Max Fried brilliant as Yankees blank Mariners

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 31: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees reacts during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on March 31, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Yankees got exactly the response they needed Tuesday night, bouncing back from their first loss of the season with a 5-0 win over the Mariners in Seattle. After Monday’s frustrating walk-off defeat, New York handed the ball to Max Fried on normal rest thanks to Sunday’s rare offday, and the ace delivered exactly the kind of outing you hope for coming off a defeat.

The Yankees wasted no time jumping on M’s Opening Day starter Logan Gilbert. With two outs in the top of the first, Cody Bellinger singled up the middle and came all the way around from first when Ben Rice ripped a double down the right-field line and off the wall.

Giancarlo Stanton kept the rally alive by dropping a lazy fly ball into no man’s land around where Rice’s ball ended up, plating Rice from second (pun fully intended) and giving New York a quick 2-0 lead, already topping their Monday output. The early traffic immediately put Gilbert under pressure, forcing the Mariners’ right-hander to throw 28 pitches in the opening frame.

The Yankees put the leadoff man on in both the third and fourth innings and had chances to create separation, but Aaron Judge and Stanton each grounded into inning-killing double plays that allowed Seattle’s starter to keep the deficit manageable.

That changed in the sixth.

Trent Grisham sparked the inning by bouncing an automatic double over the wall in right. After Gilbert got Judge to chase for a strikeout, Cody Bellinger punched a single up the middle to put runners at the corners and keep the pressure on.

The Yankees then forced the issue. Bellinger broke for second, and a rare throwing error by Platinum Glove defender Cal Raleigh allowed Grisham to score, stretching the lead to 3-0.

A walk to Rice brought Stanton back to the plate, and the Yankees’ designated hitter ripped a double into left field, scoring Bellinger and moving Rice to third. The hit chased Gilbert from the game after 5.2 innings. Stanton has now registered multi-hit games in each of the Yankees’ first five contests of the year — a rarity in franchise history. Fittingly, he ended the night hitting .500 across 20 PA in the season’s first road trip.

The Seattle pitching change did little to slow the Yankees’ momentum.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. immediately greeted Cole Wilcox with a line drive single to right, bringing Rice home to make it 5-0. Jazz then swiped second, giving New York its second stolen base of the inning and putting even more pressure on Seattle before Wilcox finally escaped the jam.

While the offense gave him plenty of support, Fried did not need any more than what the offense gifted him to start the game. He was in complete control from the jump, carving through the Mariners lineup for seven shutout innings. Through six, Seattle managed just one hit while Fried piled up six strikeouts and consistently stayed ahead in counts, even calling for an ABS challenge himself to get a ball-one call overturned in the fourth.

Fried’s biggest challenge came in the seventh. Julio Rodríguez opened the inning with a single, but Fried immediately erased the threat by getting Josh Naylor to bounce into a crisp 6-3 double play. A hit batter and Brendan Donovan single suddenly gave Seattle its best chance of the night, putting two aboard with two outs.

Fried calmly reset, tapped the PitchCom on his belt, and worked Victor Robles into a routine fly ball to Aaron Judge in right to end the inning and slam the door on Seattle’s last real threat. His final line was everything the Yankees could have asked for: seven innings, three hits, no runs, one walk, six strikeouts, and 90 pitches, 60 for strikes.

Through Fried’s first 13.1 innings this season, he has now allowed just five hits, two walks, and zero runs while striking out 10, looking every bit like the ace southpaw the Yankee front office dreamt he would be when he signed.

And maybe the only pitcher capable of slowing down Aaron Judge right now is his own ace. Judge is now 0-for-9 with six strikeouts in Fried’s first two starts, a funny little side note to what has otherwise been total Yankees dominance. New York has now outscored opponents 12-0 in Fried’s two outings.

Brent Headrick followed Fried with a relatively clean eighth inning, allowing a single to Cole Young before blowing a fastball past the Monday night hero Raleigh for a strikeout to end the frame. Tim Hill then took care of the ninth, working a clean inning to officially lock down the Yankees’ 5-0 bounce-back win.

The Yankees now hand Wednesday’s getaway-day finale to Cam Schlittler, who will face George Kirby in another premium pitching matchup. Schlittler was electric to open the year, with eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Kirby impressed in his first start striking out six in six innings of one-run ball. Will the Yankees bats get to Kirby and let Cam take the series tomorrow? First pitch is at 4:10pm ET.

Box Score

Yankees pitching continues historic start to season with shutout of Mariners: 'We're just trying to keep it rolling'

Many in baseball knew the Yankees pitching staff was good, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who would have predicted the historic start to the 2026 season they are putting up.

Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Mariners capped off a five-game stretch where Yankees pitching was the most dominant in baseball. And it even made history.

Across the first five games of the season, Yankees pitching has allowed just three earned runs. According to Katie Sharp, that's tied with the 1943 Cardinals for the fewest in MLB history since 1900.

Digging a little deeper, Yankees starters have allowed just one run across those first five games, and the team as a whole has already thrown three shutouts. When asked if he anticipated his staff pitching this well, manager Aaron Boone admitted he didn't.

"We definitely like our pitching. I don't know if you draw up this many shutouts and all that early on, I don't care how good your pitching is. It doesn't usually work that seamlessly," he said. "It's a great start for those guys in there. They're pitching with a lot of confidence. They're executing. Austin [Wells] and JC [Escarra] are doing a great job back there with them. And then playing well behind them with our defense, and add it all up, and there's been a lot of zeros."

“We have a lot of really talented guys that are really motivated, and we've been waiting for this opportunity to have the season start and go and compete," Max Fried said. "We want to go in, and we're leaving everything out there, so we got a lot of, like I said, really good arms, and we’re throwing the ball really well right now. So we're just trying to keep it rolling.”

Fried is a big part of the early success. After grinding through 6.1 scoreless innings on Opening Day in San Francisco, the southpaw looked more like his dominant self from a season ago, tossing seven scoreless against the high-powered Mariners lineup.

The 32-year-old said his success on Tuesday was due to being able to throw his various pitches for strikes and working well with Escarra to keep changing speeds.

"There were times where I was just fighting to throw strikes [in my last start]," Fried explained. "I felt like I was actually able to locate today, which made things a lot easier. But you got to go out there and really execute against a team like that. That's a really good club up there."

"He was terrific tonight," Boone said. "He was on point from the start, just in total control of the game. Had everything kind of going for him, different ways to get you out. I thought he changed speeds really, really well, had good life to his fastball just back and forth. Used all his secondary. Until a couple guys got on there in that final inning in the seventh there, felt like he was cruising."

Fried has pitched at least six scoreless innings in both of his outings to start the season, which has earned the southpaw a spot in Yankees history. He's now tied with five others with two such starts. The record holder is three by Ray Caldwell in 1914. Fried will get his chance to match that franchise record next week.

As for the team as a whole, the Yankees have now started the season 4-1 heading into their rubber game against the Mariners on Wednesday afternoon. Cam Schlittler, who pitched 5.1 scoreless innings in his first start, will look to continue this string of dominance for Yankees pitching.

Lakers pick up 50th win of season with victory over Cavaliers

The Lakers didn’t need Luka Doncic to take care of business in Monday night’s win over the Wizards as he served his one-game suspension because of an accumulation of technical fouls

But they needed every bit of the MVP-caliber play carried into Tuesday night to blow out the Cavaliers 127-113 at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic got off to another one of his signature hot starts to keep the Lakers afloat in the midst of the Cavaliers’ hot start on the second night of a back-to-back for both teams, with the 27-year-old Slovenian guard having 14 points and 4 assists in the first quarter to help the Lakers only trail by two after the first period. 

From there, Doncic and the Lakers blitzed the Cavaliers, who blew out the Lakers in similar fashion two months ago in Cleveland. 

Doncic led the Lakers with a 42-point, 12-assist double-double in 34 minutes, to go with 5 rebounds, continuing his career-best steak of scoring at least 30 points (13 games).

Doncic contests a three by Keon Ellis of the Cavaliers. NBAE via Getty Images
Deandre Ayton goes up for a rebound. NBAE via Getty Images

The Lakers outscored the Cavaliers 78-49 in the middle two quarters, giving them a 110-83 lead going into the final quarter.

The Cavaliers’ all-bench lineup to start the fourth made it a closer game than it was during the competitive portions.

Austin Reaves recorded 19 points (6-of-16 shooting), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, while Deandre Ayton added 18 points and 9 rebounds (six offensive rebounds). 

LeBron James had 14 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds during a game he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most combined regular-season and playoff wins, moving to 1,229.

Jake LaRavia added 14 points (5-of-5 shooting) and 7 rebounds, while Rui Hachimura scored 14 points, surpassing 5,000 career points. 

What it means

The Lakers already clinched a playoff spot before beating the Cavaliers thanks to the Suns’ loss to the Magic, but the victory gave them their 50th win of the season.  

They went 15-2 in March, and have won 16 of their last 18 games. 

LeBron James offers some fatherly advice during the first half. AP
Austin Reaves recorded 19 points with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. NBAE via Getty Images

Turning point

When Reaves threw an alley-oop to James at the 7:43 mark of the third quarter in transition.

The Lakers were already up 78-63 before the highlight play, but the Cavaliers were sticking around. 

They closed out the third quarter 30-20 from there.

MVP: Luka Doncic

With his 42nd point on Tuesday, Doncic reached 600 points in the month of March. 

He’s just the second player in NBA history to reach the 600-point mark in March, joining Michael Jordan (March 1987), and is one of only 10 players ever to record a 600-point month. 

Stat of the game: 15,000

Doncic surpassed 15,000 career points on Tuesday, becoming the third-youngest player in NBA history to hit the milestone.

Only James (25 years, 79 days) and Kevin Durant (26 years, 78 days) were younger than Doncic (27 years, 31 days) when they reached 15,000 career points.

Bronny James was all smiles during the Cavaliers game. NBAE via Getty Images

Up next

The Lakers will head back on the road to play the defending NBA champions, the Thunder, on Thursday.

They’ll close out the trip against the Mavericks on Sunday.


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Dodgers 2026 game results

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 17: A "Welcome to Dodger Stadium" sign is displayed before the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here are the results and details of every Los Angeles Dodgers game for 2026, from the beginning of the regular season through however long they last in the postseason.

For additional details on each game, click on the game scores below. That will take you to a recap of that particular game. We also have a section on the site dedicated to Dodgers scores and standings where you can also find these stories.

Here are the scores and details of every game in 2026, in reverse chronological order.

Adames launches leadoff homer and finishes with 4 hits as Giants back Webb in 9-3 win over Padres

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Willy Adames had four hits, including a leadoff homer, and San Francisco ace Logan Webb finished strong in the Giants' 9-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

Adames sent Germán Márquez's second pitch for the Padres over the left-field wall to spark a three-run inning with his first home run this season. Adames also doubled and delivered an RBI single that ignited a four-run sixth after San Diego cut it to 4-3.

Matt Chapman hit his first homer — a solo shot in the third for a 4-0 lead — before Webb ran into trouble in the bottom half. He walked Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado with one out. Jackson Merrill and Miguel Andujar had RBI singles sandwiched around a run-scoring groundout by Xander Bogaerts, but that was it for the Padres as they fell to 1-4 before a fifth straight sellout crowd.

Webb (1-1) allowed three hits and walked four before retiring his final 10 batters. He threw 104 pitches in six innings. JT Brubaker and José Buttó finished up for the Giants.

Jung Hoo Lee had three of San Francisco's 16 hits, including a two-run double with two outs in the first and an RBI single in the ninth. Heliot Ramos hit a two-run single in the sixth, and Luis Arraez added a sacrifice fly against his former team.

Márquez (0-1), who spent his first 10 seasons with the Rockies, allowed four runs and eight hits in three innings. Kyle Hart was charged with four runs in 2 1/3 innings.

San Diego has just eight extra-base hits this season.

Up next

RHP Adrian Houser makes his first start for the Giants in Wednesday's series finale opposite RHP Nick Pivetta (0-1).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Rainy Cleveland Loss in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 31: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts after catching a pop out by Kyle Tucker #23 (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium on March 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Game 2 of the Dodgers v. Guardians series was another late night affair for those of us on the east coast.

Tanner Bibee, after leaving the season opener with right shoulder discomfort, was back and tasked with facing the Dodgers offense while the Guardians offense was tasked with facing Shohei Ohtani.

The top of the first was eventful, but not in a fun way. Kwan and José both had long flyouts, but Chase DeLauter fouled a ball off his back foot. He finished the at bat, resulting in a ground out, but immediately left the field and headed down the tunnel with the trainer. The team updated in the fourth inning that the x-ray was negative.

In the top of the third, Gabriel Arias drew a one-out walk. Angel Martínez broke his bat on what looked like a well placed single, but Mookie Betts made a great play to get the out. Rhys Hoskins recorded the first hit of the game for the Guards in the top of the fourth with a two-out double to left. In the top of the fifth, Angel Martínez was hit by pitch, on his back knee, and stayed down for a fair amount of time. Thankfully Angel was able to take his base and continue playing the game.

Through the third, Bibee kept the Dodgers to two hits and a walk, keeping things scoreless. But as a light rain started to fall in LA, the bottom of the fourth had the Dodgers strike first. A one-out single and two, two-out singles scored Will Smith. Bibee finished the night having only pitched 4.0 innings. He allowed 4 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, and struck out 4 batters on 74 pitches. It was likely that Bibee would be limited due to the aforementioned shoulder discomfort. Kolby Allard came on in relief in the fifth inning to face the top of the Dodgers’ line up.

Allard walked Ohtani, but handled the next three batters. In the bottom of the sixth, Max Muncy got to Allard with a solo homer to right.

The Dodgers brought out relief lefty Alex Vesia in the top of the seventh. Bo Naylor hit into another broken bat out, with Mookie Betts making the play again for the first out.

Allard stayed in for the start of the seventh, giving up a single to Ohtani and striking out two. Matt Festa replaced Allard for Mookie Betts. Festa struck out Betts to retire the side. Angel Martínez was the first up to bat for the Guardians, facing lefty Jack Dreyer. Angel hit a swinging bunt and was standing on first when the umpires decided that it was foul. No one signaled that it was foul, the ball was not foul, Angel grounded out instead. Steven Kwan drew a walk, but David Fry (pinch hitting for Kayfus) and José weren’t able to make anything happen.

Matt Festa remained in for the bottom of the 8th. Four singles burnt Festa, scoring two before the side was retired. The rain was coming down harder, making for tough playing conditions. The weather looked like it was playing into the Guardians favor. Edwin Díaz came in to close for LA. Kyle Manzardo was hit by pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Rhys Hoskins drew a walk. Bo’s flyout put runners on the corner for Brayan Rocchio. Rocchio hit a single to right, scoring Manzo and advancing Rhys. Díaz struck out Schneemann and Angel to end the game. The loss goes to Tanner Bibee.

Final: Guardians 1 – Dodgers 4
Box Score

Shohei Ohtani zeroes in on great pitching season, too

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 31: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks back to the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on March 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani hasn’t hit much yet this season, but Tuesday night was a reminder that the four-time MVP is also an excellent pitcher. The Dodgers needed his arm to beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 in the middle game of their interleague series at a damp Dodger Stadium that was much closer than the final score indicates.

On the eve of the eighth anniversary of his Major League Baseball pitching debut, Ohtani in his 101st career start allowed only one hit, a two-out double by Rhys Hoskins in the fourth inning that provided one of only two at-bats with runners in scoring position off the Dodgers right-hander. Ohtani worked around three walks and a hit batter to finish six scoreless innings, with six strikeouts.

Last season saw a gradual build-up on the mound for Ohtani, who was returning from September 2023 Tommy John surgery, the second of his career. He didn’t top three innings until August, then the reins were slowly loosened into September and October. Manager Dave Roberts noticed Ohtani’s improvements this spring compared to last season.

“The feel for the breaking ball is much better. I think last year he was trying to introduce a slider with maybe a little bit more depth, and just trying to get a handle on that,” Roberts said earlier Tuesday. “But now, the ability to strike it, shorten it, to make it get a little bit bigger, all the while still having 97-98 in the tank when he needs it.”

Ohtani finished off two of his strikeouts with the curveball, two with the splitter, and two with the sweeper on Tuesday.

He also completed six innings for the fifth consecutive time on regular rest, dating back to last September. The only caveat in between was his 2 1/3 innings in Game 7 of the World Series, which was on three days rest.

Ohtani wasn’t all pitching on Tuesday. He walked twice while still pitching and later added a single. He has just three singles in 14 at-bats so far this season (.214), but also has six walks and was hit by a pitch, for a tidy .476 on-base percentage.

Ohtani wants to be a full-time two-way player again, and a start like Tuesday is one of several reasons the Dodgers are willing to indulge the effort.

“I think he’s already proven that he’s the best player to ever play the game, the best baseball player in totality,” Roberts said. “But I think he sees himself as a baseball player yes, but when he’s pitching he sees himself solely as a pitcher, and he wants to be the best pitcher.”


Early offense has been a problem for the Dodgers in the infancy of the schedule, such that when Andy Pages singled home Will Smith with two outs in the fourth inning it marked the first time Los Angeles has scored first in a game this season.

It was also the only Dodgers run scored in the fourth inning so far this season, and through five games they’ve been held scoreless in all the first and second innings in 2026. Despite only the one run, they did make Tanner Bibee work to the tune of 74 pitches such that the Cleveland starter was done after four innings, possibly as a precaution after he left his opening day start with shoulder inflammation five days prior.

Max Muncy’s solo home run in the sixth inning provided insurance. His first of the season was the 210th home run with the Dodgers for Muncy, one shy of Steve Garvey of sixth in franchise history. Muncy had the middle of four singles in the eighth inning as the Dodgers added even more insurance to pull away. Pages drove in the final run in the eighth, giving him bookend RBI on the night.

The Dodgers this season have scored 11 total runs through the first six innings of games (30 total innings), and 11 runs in the final three innings (11 total innings).

Tuesday night’s 4-1 victory put the Dodgers record at 4-1. It’s the first time their game score matched their record after that game since April 6, 2023, when a 5-2 win in Arizona gave Los Angeles a 5-2 record.

Tuesday particulars

Home run: Max Muncy (1)

WP — Shohei Ohtani (1-0): 6 IP, 1 hit, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts

LP — Tanner Bibee (0-1): 4 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts

Up next

One more game on the homestand for the Dodgers, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound Wednesday night (5:20 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network) against Gavin Williams and the Guardians.

Luka Doncic matches Michael Jordan for the most magical March in NBA history

Los Angeles, CA - March 31: Lakers guard Luka Doncic, #77 reacts after making.
Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts after scoring during the first half of a 127-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Luka Doncic, with the eyes of five defenders fixed on him in the paint, faked a lob pass. He threatened to wrap a pass around Cleveland center Thomas Bryant’s back. Instead, the Lakers superstar pulled up straight over the top of Bryant’s outstretched arm, dropping a fadeaway jumper softly through the net.

Doncic smiled toward the Lakers’ bench as he backpedaled. He shrugged at himself.

Doncic brought back all his old tricks after serving a one-game suspension and capped his torrid March with 42 points, 12 assists, five rebounds and no turnovers in the Lakers’ 127-113 rout of the Cavaliers (47-29) on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Read more:How Luka Doncic's season stacks up against the NBA's other MVP contenders

Doncic, who was suspended for Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards because of technical foul accumulation, joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to score 600 points in the month of March. He is one of just 10 players to score 600 points in a month.

“You can see he’s the MVP,” forward Rui Hachimura said.

Doncic, in the NBA most valuable player conversation with Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Denver’s Nikola Jokic, scoffed at the suggestion that he state his case for the coveted award.

He’ll let his numbers speak: A league-best 33.8 points per game, the only player averaging 30 points a game with more than 100 steals this season and the third-youngest player to reach 15,000 career points.

Doncic said he’s been simply “playing pretty good.” And, most importantly, the Lakers have been winning.

Lakers star Luka Doncic celebrates during the second half of a 127-113 win.
Lakers star Luka Doncic celebrates during the second half of a 127-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“If you don't win, it doesn't really mean anything,” Doncic said. “So the run we've been on, it means a lot, so we got to just keep playing that."

The Lakers (50-26) reached 50 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. Before tip-off, they clinched a playoff berth when the Phoenix Suns lost to the Orlando Magic, giving the Lakers their second consecutive Pacific Division title.

Entering March, the Lakers, who’ve won 13 of their last 14 games, were fighting to hold off the Suns for sixth in the West. After struggling against winning teams at the beginning of the season, the Lakers faced a daunting stretch of games that included Minnesota, Denver and Houston along with a six-game road trip.

The Lakers answered emphatically with an 8-2 record against teams with .500 records or better and by winning the tiebreakers against their closest Western Conference competition.

Lakers guard Bronny James, left, celebrates with his father and teammate LeBron James.
Lakers guard Bronny James, left, celebrates with his father and teammate LeBron James during the first half Tuesday against the Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“I think where our group has been really good, starting [March 6 against Indiana], was just really putting emphasis on building our playoff mentality,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said before earning his 100th career coaching win Tuesday. “Understanding the importance of every game, every possession. Trying to find more consistency within the game and building those habits at a really high level.”

The Lakers’ 30-point loss to the Cavaliers on Jan. 28 was their worst of the season. Hachimura called Tuesday’s rematch “like a revenge game for us.”

The Lakers turned the game in the second quarter, outscoring Cleveland 33-19. Despite entering the game as questionable for the second time in as many nights, LeBron James had a thunderous one-handed dunk off a lob from Austin Reaves in transition with 7:42 remaining in the third quarter that put the Lakers up by 17. Reaves had 19 points as six Lakers scored in double figures.

Doncic lit the record books with his sizzling scoring, but his teammates also put up headline-worthy performances in March. James, who scored 14 points with six assists Tuesday, shot 56.2% from the field, his most efficient month of the season. He also passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most regular-season and playoff wins in NBA history.

During their magical month, the Lakers had a winning buzzer-beater from Luke Kennard, an expertly executed missed free throw from Reaves and a perfect 13-for-13 shooting night from centers Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.

“Our team right now is the reason that we're winning,” Redick said, emphasizing the second word. “Our team. Because each guy has contributed to winning.”

Even Doncic’s highlight play against the Cavaliers came through a team effort in the fourth quarter. Jake LaRavia, who finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, batted away an entry pass. Hayes scooped up the ball and tossed it up the court toward Doncic. He collected it just inside the three-point line, methodically shuffled his feet then jumped carefully before barely clearing the top of the rim on a two-handed dunk.

Doncic held both arms aloft in sarcastic celebration. The wide grins across the faces of every Lakers player were authentic.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mariners get Fried by Max and the Yankees, lose 5-0

Mar 31, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) steals second as Seattle Mariners shortstop Leo Rivas looks on (76) during the sixth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: John Froschauer-Imagn Images | John Froschauer-Imagn Images

This was the matchup in the series the Mariners had the lowest percentage of winning (even while still being favored, apparently no one told the oddsmakers at FanGraphs the Mariners are suffering a bit of a limp offensively), but it was still pretty rough to watch. Max Fried outdueled Logan Gilbert, holding the Mariners scoreless over seven innings, while Gilbert was fine—collecting 14 whiffs—but not particularly sharp: he missed a bunch of stuff armside, the splitter didn’t have its usual bite, he hung some sliders, and he over-relied on his cutter, throwing it about 15% of the time.

But the biggest problem for Gilbert, again, was inefficiency; it took him nearly 30 pitches to clear the first inning, and his pitch count would have been even more inflated if not for a few well-timed double plays. He got ahead of leadoff hitter Trent Grisham, only to need seen pitches before putting him away on a flyout on a four-seamer. Two hitters later, he again got ahead of Cody Bellinger 0-2 with two outs, but instead of putting Bellinger away, Gilbert tried a pair of splitters and a fastball, none of which he could land, missing armside each time and running the count full before throwing Bellinger a cutter on the plate which Bellinger bopped into right field for a single. Gilbert then fell behind Ben Rice 2-0, resulting in a pretty terrible hung slider that luckily was only a double down the right field line, fielded…not particularly well by Victor Robles, allowing Bellinger to score. Giancarlo Stanton then ambushed the first pitch he saw for a parachute single that dropped in front of Robles, scoring Rice, who was in motion with two outs and giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

Unfortunately, that would be all the Yankees needed, even if they went on to add more later, as the Mariners bats were quiet once again. Max Fried carved through the Mariners lineup, no-hitting them the first time through the order with four strikeouts, a lone walk to Julio Rodríguez the only thing between him and a perfect game until Josh Naylor collected his first hit of the season, a line-drive single into center.

Gilbert’s pitch mix tonight was…curious. He led with the fastball and splitter, getting three of his six strikeouts on the splitter, but threw his cutter the third-most of any of his pitches (15%), a pitch he said during spring training Scott Servais once told him was best at about an 8% usage. He got one strikeout on the pitch, getting Ryan McMahon chasing after one up to end the second.

“Cutter feels great. I really like where it’s at,” said Gilbert postgame.

He also dug out his changeup, a pitch he hasn’t thrown significantly since 2022. He got one strikeout on the pitch, a called strike the Yankees challenged and lost. Gilbert threw his changeup intermittently this spring, toying with working it back into his arsenal; apparently, this time both the cutter and the changeup survived the trip north.

“The good [changeups] were good. Bad ones were bad. It’s just kind of the nature of it,” said Gilbert postgame.

Gilbert did get some help defensively in the third, despite some shaky defensive play in the first: Leo Rivas turned a slick double play after a leadoff base hit to Grisham, making a quick turn to get Judge at first, and Cal Raleigh wiped away a two-out walk (no Logan! Bad Logan!) with an absolute seed to pick off Bellinger trying to steal:

There was also this really nifty play by Cole Young in the fifth:

Thanks to some defensive help and some make-it-work pitching, Gilbert was able to keep the Yankees quiet until the sixth, when Trent Grisham realized the cutter isn’t actually a good pitch and ambushed the first pitch he saw for a ground-rule double. Gilbert was able to strike out Judge on a splitter, but Bellinger tattooed a fastball at the top of the zone for a single; Grisham didn’t score then, but did score when Bellinger, who seemed committed to being a pest on the bases that night, stole second and Cal overthrew the base. Things unraveled after that for Gilbert, as he walked Rice, putting runners at the corners with one out for Stanton, who shot a double into the gap on a splitter that did not split to make it 4-0.

Cole Wilcox was charged with cleaning up the damage but couldn’t get Jazz Chisholm Jr. despite having him in a 1-2 count, leaving a slider too much on the plate for an RBI single; Chisholm then stole second, wiping out the double play opportunity. Wilcox did button things down after that, but the damage was done.

The only good part of this game is Wilcox got a second inning to try to make his case to stick around once Carlos Vargas is healthy, and he pitched a dominant seventh, striking out McMahon looking on a sweeper and striking out Grisham swinging after a slider, and then got by Aaron Judge with a little help from his friend, who conveniently is also named Cole:

This hot potato came off the bat at 107 directly at Cole W’s dome and, no. No, thank you. I would simply climb under the mound and pull it around myself like a weighted blanket and refuse to leave. But Cole Y was right there to help his buddy out. Hooray for teamwork.

Wilcox came back for the eighth and got his first out but then surrendered a single to Rice, who kind of stuck his bat out at a sweeper and sliced it oppo, so Casey Legumina got a chance to argue why he should get the final bullpen rose and retired his two hitters, and then worked a clean ninth inning. Ever since Casey told the story about his Opening Day suit I have been unfortunately very attached to him so this was a particularly nice little reward at the end of a tough game.

Fried finally came out of the game in the eighth, but by that point, the damage was done, and the Mariners hitters didn’t do anything against the low-leverage Yankees relievers who came in to replace him (although Cole Young did have a single, because again, even though this game was un-fun, the disappointment was offset by lots of little Kate Treats). The Mariners will try to win their first series tomorrow, with George Kirby on the mound against Cam Schlittler, whose name I have looked up three times and am still not sure I spelled correctly.

Lakers cruise to impressive win over Cavs

Los Angeles, CA - March 31: Lakers guard Luka Doncic, #77 reacts after making a basket during the first half against the Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

In one of the most impressive wins over the season, the Lakers dominated the Cavs on Tuesday, leading by as many as 27 points en route to a 127-113 win.

After Cleveland led for almost the entire first quarter, the Lakers took control in the second period and never looked back. A huge third quarter pushed LA ahead by 20 points and, despite a shaky start to the fourth quarter, never saw the lead dip back into single digits.

The win is the fourth straight for LA, its 13th in the last 14 games and 16th in the last 18. It also gives them 50 wins, matching last season’s win total.

While fans were immediately treated to a LeBron chasedown block to open the game, it was a slow start for the Lakers as Cleveland scored the first six points of the game until a pull-up midrange jumper from LeBron.

LA eventually played their way back into the game, tying it up on a nifty fastbreak dime from Luka to LeBron and forcing a Cleveland timeout. After the two teams traded baskets, James Harden and Keon Ellis helped the Cavs push their lead to seven at 26-19.

Luka and LeBron found their 3-point shots, which helped the Lakers keep pace with the Cavs, who knocked down a pair of long-range shots of their own to beat the shot clock buzzer. Luka’s second 3-pointer of the first gave him 14 points and pulled the Lakers within two at 34-32 to end the period.

Kennard opened the second period with a jumper that tied the game once again. Jake LaRavia brought the energy in the second period, creating extra possessions with his hustle and converting a pair of baskets at the rim, the latter a fastbreak dunk to put the hosts up 41-36 and force another Cavs timeout.

A foul on a 3-point attempt by Austin Reaves allowed the Lakers to open the lead to 46-39, extending the run to 17-5. While the lead was down to five points when Luka checked back into the game at the midway point of the quarter, Ayton immediately followed a miss of his with a dunk.

Luka then connected on his own deep-range effort before finding Ayton for a mid-range jumper, giving LA a 10-point lead. Out of a Lakers timeout, Rui scored five-straight points before a LaRavia poster extended the lead to 15.

An 18-point first half from Jarrett Allen was the only thing keeping Cleveland in the game. Luka, though, was keeping pace individually as a 3-pointer late in the second gave him 20 points.

At the half, the Lakers led 65-53.

Ayton converted on an and-one to start the second half to set a positive tone for the Lakers. The Lakers continued turning defense into offense, punctuated by a steal that led to a fastbreak alley-oop from Reaves to LeBron, pushing LA’s lead to a game-high 17 points.

The Lakers kept the pedal to the metal out of the timeout, using a Luka baseline fadeaway and then a steal in the backcourt and two LaRavia free throws to open the lead up to 20 points.

A 3-pointer from Luka gave him his 13th-straight 30-point game and made it a 21-point game. He then found Austin for a three on the next possession as the purple and gold kept piling it on.

Cleveland had little response for the Lakers as the margin stayed north of 20. Rui Hachimura really found his groove in the period to keep LA comfortably ahead and LaRavia’s corner three to close the period made it a 110-83 lead to go into the fourth.

The Cavs opened the fourth quarter by clearing the bench, then promptly cut the deficit to 18 points to force a Lakers timeout. Ayton got the first field goal of the fourth out of the break by putting back his own miss.

Austin slowed Cleveland’s push with a stepback 3-pointer to push the lead back to 19, but Tyrese Proctor immediately responded.

The unseriousness continued as a 24-second violation from the Lakers led to a dunk for the Cavs, trimming the lead down to 14 points. A block by Rui led to him getting a deep seal on the other end for an easy layup that stemmed the tide a bit.

A dunk from Jaxson Hayes off a pick and roll put LA up 18 points with 3:21 left before a pair of freebies and a 3-pointer from Luka gave him yet another 40-point game. He put the final touches on the win with a fastbreak dunk, which elicited a roar from the crowd.

Key Player Stats

Luka continued his incredible streak with 42 points to go with 12 assists and five rebounds. Austin struggled with his shot, but still finished with 19 points with six rebounds and four assists. LeBron had 14 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Ayton had a strong showing with 18 points and nine rebounds. LaRavia had 14 points on 5-5 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers to go along with seven rebounds. Hachimura tallied 14 points on 6-8 shooting off the bench.

The Lakers will next be in action on Thursday when they travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. Tip is set for 6:30 p.m.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Tobias Myers already showing Mets what he can offer early in season

New York Mets pitcher Tobias Myers (32) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium.
New York Mets pitcher Tobias Myers (32) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium on March 30, 2026.

ST. LOUIS — Tobias Myers’ first two appearances with the Mets have offered a reminder that he was more than just a throw-in by the Brewers in the Freddy Peralta trade. 

The right-hander has been sharp in his first two outings, including his 1 ¹/₃-inning stint in relief Monday, when he struck out three against the Cardinals. 

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Myers, who did not pitch in Tuesday night’s 3-0 loss to the Cardinals, pitched three innings on Opening Day against the Pirates and allowed one earned run on one hit. 

He began last season in the Brewers starting rotation, and after a demotion to Triple-A returned as a multi-inning reliever. 

“It’s very similar to what I was doing the last two months last year,” Myers said Tuesday of his long-relief role. “It’s a little bit more guided, I think, early on, but honestly it feels kind of similar.” 

Myers said he takes the mentality that he’s got to be ready at any moment. 

“That definitely helps me a little bit,” he said. “Down there, the role I am in, it could be the first inning, could be the ninth, could be the 14th inning. So I am kind of moving around pretty consistently down there and try to keep myself ready for any time that phone rings.” 

Tobias Myers pitches during the sixth inning of the Mets’ win over the Cardinals on March 30, 2026. Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Myers built up to 60 pitches in spring training, positioning himself to join the starting rotation if there was a need. He threw 39 pitches in his Mets debut and 14 in his Monday appearance. 



“I went [39] pitches last week, and if I go 50 next week, I don’t see that being a big issue, as long as I am kind of ready for it,” Myers said. “But just throw it until [manager Carlos Mendoza] tells me I am done.” 


Jorge Polanco was on the bench to rest a sore left Achilles on Tuesday, but Mendoza indicated he would likely return to the starting lineup for Wednesday’s series finale. It’s unclear if that will include playing first base. 

Masyn Winn beats Jorge Polanco to second base for an out in the seventh inning of the Mets’ win over the Cardinals on March 30, 2026 at Busch Stadium in St Louis. Getty Images

“We’re in the middle of a nine-game stretch and [Polanco] was going to get a day anyway,” Mendoza said. “He was going to either get today or [Wednesday] … He woke up today and he’s in a good spot.” 

Jared Young started a second straight game at first base Tuesday night and picked up one of the Mets’ three hits, and Mark Vientos, in his first start first this season went 0-for-2.

Miles McBride struggling to regain shooting touch since return from surgery

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Miles McBride looks to make a move on Reed Sheppard during the Knicks' 111-94 loss to the Rockets on March 31, 2026 in Houston

HOUSTON — Miles McBride’s reinjury wasn’t as scary as it looked.

After returning from a long absence Sunday and appearing to aggravate his surgically repaired groin area, the Knicks backup guard said he was just feeling discomfort from scar tissue breaking down.

He played again in Tuesday’s 111-94 loss to the Rockets and made it through 13 minutes unscathed, although his shooting rhythm clearly took a hit as he went 1-for-9 from the field.

“It’s tough having surgery in the middle of the season, especially on an area that’s so important to everything you do,” McBride said. “So it’s just going to be a learning process. I’m going to figure it out, though.”

McBride, who missed 28 straight games after undergoing sports hernia surgery in early February, shot 0-for-3 in his first game back Sunday.

In that game, McBride limped to the locker room in the third quarter after chasing a loose ball and falling on OKC’s Lu Dort.

But McBride said he started feeling pain on the previous play while defending a Thunder player. Luckily, it was just scar tissue breaking down. He didn’t even need another MRI exam before returning to play in Houston.

“Scar tissue is built up because it tightens everything. And now it’s getting more elastic, stretching out,” McBride said. “I came down [defending a Thunder player], tried to switch gears, and the scar tissue is ripping and getting better.

“Surgery is going to cause pain,” he added. “I’m not sure when it’s going to fully subside. So whatever I can do to help the team win.”

Miles McBride looks to make a move on Reed Sheppard during the Knicks’ 111-94 loss to the Rockets on March 31, 2026 in Houston. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Next, McBride’s shot needs rebuilding.

“Honestly, I haven’t played in two months, and it was kind of a longer process of being able to get on the court and really do a lot at a high intensity,” he said. “And the last two weeks is when I really take the high intensity up, and even then you’re still dealing with so much. So it’s going to take time.”


This time, Amar’e followed Melo.

A year after his former Knicks teammate was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, Amar’e Stoudemire was named a somewhat surprising member of the 2026 class, according to ESPN.

Stoudemire earned most of his accolades with the Phoenix Suns as a pick-and-roll partner with Steve Nash but also produced an All-Star campaign with the Knicks after signing as a free agent in 2010.

He and Carmelo Anthony, who headlined the 2025 Hall of Fame class, were pitched as pillars to a championship contender, but Stoudemire’s career in NYC was quickly sabotaged by injuries.

The Knicks ultimately underwhelmed during his tenure with just one playoff series victory.

In 14 NBA seasons, Stoudemire collected Rookie of the Year, five All-NBA selections and six All-Star appearances.

He was also inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame after converting to Judaism in 2020.


Landry Shamet missed his fifth straight game Tuesday because of a knee contusion, but he’s taking contact and practicing fully, according to coach Mike Brown.

A source said Shamet could return as early as Wednesday’s game against the Grizzlies.

San Diego pitchers allow 16 hits, Padres lose second game to Giants

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 31: German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres looks on as Matt Chapman #26 of the San Francisco Giants rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning at Petco Park on March 31, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Another rough start for a starting pitcher resulted in another loss for the San Diego Padres. German Marquez started the second game of the series against the San Francisco Giants and struggled to get through three innings. Marquez allowed four runs on eight hits with one walk and one strikeout, as the Padres dropped their second game to the Giants by the score of 9-3 at Petco Park, Tuesday.

The outing for Marquez had an ominous start with San Francisco leadoff hitter Willy Adames starting the game with a home run down the left field line on the second pitch thrown by the right-hander that put San Diego in the hole 1-0. The Giants would go on to add two more runs in the inning and had a 3-0 lead before the Padres took their first at-bat.

San Francisco added the fourth run of the game in the top of the third inning and had a 4-0 lead when San Diego came to the plate in the bottom of the inning. The Padres showed some fight, scoring three runs in the inning, which was capped by a Miguel Andujar RBI-single to right field. That proved to be the final highlight of the game for San Diego.

Kyle Hart came in for Marquez in the top of the fourth inning and worked two scoreless innings, but in the top of the sixth he allowed a leadoff double, a walk to open the inning. Hart recorded the first out with a strikeout, but then Adames struck again with an RBI-single to put the Giants up, 5-3. Hart allowed another single to Rafael Devers before being replaced by Bradgley Rodriguez.

The first batter Rodriguez faced was Heliot Ramos and he hit a bases loaded single that scored two runs to give San Francisco a 7-3 lead. Luis Arraez then hit a sacrifice fly that allowed the eight Giants run of the game to score. Rodriguez followed the sac-fly with a forceout of Matt Chapman to end the four-run sixth for San Francisco.

The Padres went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, but started the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff double from Nick Castellanos. He was stranded there after back-to-back groundouts from Freddy Fermin and Jake Cronenworth and a flyout from Gavin Sheets. The eighth inning had similar results for San Diego. Manny Machado started with a single, but Jackson Merrill grounded into a double play. Xander Bogaerts followed with a strikeout.

David Morgan surrendered an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning to give San Francisco a 9-3 lead and San Diego fizzled out in the bottom of the ninth with a strikeout, a single, a forceout and another strikeout to drop to 1-4 on the season.

Much like the first series of the season against the Detroit Tigers, the Padres will try to salvage the series and avoid the sweep when they face the Giants, Wednesday at 1:10 p.m.

Jose Fernandez hits 2 home runs in MLB debut, leads Diamondbacks over Tigers 7-5

PHOENIX (AP) — Jose Fernandez hit two home runs, including the go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning, in his MLB debut and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Tuesday night.

Fernandez finished 3 for 4 with an infield single for the first of his career in the second and a solo home run in the fourth.

James McCann hit a double along the third baseline and Jordan Lawlar singled before the Tigers swapped out relief pitcher Drew Anderson for Will Vest (0-1). Vest walked Ketel Marte to load the bases and Corbin Carroll hit a double to the wall in center field, sending two home.

Vest walked the next batter and Marte scored on a groundout before Kenley Jensen replaced Vest with runners at the corners. Fernandez hit a 409-foot shot that capped the scoring.

Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt allowed five runs in six innings. Andrew Hoffmann (1-0) pitching two scoreless innings before Paul Sewald struck out the side in the ninth and earned his second save of the year.

Detroit had all of its six hits in the Tigers' five-run third. Riley Greene hit a two-run double, and Kevin McGonigle, Kerry Carpenter and Jake Rogers each added an RBI.

Up next

Detroit's Tarik Skubal (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts opposite Zac Gallen (0-1, 9.00) in the series finale Wednesday.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Hip Hip, JOSE! The Rookie Makes History! Dbacks 7, Tigers 5

Mar 31, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jose Fernandez hits a home run and first MLB HR against the Detroit Tigers in the fourth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Jose Fernandez. That is it. That’s the recap. Give the guy his flowers.

From a pitching standpoint, Brandon Pfaadt had a very Brandon Pfaadt outing. He rolled through 5 innings, but was so bad in the 3rd the announcers on the broadcast thought he was tipping his pitches. Pfaadt was atleast able to give the team 6 innings, but his innings were so stark. He is either dominating with elite efficiency or he is giving up loud contact at an unimaginable rate. Really a confusing situation that has seemed to plague Pfaadt his whole career and the team clearly hasn’t found an answer for it over the offseason. In the postgame show, Mark Grace was speculating that it may have had something to do when Pfaadt was pitching out of the stretch. Something to continue to monitor.

From an offensive standpoint, this is going to be known as the Jose Fernandez game for a long time. Fernandez was able to get his first career hit out of the way in the bottom of the second inning with a hustle single on a slow roller to the 3rd baseman. It is worth noting that Fernandez’s sprint speed was clocked at 30.2 feet per second when he was busting up the line. That is elite speed! Fernadez came up next in the bottom of the 4th and smashed a hanging slider 408 feet for his first career home run to put the Dbacks on the board. However, it was the bottom of the 8th that really cemented the Jose Fernandez lore. Fernandez came to the plate with the Dbacks down 5-4 thanks to a couple of walks, a clutch double by Corbin Carroll, and some balls in play that moved the runners. The Tigers countered by bringing in their closer Kenley Jansen, and Fernandez took the 3rd pitch 409 feet for a 3 run home run putting the Dbacks up 7-5. What a storybook ending to a rookie game.

It will be very interesting to see what Jose Fernandez’s role looks like moving forward especially considering he was playing for the veteran Nolan Arenado tonight, but you have to continue to give this guy regular playing time in my opinion. Torey Lovullo is notorious for sitting guys the day following big performances, but I would be shocked if Fernandez didn’t earn himself another start tomorrow. So often do we see these guys come up and only get to play sporadically which can make it so hard to get any momentum going.  What do you guys think? Did you see enough from Fernandez tonight for an extended look?