DENVER, CO - JUNE 6: Tyler Freeman #2 of the Colorado Rockies is hit with the ball in the helmet during an at-bat in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field on June 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Freeman exited the game under his own power. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There was a scary moment in the sixth inning where Rockies right fielder Tyler Freeman took a 98.2 mph cutter off the helmet from Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski.
The extra helmet flap helped, but it hit him directly on the ear. Luckily, Freeman turned his head so it didn’t hit under the visor.
He was immediately embraced by catcher William Contreras and met by the Rockies coaching staff. He was awake and looking around — and even seen mouthing, “I’m fine” — but Keith Duggar and Heath Townsend rightfully pulled him out of the game.
Sterlin Thompson entered the game in his place.
This is a developing story and Purple Row will provide more information as it becomes available.
With another two wins, the Knicks will end the NBA’s most painful drought and capture their first championship in 53 years.
With two more wins, the names of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges will be passed down to future generations, just as Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley and Earl Monroe became famous to every Knicks fan too young to experience when the Garden was Eden.
Every title team eventually gets whittled down to a small fraction of its contributors.
Even perhaps the greatest team of all time, the 1927 Yankees, has been filtered to little more than Ruth and Gehrig.
New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet reacts after scoring during the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
But you know better.
You know the Knicks wouldn’t hold a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals without the strength of their second unit — without names that will never reach the rafters (Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, Miles McBride).
“A lot of contributions from a lot of guys, and that’s why you like having a team because it could be anybody’s night on any given night,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said following the 105-104 Game 2 win. “Our guys don’t care. They sacrifice for one another and we found a way to get a win.”
The Knicks bench was instrumental in the Game 1 win in San Antonio, producing 28 points, along with four assists from McBride, and a combined 10 rebounds from Alvarado and Robinson.
In Game 2, Brown needed even more, as Brunson shot 7-for-25, Hart was held scoreless and Towns was limited to four second-half points.
For a stretch of more than five crucial minutes — from the 3:19 mark of the third quarter through the 10:15 mark of the fourth quarter — Brown sat Brunson and Towns, opting for a lineup of Shamet, Robinson, Alvarado, McBride and Bridges.
Mitchell Robinson dunks over Victor Wembanyama in Game 2. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
During that span, the Knicks lead grew from four to 12, eventually settling at 87-78 when Brunson and Towns reentered.
Shamet, who is shooting 67.6 percent on 3-pointers in the postseason, finished with 13 points for the second straight game.
Robinson had seven points, three rebounds, one block and one steal in 14 minutes, in addition to helping prevent Victor Wembanyama from evening the series on the potential game-winner.
Alvarado and McBride — who have two of the Knicks’ top five on-court ratings in the NBA Finals — combined for seven points, four assists and four offensive rebounds.
In last year’s playoffs, Tom Thibodeau used each of his starters for more than 35 minutes per game, giving just two reserves (Robinson, McBride) double-digit minutes per game.
This year, Brunson is the only starter averaging more than 34 minutes in the playoffs, as Brown uses a nine-man rotation during the season’s most critical moments, placing trust in names many will never know.
“It’s important,” Shamet said of the bench play. “We need everybody.”
Carolina scored three goals in the span of just 39 seconds in the third period, turning a 4-0 Vegas blowout into a 4-3 nail biter. Per Sportsnet Stats, that's the fastest any team has scored three goals in a Stanley Cup Final game.
The prior record was 56 seconds for three goals, set by the Montreal Canadiens during the 1954 Stanley Cup Final.
Jordan Martinook got the scoring started at 7:03. Taylor Hall made it 4-2 at 7:29. At 7:42, captain Jordan Staal scored to make it 4-3.
CAROLINA AGAIN, WHAT IS GOING ON, IT IS NOW A 1 GOAL GAME 😱🚨
Carolina scored a power play goal at 18:18 to erase its 4-0 deficit, sending Game 3 to overtime. Unfortunately for the 'Canes, their historic comeback bid fell short as they lost in double overtime.
Golden Knights star Mitch Marner scored the fastest natural hat trick in Stanley Cup history, a span of 6 minutes, 10 seconds in the second period, during the Golden Knights' 5-4, double-overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night in Game 3.
Vegas' 4-0 lead became short-lived, however, as the Hurricanes scored four unanswered goals in the third period to force overtime.
After neither team was able to score in the first overtime, Shea Theodore sent T-Mobile Arena into a frenzy when his shot off the end boards deflected off backup goaltender Brandon Bussi's skate and into the net for the win.
"Stuff happens throughout playoffs," Marner said. "It's obviously not how we envisioned that or how we wanted that to go, but stuff happens, man. It's a roller coaster ride. I thought we did a really good job just coming in after that third (period) and just deep breath, relaxing and saying, 'Hey, boys, we're fine here, man.'
"I don't even know if we took the foot off the gas. They made a couple of good plays that went in. Just happy that we stayed resilient. We kept fighting through, and we got the job done."
Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night, back at T-Mobile Arena.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 7, 2026
Two overturned goals earlier in the second period didn't deflate the Knights, as they controlled the entire period and went into the second intermission with a commanding lead that prompted Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour to replace starting goaltender Frederik Andersen with Bussi.
Just 16 seconds after assisting on Tomas Hertl's goal that put Vegas on the board midway through the second, Marner upped the lead when he gathered a loose puck near the right board, backhanded it toward the crease and it caromed off Carolina defenseman Sean Walker's blade and into the net, making it 2-0.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 7, 2026
Less than four minutes later, Marner left Andersen baffled by deking around him to the left and slipping the puck into the net to give the Knights a three-goal lead.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 7, 2026
After being outplayed in the first period, the Golden Knights appeared ready to seize momentum in the second.
Captain Mark Stone found a seam and beat Andersen in the five-hole to break the scoreless tie just 36 seconds into the period.
But the Hurricanes challenged for an offside call and it was upheld, keeping the game 0-0.
Not too long thereafter, Jack Eichel's persistence during a scramble in front of the net resulted in him finding the back of the net to break the scoreless tie just four minutes into the period.
Unfortunately for the Knights, the Hurricanes challenged for a goalie interference call, and it was upheld, keeping the game 0-0.
Before the opening puck drop, the sold-out crowd erupted when Brayden McNabb was announced in the starting lineup, just two days after taking an 87-mile-per-hour slapshot to the face.
McNabb wore a full-caged helmet and appeared to have stitching around his nose.
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) celebrates after scoring his third goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in game three of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena.
Jun 6, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter (22) is called to the bench during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored zero runs but the Cleveland Guardians scored six runs.
The irony-pilled cynic in me saw that tonight’s Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee was winless for American League Central-leading Cleveland in 14 starts this season while coming into the game sporting a mid-4s ERA and immediately thought, “Oh yeah, he’s for sure beating the Rangers tonight.”
It wasn’t even that difficult for him to achieve my doomed prophecy. There really isn’t much to say about this game. The Rangers just kind of got their asses kicked. I guess the best you can say is that there are 162 games per year and several of them ultimately end up like this one.
If you want to point to a series of moments in which it became clear that tonight wasn’t going to be the night for a victory, it was probably the juncture where, in a 1-0 game in the bottom of the fourth, with the Rangers having sent up the minimum with their lone baserunner by that point being erased on a double play, Texas got a two-on, two-out rally needing a big hit with RISP to tie the game but Wyatt Langford flew out to end the threat.
That was pretty much the only threat of the night for the lineup. Meanwhile a half inning later, Texas starter Jack Leiter allowed his second solo home run to make it 2-0 before the Guardians eventually tacked on three more in the inning, all with two outs.
In like a 20 minute span the Rangers went from a hit away from a tied game in the middle innings to Leiter exiting in a relative blowout. Leiter entered that the top of the fifth having made just one mistake pitch to Jose Ramirez for a solo home run and the game’s first run and then left without even being able to make it through the inning having allowed five runs in 4.2 frames overall.
Meanwhile, the Rangers got one more hit the rest of the way and the Guardians got another run in the eighth off the Texas bullpen. As for Bibee? He tossed eight shutout on 87 pitches for his first win of the season.
Who told Chris Young he turn the run suppression machine back on at The Shed just because the Rangers had won a few games lately?
Player of the Game: I’m thinking it’s probably Cal Quantrill for pitching multiple innings of scoreless mop up relief if that tells you anything about this game.
Up Next: The Rangers and Guardians close out this series with RHP Jacob deGrom looking to help Texas claim a series win opposite LHP Joey Cantillo for Cleveland in the finale.
The Sunday afternoon first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 1:35 pm CDT and you can view it on the Rangers Sports Network.
Not to be denied, they scored two goals 16 seconds apart. Marner ended up with a hat trick in the period for a commanding 4-0 lead after two periods. His three goals came in a span of 6 minutes, 10 seconds, setting a record for fastest Stanley Cup Final hat trick. The previous record-holder was the legendary Maurice "Rocket" Richard.
Golden Knights captain Mark Stone got a breakaway goal on a pass from Brett Howden at the blue line. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour challenged for offsides and a review showed that Howden was in the zone before the puck.
Then Jack Eichel scored shortly afterward. Referees consulted and called it a good goal on the ice.
Again, Brind'Amour challenged, this time for goalie interference. And the goal was overturned because Ivan Barbashev was shown on review to have clipped the head of Frederik Andersen as he skated through the crease.
WE HAVE A 2ND VEGAS GOAL WAVED OFF AFTER COACH'S CHALLENGE 😱
Barbashev's goal is overturned for goalie interference after he made contact with Frederik Andersen's head 😬 pic.twitter.com/ffuSDapVO5
They got a power play when Carolina had too many men on the ice. Tomas Hertl scored. Sixteen seconds later, Marner threw the puck in front of the net and Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker accidentally tipped it past his goalie.
The Marner show continued. He missed on a breakaway, took a feed from Brayden McNabb and scored his second goal of the game.
He blasted a shot past Andersen on another breakaway for the fastest hat trick in Stanley Cup Final history.
Incredibly, the Hurricanes made some history of their own. They erased their 4-0 deficit in the third period, setting their own record by scoring three goals in just 39 seconds. Game 3 went to double overtime, with the Golden Knights getting the dramatic victory.
May 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) runs after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
The Saturday quest to score runs at some point in the first eight innings. Will Smith was originally in the Dodgers lineup, but was scratched with a stiff neck.
Dodgers lineup
Ohtani DH Pages CF Freeman 1B Betts SS Muncy 3B Ward LF Call RF Rushing C Freeland 2B
In a statement, the team said these measures are being made because officials "want to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all ticket holders by sharing important security procedures that will be in place."
The statement outlined that "a strict no-bag policy will be in effect, and fans should make every effort to limit personal items to an absolute minimum."
The Knicks are encouraging fans to arrive to the game at least two hours ahead of the 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff time.
Celebrities like Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller have been at Madison Square Garden cheering for the Knicks throughout the season. New York has won 13 straight playoff games and is in the Finals for the first time since 1999.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 09: A Cincinnati Reds mascot stands on the field beofre the game between the Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park on September 09, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Aaron Doster/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sam Moll hasn’t really been a problem for the 2026 version of the Cincinnati Reds. He certainly hasn’t been the problem, that’s for damn sure.
On Saturday afternoon in Busch Stadium, though, it was the big hit coming off a Moll pitch that flipped the scoreboard in the Bottom of the 8th inning and, ultimately, sent the reeling Reds to a 6-5 loss that gave the series victory to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Even after the homer by lefty Lars Nootbaar off Moll, a lefty, Moll still sports a 2.96 ERA on the season. Again, he’s not the problem – but perhaps the attrition around him in the bullpen and the once again lack of a starter capable of pitching deep enough into the game to take the pressure off the beleaguered pen reared its head, and it was Moll left holding the bag.
Nick Lodolo was meh again, allowing 4 ER in 5.0 IP and needing 95 pitches just to get that far. The patchwork elbow of Tejay Antone held together things in the patchwork bullpen for a time, but then the 8th inning happened and the Reds couldn’t find a way for a miracle.
Speaking of miracles, that miracle April run to start the season? It’s officially poof. This loss sends the Reds back under the .500 mark at 31-32, and given what we’ve seen from them as their best and brightest fall by the wayside, I fear it’s simply more of the norm unless the front office can figure a way out of this jam of mediocrity.
SAN DIEGO — Jorge Polanco’s imminent return to the Mets may not be so imminent.
The veteran infielder was removed from his minor league rehab assignment Saturday due to ankle soreness, according to the team, and he will return to New York for further evaluation.
Polanco previously was scheduled to play for Triple-A Syracuse.
The Mets had originally hoped he would rejoin the club on this road trip, but manager Carlos Mendoza indicated Friday that Polanco needed to build up at-bats and innings at first base for Syracuse.
Jorge Polanco is pictured during the Mets’ March 29 game. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Polanco, who arrived on a two-year contract worth $40 million, was placed on the injured list with a right wrist contusion April 15 but at the time was also dealing with left Achilles bursitis.
In recent weeks Mendoza said Polanco would likely have to play through some level of discomfort in the ankle this season.
Kodai Senga is built up enough to rejoin the Mets, but the team wants to see results before removing him from his minor league rehab assignment.
The right-hander struggled through his last outing, allowing six hits and two walks with three earned runs over five innings in his start for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday. Senga owns a 5.19 ERA in three minor league starts as he rehabs from lumbar spine inflammation.
Senga’s next start is scheduled for Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday.
“Some inconsistency with strike throwing,” Mendoza said before the Mets faced the Padres on Saturday. “Physically he feels fine, which is good, but obviously we need to see some results here now.”
Mendoza noted that Senga’s velocity was down in his last outing, but overall it hasn’t been an issue.
“He’s got to be able to compete in the strike zone,” Mendoza said. “I have been saying it about a lot of our guys, so I think it’s just attacking and dominating [minor league] lineups.”
Sean Manaea was sharp in a bulk relief role Monday and is expected to again follow an opener for his Sunday appearance against the Padres to complete this road trip.
The lefty allowed one earned run over five innings against the Mariners and has pitched to a 2.70 ERA over his past five appearances.
Francisco Alvarez was scheduled to catch back-to-back games for Syracuse on Saturday and Sunday, placing him in position for a return from the injured list during the next Mets homestand.
Alvarez is returning from surgery to repair a meniscus tear.
Mendoza recorded his 200th career victory as Mets manager Friday. Mendoza, in his third season, is No. 10 on the franchise’s all-time list for managerial victories behind Jerry Manuel (204).
Terry Collins was the last Mets manager to reach 200 victories.
A.J. Ewing stole two bases Friday for the first multi-steal game of his career.
Ewing began the day with seven stolen bases.
Mookie Wilson owns the Mets rookie record for stolen bases with 24.
Lee Mazzilli (22) and Gregg Jefferies (21) are next on the list.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow was transferred to the 60-day injured list Saturday, another sign that his balky back is hindering his rehab progression.
The 32-year-old right-hander has been out since May 8, two days after a back spasm surfaced. Initially, the team expected him to miss a short period of time.
Instead, Glasnow was shut down and manager Dave Roberts said the pitcher still hasn’t been cleared to resume a throwing program.
“I think he wants to get cranking again,” Roberts said, “but then the doctors just are not allowing for it and the body is not allowing for it.”
The earliest Glasnow would be eligible to return is July 6.
The Dodgers added pitcher Nick Frasso to the 40-man roster but he will remain with Triple-A Oklahoma City for now.
The 27-year-old right-hander is 0-0 with a 4.85 ERA in 11 games, with 24 strikeouts in 13 innings.
Last season, Frasso went 6-1 with a 5.49 ERA in 43 games (seven starts) for the Comets. He’s spent five seasons in the minor leagues after being acquired by the Dodgers in August 2022 from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Yesterday, the Nashville Predators' front office went through a major shakeup, with two moves that really point to a shift in direction for the organization.
Rob Blake has been hired as the team’s new Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. Blake, a Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman and former general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, steps into a senior leadership role and will work alongside newly appointed general manager Chris MacFarland. The two will oversee hockey operations decisions. Their attention now turns to the upcoming NHL Draft, as Nashville tries to rebuild their roster.
At the same time, Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations Brian Poile is leaving the organization. Poile, the son of longtime former general manager David Poile, had been with the franchise for nearly 16 years and spent the past eight seasons as assistant GM.
Majority owner Bill Haslam has made it pretty clear he wants change, and this is what that looks like. Long-standing internal voices are being phased out, and MacFarland and Blake are now in position to take over hockey operations and shape the next era in Nashville.
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Jorge Polanco was not in the lineup for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday after experiencing ankle soreness, the team announced, and his rehab assignment has been shut down by the Mets.
Polanco will now head back to New York for further re-evaluation on his ankle after dealing with Achilles bursitis that has been nagging him all season.
Earlier in the week, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Polanco "could be in play" to return to the team when it began a three-game series in San Diego this weekend. However, on Friday, before the series opener, Polanco remained in Triple-A as the skipper said he needed more volume both in terms of his at-bats and defense.
In six games between Double-A and Triple-A, Polanco went 2-for-12 with a home run and five walks.
Despite the results, it looked like Polanco was at least trending in the right direction to rejoin the Mets, but now his future is completely up in the air.
“It came out of nowhere,” Roberts said. “Could have probably pushed him to play, but he was going to play one of the next two regardless.”
Smith missed time in late April with lower back problems and played only one of the Dodgers’ three games in Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago, but Roberts said he didn’t think Smith was any more worn down than he was in previous seasons.
Will Smith was scratched on Saturday with a stiff neck, but manager Dave Roberts said he expected him to be back in the lineup the next day for the finale of the Dodgers’ three-game series against the Angels. Getty Images
A three-time All-Star, Smith is batting .249 this season.
Smith was replaced on Saturday by Dalton Rushing, whom Roberts described as being much better prepared to deal with a last-minute start than he was last year.
“It’s not even close,” Roberts said. “Dalton’s in the pitchers’ meetings. He and Will have a really good relationship, which I love.
“I’ll tell you, man, Dalton, when he’s catching, I feel very good that he’s in lockstep with the starting pitcher.”
Smith was replaced on Saturday by Dalton Rushing, whom Roberts described as being much better prepared to deal with a last-minute start than he was last year. Anna Carrington-Imagn Images
In other injury news, third baseman Max Muncy returned to the lineup after sitting out a game to recover from a violent collision at first base with Ildelmo Vargas.
Also, Tyler Glasnow was moved to the 60-day injured list to create a place on the 40-man roster for triple-A right-hander Nick Frasso. Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 8 with lower back spasms. He currently isn’t throwing.
