavily on the same arms since the beginning of the season.
We can see this if we look at the average number of outings per reliever. Take the total number of relief appearances, and divide by the number of relievers used. For Arizona that comes out to 9.2 games per reliever, well above the median (around 7.5). The real problem is the lack of reliable bullpen arms for Arizona. We don’t have many credible alternatives in Reno who can be rostered in and out to give others a blow. Not helping matters: as Jack notes, only Hoffman and Juan Morillo have options, so can be sent to the minors. Well, technically, Pfaadt does too, but I’d not expect him to be enjoying buffet food anytime soon.
Apr 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (15-15) vs. Atlanta Braves (21-9)
Time/Place: 7:15 p.m., Truist Park SB Nation Site: Battery Power Media: Detroit Sportsnet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: LHP Tarik Skubal (3-2, 2.72 ERA) vs. RHP JR Ritchie (1-0, 2.57 ERA)
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 26: Sam Merrill #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots against the Toronto Raptors during Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on April 26, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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The Flyers’ playoff run is headed to the second round.
Rick Tocchet’s club finished off the Penguins in six games with an eke-it-out, 1-0 overtime win Wednesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. In this best-of-seven first-round matchup, the Flyers jumped out to a 3-0 series lead and then fended off Pittsburgh after dropping Games 4 and 5.
Cam York scored the Game 6 winner. It came with 2:30 minutes left in overtime.
Dan Vladar played a significant role in that. He was magnificent in closing out Pittsburgh.
The Flyers face the Hurricanes next. The last time the Flyers made the second round was 2020, their previous playoff berth. They lost to the Islanders in seven games.
The 28-year-old backed up his words with 42 saves Wednesday night.
He turned away Anthony Mantha at the doorstep around the midway mark of overtime. He made a superb stop on Bryan Rust with under four minutes to go in regulation.
Vladar was excellent in the series, allowing just 10 goals and delivering two shutouts.
“He has been our backbone all year,” York said Monday. “When he’s that confident, that poised, it just bleeds through the room. He has been our MVP this year.”
Arturs Silovs, making his third straight start for the Penguins, stopped 31 shots.
The Flyers opened the third period with a power play after Travis Konecny drew a roughing penalty on Kris Letang at the end of the middle stanza. But the Flyers came up empty.
Their last-ranked power play went 2 for 17 in the series. It didn’t cost them.
Christian Dvorak and Travis Sanheim nearly connected for a shorthanded goal in the second period. Silovs, though, turned away Dvorak in close to keep the game scoreless.
Early during the third period, Dvorak made a clutch defensive play in the slot to help prevent a goal.
After being healthy scratched in Game 5, Matvei Michkov had a couple of good looks during the second period. In a span of 29 seconds, he was denied on a semi breakaway and then at the post when he tried to tuck one past Silovs.
Michkov had an assist on York’s winner.
• Give the Flyers credit for tightening things up defensively and really grinding out a win.
Their stinginess is what pushed them into the playoffs.
They needed to get back to that and did. They found a way to close out Pittsburgh despite scoring just five goals over the final three games.
• Sean Couturier oozed with experience in Game 6. He played a true brand of playoff hockey.
The 33-year-old captain led by example all series.
• The Flyers now have a second-round date with the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
Carolina swept the Senators in the first round and finished the regular season with 113 points at 53-22-7.
Every matchup between the Flyers and Hurricanes in the regular season went past regulation. The Flyers lost three of the four games.
The schedule for the series has not yet been announced.
There’s no more clarity in Steve Kerr’s situation following a reported meeting with the Warriors’ top decision-makers earlier this week.
According to an ESPN report on Wednesday, Kerr met with owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. on Monday.
The meeting lasted two hours, per ESPN, but while both sides told the outlet it was “productive,” they weren’t able to reach a resolution.
There’s no more clarity in Steve Kerr’s situation following a reported meeting with the Warriors’ top decision-makers earlier this week. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesAccording to an ESPN report on Wednesday, Kerr met with owner Joe Lacob (above) and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. on Monday. AP
Kerr, whose contract expired at the end of the season, will continue talks with Golden State management next week, according to ESPN.
In 12 seasons, Kerr, 60, has won four NBA championships and this past year became the fourth-fastest coach to win 600 regular-season games.
However, according to multiple reports, Warriors brass believe some stylistic changes are in order following only their second below-.500 finish under Kerr, with Steph Curry not getting any younger.
Kerr, meanwhile, was upfront immediately following the Warriors’ elimination to the Suns in the play-in tournament that he would understand if the organization was ready to move on.
The meeting with Lacob and Dunleavy Jr. (above) lasted two hours, per ESPN, but while both sides told the outlet it was “productive,” they weren’t able to reach a resolution. NBAE via Getty Images
Kerr said after the game, almost two weeks ago, that he would take some time to think before sitting down with Lacob and Dunleavy, which seems to have taken place Monday.
People close to Kerr told ESPN the coach was still “torn” about his preference, while those with the team told the outlet that whatever the conclusion, it would be a “basketball decision.”
The bottom line seemed to be that neither side was in much of a hurry.
The Warriors will know their fate in the draft lottery next Sunday, which could factor into Kerr’s decision. They have the 11th-best odds and a 9.4% chance at moving into the top four. If the ping pong balls break the right way, they would have a valuable asset to potentially bolster a roster for Curry’s final years.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Drew Millas #14 of the Washington Nationals shows his foul catch of a hit by Mj Melendez #1 of the New York Mets to end the first inning at Citi Field on April 28, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last night was one of those games you just have to flush down the drain. The Nats were never in it, and fell 8-0. Those types of games happen in a 162 game season. It is all about responding well the next night. They will have a chance to do that with an improving Cade Cavalli on the mound.
With a lefty on the mound, Blake Butera made a few alterations. James Wood will get off his feet for the first time in a while and get the nod at DH. That means Joey Wiemer will play right field. Curtis Mead will get the start at first base, as he looks to heat up again after cooling off lately. Keibert Ruiz will be the man behind the dish. Cade Cavalli had his best start of the season last time against the Braves, and he will look to follow up that outing in style.
The Mets are not making many changes. Juan Soto is still only healthy enough to DH. Brett Baty will start at first, while Tyrone Taylor will play center field. Carson Benge will move back to his natural right field position. David Peterson is on the mound tonight, and he has had a lot of success against the Nats in his career.
The Nats offense has cooled off considerably the past week or so. They will look to get back on track tonight. This team has been pretty resilient after heavy losses so far this season, so hopefully that can continue tonight. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
