SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama claims to be unaffected.
After the Knicks’ miraculous 107-106 Game 4 win over the Spurs Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, video went viral on social media of a fan successfully throwing an egg at Wembanyama’s head as he walked into the team hotel.
After being hit, Wembanyama stopped for a second and looked back before continuing to walk inside.
Victor Wembanyama talks to the media during the 2026 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability on June 12, 2026, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NBAE via Getty Images
“I didn’t really think much of it,” Wembanyama said on Friday. “I just saw that one video of the eggs. I didn’t see any other one. It’s OK. I don’t dislike it. Obviously it’s not good at all. But it doesn’t bother me.”
Fans — or instigators — surrounded the Ritz-Carlton hotel, where the Spurs were staying, and heckled them as they returned from one of the most memorable games in NBA Finals history.
Other video showed things being thrown at the Spurs’ team bus as they left MSG.
Knicks fans throwing items at Victor Wembanyama as the Spurs arrive back at the team hotel.pic.twitter.com/sDLBLmzsck
Victor Wembanyama shoots over Karl-Anthony Towns during Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NBAE via Getty Images
“We did hear some things, yeah,” Wembanyama said. “I have no idea. I think it was a bottle because it was, like, water on the bus. I didn’t see anything.”
Wembanyama has emerged as a Knicks villain during these Finals, particularly for a few dirty plays throughout the series.
In Game 3, he got away with shoving Jalen Brunson down to the ground by his head area — it was not called a foul in the moment and the NBA opted against retroactively ruling it a flagrant.
Then in Game 4, though, Wembanyama was given a flagrant for elbowing Karl-Anthony Towns in the face. The Knicks trailed by 29 in the third quarter at the time — their largest deficit of the night — and the moment sort of sparked their historic comeback.
Throughout Games 3 and 4 at MSG, “F–k you Wemby” chants constantly rang around the arena.
And, with the Knicks up 3-1 in the series, their fans are expected to show out in full force on Saturday for Game 5 at the Frost Bank Arena.
Apr 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
After taking 2 out of 3 from the New York Mets, the St. Louis Cardinals travel to Minnesota to take on the Twins. Friday night, it’s Kyle Leahy on the mound for the Cardinals as he’ll do battle with Joe Ryan, the starter for the Twins. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm central time at Target Field. The broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv. It’s the major league debut for Blaze Jordan tonight.
The start of the weekend series between the Mets and Atlanta Braves at Citi Field will be delayed due to bad weather, the team announced.
Just under half an hour after Friday's original 7:10 p.m. start time, the Mets announced first pitch would be at 8:30 p.m.
New York was set to have Nolan McLean take the mound. The young right-hander has pitched to a 3-4 record and a 3.98 ERA. McLean is coming off a strong start against the Padres, when he allowed just one run on three hits across six innings of work.
The Braves were set to have Spencer Strider take the mound. The flamethrowing right-hander is 4-01 with a 4.00 ERA this season. Strider allowed three runs on five hits across 5.0 innings against the Pirates his last time out, and has allowed at least three runs in each of his last four starts.
A 17-year-old boy is in stable condition after he was beaten into a coma near Madison Square Garden after Game 4 of the NBA Finals Wednesday, June 10, according to the New York Police Department.
But the most serious incident that occurred near the arena involved the 17-year-old boy, according to the NYPD. At about 11:45 p.m., the boy was approached by a group of unidentified individuals and a verbal dispute ensued about the Knicks’ game, the NYPD told USA TODAY Sports.
The dispute escalated into a physical confrontation, leading to the victim being punched and kicked and causing the victim to suffer a seizure and subsequently go into a coma, according to the NYPD.
Unidentified individuals left the scene and there has been no arrest. But the NYPD has released a photo of the suspect.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JUNE 06: Luinder Avila #58 of the Kansas City Royals delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field on June 06, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals start the final series of their Texas homestand tonight, hosting the Houston Astros. Most analysts figured the Royals needed to go 4-2 on this homestand if they wanted to continue to work their way back from the depths they sank to with all their early-season losing. That’s still technically on the table if they can sweep Houston. A sweep would start with a win tonight in what might be the most difficult pitching matchup of the series.
Luinder Avila has been much better in his second stab at starting at the big league level, but there are still a lot of questions. Like whether a 1.80 ERA is sustainable with an 8-7 K-BB ratio. Or whether he can ever pitch into the sixth inning. There’s no doubt he has the stuff to be a successful big league pitcher, but the biggest question is whether he can ever harness it well enough to be a consistent big league starter. He’s going to have at least a couple more weeks to try and show it.
Tatsuya Imai has had a weird start to his career with the Astros, who were determined to land one of the three Japanese stars that were posted last off-season to go with their Japanese-company-named ballpark. Since they had too many infielders already, they got the starting pitcher. He had a bit of a rough start, but he has pitched much better his last three times out. That includes the first six innings of a combined no-hitter against the Rangers on May 25.
Technically, Imai has a 6-pitch mix, but he primarily throws his goofy slider (meaning it’s thrown like a slider, but moves backwards from how they normally do), closely followed by a four-seam fastball. He struggles to throw his pitches in the zone – even in that no-hitter, he walked 4 while striking out 2 – but the slider can get chase and whiffs. His fastball averages 94.8 MPH, which is downright reasonable in modern baseball. He throws a sinker about 9.8% of the time, but it can get hit pretty hard. He’s thrown 14 splitters, 14 changeups, and 6 curveballs all year, so you can probably just ignore those pitch types.
Lineups
If you’ve been wondering what it would take for the Royals to bat Salvador Perez lower than fifth, you finally have your answer. All it took was Salvy with a .245 OBP and .135 ISO (the absolute lowest of his career, even when he came up with no power.) Plus Jac Caglianone hitting better than Bobby Freaking Witt Jr. (Jac has an .808 OPS to Bobby’s .799.) I still wish Michael Massey was ahead of him, too, but I guess we should be grateful for what crumbs the team will give us in this regard. For all people have been furious with the underperformance of Isaac Collins – batting ninth today – his second-worst-in-the-lineup OPS is still 60 points higher than Sal’s. What a disaster.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 06: Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros pitches against the Athletics during the first inning at Daikin Park on June 06, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (31-39) continue a six-game road trip with the first game of a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals (28-41) tonight at Kauffman Stadium.
RHP Tatsuya Imai (3-3, 5.24 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite RHP Luinder Avila (1-2, 4.02 ERA) and the Royals.
ABOUT IMAI: RHP Tatsuya Imai is set to make his ninth career Major League start tonight and his fifth since returning from the IL after a bout with right arm fatigue.
He’s performed better since his return, particularly in his last four starts in which he’s posted a 2.91 ERA (7ER/21.2IP) with a .176 (13×74) opponent average and a 1.02 WHIP.
In January, the Astros signed Imai to a three-year deal. In 2025, he was an All-Star for the Seibu Lions in the NPB in Japan, where he went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA (35ER/163.2IP) in 24 games.
ABOUT THE NO-NO: On May 25 at TEX, RHP Tatsuya Imai st arted the Astros 17th regular season no-hitter and their 18th no-hitter overall in club history. Imai worked the first 6.0 hitless innings before giving way to LHP Steven Okert (1IP) and RHP Alimber Santa (2IP).
The no-hitter was the Astros seventh since 2019, which is the most in the Majors in that span. Additionally, the Astros 18 no-hitters overall are the most in the Majors since the franchise was born in 1962.
ROAD TRIP: The Astros traveled to Kansas City on Wednesday night after facing the Los Angeles for a three-game series.
The Astros went 1-2 in Anaheim. The Astros will continue their six-game road trip tonight with the first game of a three-game series against the Royals. The Astros are 15-20 on the road this season and went 7-3 on their last road trip.
PEN PALS: Since May 15, the Astros bullpen has recorded a 2.53 ERA (24ER/85.1IP) with 82 strikeouts, a 1,00 WHIP and a .169 opponent batting average.
Among AL teams since May 15, the Astros bullpen ranks first in opponent batting average, first in WHIP and first in ERA…the Astros are also 14-11 during since May 15.
HIT PAREDES: IF Isaac Paredes is one double away from recording his 100th career double. He is looking to become just the 4th Mexican-born player in MLB history with 500 career hits, 100 doubles and 100 home runs, joining IF Vinny Castilla, IF Jorge Orta and IF Aurelio Rodríguez.
ON THE MEND: RHP Hunter Brown allowed two runs (one earned run) on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in five innings on Wed. night in a rehab start with Triple A Sugar Land.
C Yainer Diaz went 0x3 with a walk and caught seven innings last night in a rehab appearance with Triple A Sugar Land.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVE: Following Wed. night’s game, the Astros optioned IF Shay Whitcomb to Triple A Sugar Land. To take his place on the active roster, the Astros selected IF Raynel Delgado (#29) to the Major League roster today. To make room for Delgado on the 40-man roster, the Astros designated RHP Ryan Weiss for assignment today.
MAKING THE PLAYS: The Astros are tied for the fewest errors in the AL (28) with the Athletics. Houston has posted the best fielding percentage (.988) in the AL, topping the Athletics (.988), Royals (.988) and Mariners (.988) by a few percentage points.
VS. THE ROYALS: The Astros and Royals are facing each other for the first time this season. The Astros went 3-3 against the Royals last season, including a 1-2 record at Kauffman Stadium. The Astros own a 58-49 record all-time record against the Royals, including a 29-24 record at Kauffman Stadium.
ON THE LEADERBOARD: DH Yordan Alvarez leads the Majors in OPS (1.066), SLG (.636) and total bases (157) and leads the AL in home runs (22). Also in the AL, he ranks tied for first in extra-base hits (35), second in OBP (.430), second in batting average (.316),tied for third in RBI (48), third in hits (78), fourth in walks (46) and tied for fifth in runs (46).
ON BASE MACHINE: OF Yordan Alvarez is on a 18-game on-base streak. During the streak, he’s batting .355 (22×62) with 16 runs, two doubles, seven home runs, 17 RBI, 15 walks and a 1.207 OPS.. It is his second-longest on-base streak this season, behind a 22-game on-base streak from April 4-28.
AL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: On Monday, OF Yordan Alvarez was named the AL Player of the Week for the week of June 1-7. For the week, he batted .476 (10×21) with six runs, one double, two HR, nine RBI, five walks and a 1.386 OPS.
WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER: 1B Christian Walker ranks tied for third in the AL in RBI with teammate DH Yordan Alvarez (48). Walker also ranks tied for fifth in the AL in extra-base hits (30), tied for sixth in total bases (127), tied for seventh in home runs (16) and 11th in SLG (.494).
In the field, Walker has not committed an error in 68 games.
MOVIN’ ON UP: RHP Bryan Abreu recorded his 343rd career appearance on Wed. night at LAA surpassing RHP Ryan Pressly (342g) for the sixth-most relief appearances in Astros franchise history.
Abreu is five appearances shy of tying LHP Joe Sambito (348g) for the fifth-most relief appearances in franchise history.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2019 – The Astros set a franchise record with 24 strikeouts in a 14-inning, 6-3, loss to the Brewers in Houston. The game is played in a crisp four hours and 16 minutes. RHP Justin Verlander does most of the work, striking out a career-high 15 batters in 7.0 innings pitched. This start was one of many excellent starts for Verlander in 2019, en route to earning his second career Cy Young.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, June 12, 7:10 p.m. CT
Location: Kaufmann Stadium, Kansas City, MO
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KTRH 740 AM, KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Jun 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pinch hitter Alex Call (12) runs the bases against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
A weekend trip to the south side of Chicago. No Shohei Ohtani in this one, after suffering knee inflammation Thursday night.
Apr 3, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (25) during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
So it begins.
Marc Stein released an article today on The Stein Line surrounding the most recent trade talks across the league. Give that a read for all the details, but Stein did have some news regarding the Detroit Pistons.
It’s no secret that this Pistons front office has connections to Trey Murphy III. Remember, Trajan Langdon traded up for Trey back in 2021 when he was General Manager of the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s also no secret that the Pelicans front office, specifically their Senior VP of Basketball Operations Troy Weaver, was responsible for drafting multiple of Detroit’s young players.
If there’s ever a match made in heaven, this seems to be it.
Stein reported:
This is the first time their (Pelicans) new front office regime headed by Joe Dumars has been truly willing to field offers for Murphy. … Two teams known to have expressed interest in the 25-year-old sharpshooter, I’m told, are Detroit and Indiana.
If Stein’s reporting this, you know Detroit’s interest in TMIII must be real.
He also went on to say that Detroit and Minnesota are known teams with interest in Kyrie Irving. Yet, with Masai Ujiri newly at the head of the Mavericks front office, he has expressed excitement about keeping Irving in Dallas.
We’re about a week and a half away from the NBA Draft and two-and-a-half weeks away from the start of free agency. Things are starting to ramp up and Detroit has the capital to entice New Orleans to make a deal like this if Trajan wants to take a swing.
I enjoyed how Stein ended his piece:
That’s two shooters by the way, for those of you scoring at home, who have been connected to the Pistons in this piece. After a 60-win season that end in the second round of the playoffs, Detroit clearly know what it needs.
Anthony Kay looks to get back on track against the Dodgers.
For the first time in four years your Chicago White Sox are atop the AL Central, after two impressive wins over the Atlanta Braves. With the team getting a rainy Thursday night off, the South Siders had a breather before another big series, this one with the reigning World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
This series with the Dodgers is the third of four matchups that will test the team’s ability and give fans an indication if this year’s team is for real or not. So far, so good for the White Sox as they went 3-2 combined against the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. With this series against the Dodgers being the final one at home before a road trip to New York and Detroit, a win against Los Angeles would put them in a great position.
Just as he did against the Phillies last week, Anthony Kay will lead off as the first starter against the Dodgers. Kay entered last week’s game after a sizzling month of May, going 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA. Unfortunately, the Phillies knocked the southpaw out of the game early, as he could only manage four innings and allowed six earned runs along the way. Tonight, his task doesn’t get much easier with a Dodgers team that ranks first in the majors in runs scored. With that said, Kay has been on another level at home this year, sporting a 4-0 record and an ERA of three at Rate Field.
As for the Dodgers, they will throw Roki Sasaki out on the mound, and it’s anyone’s guess how he will fare. Sasaki has flashed his elite talent this season, but has struggled mightily with consistency. After a solid start in March, Sasaki had an ERA of more than seven in April, before getting back on track in May. Most recently, Sasaki pitched a seven-inning gem against the Angels, allowing just two hits over seven innings of work and punching out 10 in the process. Sasaki seems to either pitch very well, or completely fall apart, so early on we should be able to tell what kind of outing the White Sox will be facing.
With just a half-game separating the White Sox and Cleveland Guardians at the top of the division, taking even two out of three against a team like the Dodgers would do wonders with the Guardians currently in freefall. No matter what happens tonight, there is no doubt that Rate Field will be ready to go and rocking early.
Here is the starting lineup for the White Sox:
Here is the starting lineup for the defending champions, with one notable omission, as Shohei Ohtani tweaked a hamstring on Thursday:
First pitch is 6:40 p.m. CST. You can watch on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000. Let us know your thoughts and predictions below!
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 04: Yaxel Lendeborg #23 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts against the Arizona Wildcats during the second half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg worked out for the Golden State Warriors on Thursday as part of the team’s pre-draft process. Following the workout, Lendeborg spoke with reporters and was asked what it would be like to play alongside Warriors superstar Steph Curry if Golden State were to select him later this month.
As expected, the projected lottery pick didn’t hide his excitement.
“Man, that would be amazing. He provides so much gravity on the court that it really makes it super easy for other guys to score.”
Yaxel Lendeborg on what it would be like to play with Steph if he gets drafted to the Warriors pic.twitter.com/54Ep5euMZz
It’s easy to understand why the idea appeals to Lendeborg. Curry’s constant movement and ability to draw multiple defenders have created countless easy opportunities for teammates throughout his career. For a versatile forward like Lendeborg, who thrives as a connective piece on both ends of the floor, those extra pockets of space could help elevate his game even further at the next level.
Meanwhile, the Warriors, who currently hold the No. 11 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, remain focused on balancing competing in the present with building for the future. Because of this, the 23-year-old Lendeborg has emerged as one of the prospects most frequently connected to Golden State in recent mock drafts.
Lendeborg’s NBA-ready skill set makes him one of the more intriguing options in this draft, and if his comments on Thursday are any indication, the opportunity to play alongside Curry on the Warriors is one he would gladly embrace.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, June 12th:
Already, Lendeborg can see his fit on the Warriors and how he would make an impact from Day 1 if they were to take him with the No. 11 pick. His answer wasn’t about himself. More so, it was about how he can help everybody else.
“I would say, like five assists a game maybe to start off,” Lendeborg said Thursday after his Warriors workout. “A lot of defense, fastbreak opportunities for me. Depending on if I’m here or anywhere else, my role will be a lot different. But if I was here, I’ll be more like a secondary ball-handler. Whenever Steph [Curry] is taken out of the game, I’ll be there to assist, maybe provide a little more offense or instant offense.”
Players who can handle, shoot off the dribble, and stand at 6-10 don’t grow on trees. This physical foundation kept Ament in lottery consideration even after a dreadful start to his freshman season when he struggled to score efficiently and make an impact defensively. But over the second half of the year for Tennessee, he flipped a switch and shots began to fall. He averaged 23.8 points over a six-game stretch in January and February that reminded everyone why he was a top recruit in the country. Then he dealt with an ankle injury that ruined his momentum entering March and severely struggled during the tournament. Steve Kerr re-signed for a two-year deal and would probably rather have a pro-ready player, but maybe Ament will be the young guy who exceeds expectations and turns into a star.
Draymond Green talks about his biggest draft miss:
"I would say my biggest miss, I'll take it as a miss because it didn't work, but I still think this guy has the potential to become a star in this league, I was super on the train of drafting Jonathan Kuminga. I still don't… pic.twitter.com/MXiFJDf6Wl
Having now collected three flagrant foul points this postseason, Wembanyama is only one point away from an automatic suspension. He committed the latest transgression, a flagrant foul 1, with 9:27 left in the third quarter of Game 4 when he elbowed Karl-Anthony Towns in the chin as the two were tied up near the 3-point line.
Whether this latest report ultimately leads anywhere remains to be seen. But if Golden State is indeed entering the final chapter of Curry’s championship window, there may be no more fascinating way to end it than by pairing Curry with the very player who once stood as the dynasty’s greatest rival.
A post to end the week:
Carmelo Anthony thinks Jalen Brunson deserves Finals MVP over OG Anunoby 👀
“Let’s just be honest about this. If OG win it, it be like Andre Iguodala’s at Golden State.”
LNP, using the Force to levitate a bat, but unfortunately not to hit over a .646 career OPS with one. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You’ll be forgiven if today’s Cards starter, Kyle Leahy, sounds like one of those guys the Twins had for like eight days in 2021. Nope, he was drafted by the Cards in 2018, and converted full-time to a starter this season. For now, the Cards are using a six-man rotation, and Leahy’s at the back end of it. His fastball sits at around 94, down a tick from when he was a reliever. He throws about 60% offspeed pitches, and has a lot of “extension,” meaning (I think) that his best skill is batters have a teensy bit less time to pick up which pitch he’s using.
Sadly, I must introduce you to the “Tarps Off” trend that’s been happening in St. Louis.
What it is is this:
Sigh.
Yes, this is a thing that’s been happening in right field at Cardinals games this season. A bunch of guys take off their shirts (or don’t wear them to begin with). Some wave the shirts like rally towels. They call themselves the “Tarps Off” fans.
Per MLB.com’s Max Ralph, this trend started in college football, which makes sense because college football is one of the dumbest things on the planet. (Let’s take an institution devoted to higher learning and have it play a sport that causes massive brain damage.)
I suppose this is essentially harmless fan idiocy, so I shouldn’t complain. But wowza, am I sick of the whole “dude bro let guys be guys” thing; I’ve been sick of it my whole dang life. (And I realize baseball’s signature move is crotch adjustment.)
Also, it’s easy to take your shirt off and show that pasty white-a** chest nobody wanted to see when a bunch of other people are doing it. Yet I will credit this guy:
That’s Bryce Bradford, one of the Tarps Off bunch, letting his Dad Bod hang out there for all the world to see (or, what will be a Dad Bod when he has kids in a few years. Maybe he does now, I dunno). That takes a little more guts, don’t you think?
And worthy of the former Cards great, Nick Punto. Who earned himself the nickname of “Shredder.” Because he shredding opposing pitchers with his fearsome swatting stick?
Naw, folks. He got the nickname because, after walk-off wins, or just any moment when he felt suitably Pumped Up, Nick Punto would go up to other Cards players and start ripping their jerseys apart. The ones they were wearing as clothes.
If you like, you can see a TubeYous example here, but it’s less visually interesting than it sounds. You’re better off reading Jason Hill’s account at Viva El Birdos here. Go Shredder Go.
What do you remember about the 1987 Twins/Cardinals World Series? I don’t remember a thing, I wasn’t watching it. But former Blog Pope myjah summoned 10 weird facts about the Series you may not have known, like the time someone threw a bizarre little paper plane onto the field. Very fun post.
Do the Cardinals want free taxpayer money? Of course they do. They might get part of the money that’s prolly gonna be handed out to the Royals. You know, the money which voters rejected in a referendum. The Cards might get $380 million of it. Neil deMause has you covered as usual.
Last week, I mentioned that Some Guy from the Twins was trying to sell me super-premium tickets because I was given tickets in a spendy seating area by one neighbor for one game. Well, the same guy emailed me again:
Hello James,
I’ve reached out a few times to share details about our $3,000 Choice Membership and how we can get you discounted tickets in our Thrivent Club. I understand if now isn’t the best time to connect, and I want to be respectful of your schedule.
Before I pause my outreach, I wanted to highlight another option. Since you’ve enjoyed some of our premier offerings at Target Field, you might be interested in our private suites available for single-game rentals. Additionally, our upcoming calendar is packed with exciting single game ticket promotions, giveaways, and events happening all summer long – Check out single game ticket opportunities here!
Thank you so much for your time and have a wonderful day!
CJ
You have a wonderful day too, CJ!
Finally — wuz you ever bit by a dead bee?
That’s the line Walter Brennan keeps repeating in the Bogart/Bacall classic To Have and Have Not, a movie which solves the problem of “how do you film Hemingway’s worst novel” by chucking the novel’s plot entirely. When Brennan asks Bacall about the dead bee, she suggests biting it back, and wins Brennan’s approval thusly.
Well, I wuz bit by a dead bee. Kind of.
The other day, I was outside, and I felt something go into the back of my shirt through the neckhole. There were box elder bugs flying around, and they won’t hurt you, so I just shook myself around a little and figured it was gone. Then came inside and headed for the bathroom.
As I started removing my pants, I felt a major stinging sensation on my butt, and then I saw there was a wasp in my boxer shorts. It was dazed, yet not dazed enough that it couldn’t sting me in the a**. I immediately got it to the floor and squished it, of course. I try not to kill God’s creatures, but wasps are Satan’s.
The thing was? I was hesitant about going to the bathroom the rest of the day. Even though I didn’t go back outside, I just remembered the sight of finding a wasp in my boxers, and it made me Spooked.
If you’re gonna get stung by a wasp, though, that’s probably the best place for it. On the fleshy part of yer butt. What really stinks is getting a wasp sting on your knuckles, or someplace ELSE in your boxers.
Possibility of getting a wasp sting in the Metrodome? Practically zero. Possibility of getting one in the seats CJ keeps wanting me to buy? Larger than zero. I’ll take my Dome memories, thank you very much.
Jun 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of the City of Toronto City Hall before a game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
I really figured Canada would win this afternoon.
Well, let’s win tonight.
Schneider and Kirk (who says his thumb is getting better all the time) are back and in the lineup.
Heineman (DFA) and Varsho (IL) are gone.
My wife will be sad that Heineman won’t be around to be shirtless.
Apparently Daulton got a cortisone shot, so he will be a couple of days before he can do much with that wrist, but they say he’s going to be traveling with the team and likely won’t need a rehab assignment.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 05: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees warms up before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on June 5, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees roll into Toronto fresh off a day off and a sweep of the Guardians. It was an even affair the last time the two sides met at Yankee Stadium, the Bombers taking the first two games before allowing the Blue Jays to salvage a series split, all contests decided by two or fewer runs. Despite the Jays getting a bit healthier, New York is catching them during a vulnerable moment, with Toronto 4-7 in their last 11 games. But by no means can the Yankees afford to take for granted an opponent who has had their number over the last 14 months. At Rogers Centre in particular, the Yankees went a dismal 1-8 in 2025, including losses in the first two ALDS games. That can’t happen again.
Ryan Weathers has stumbled of late, surrendering seven home runs across his last four starts. He has given up five runs in three of those four starts including a May 18th outing against the Blue Jays where the Yankees rallied late to come from behind and win, 7-6. It comes at an inopportune time for the southpaw with Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole back in the rotation and Max Fried making progress in his elbow injury rehab. To that point, Weathers was seen warming up on Wednesday with Aaron Boone confirming after the game that he was in play as a reliever with the bullpen a bit gassed. This perhaps hints at the Yankees viewing him as the first name on the chopping block for demotion from the rotation once Fried returns, so there is added incentive to perform in his remaining starts. In 12 starts, Weathers is 2-4 with a 3.86 ERA (108 ERA+), 4.12 FIP, and 79 strikeouts in 70 innings.
Trey Yesavage is the newest Yankee killer to emerge in the league. Combining his ALDS Game 2 start and May 20th outing this year, Yesavage has pitched 11.1 scoreless innings allowing just two hits and a walk with 19 strikeouts. Between his rising four-seamer, devastating splitter, and underrated slider, he just seems to have the special sauce to completely silence the Yankees lineup. He’s coming off his worst start of the campaign — six runs in 5.2 innings against the Orioles — but otherwise has looked sharp after the start of his season was delayed by a month by a shoulder impingement. In eight starts, Yesavage is 2-3 with a 3.16 ERA (141 ERA+), 3.05 FIP, and 44 strikeouts in 42.2 innings.
In this period without Aaron Judge, the biggest lineup decision for Aaron Boone concerns having three players for two positions. One out of Anthony Volpe, José Caballero, and Spencer Jones will be the odd man out on a given day while the other two start at short and in right. It will be interesting to monitor whether this becomes an even rotation or whether one player gets more playing time at the expense of another — today it’s Volpe on the bench, Caballero at short, and Jones in right. The first five spots in the lineup are pretty much set in stone with Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. all posting a 124 wRC+ or better since May 1st.
Alejandro Kirk and Davis Schneider return to the Blue Jays lineup, the former from a wrist injury and the latter from Triple-A, called up as the corresponding move for Daulton Varsho’s placement on the IL. The Yankees managed to keep Vladimir Guerrero Jr. mostly quiet in May. He’s still trying to find his power, his .365 SLG more than 120 points below his career average while a 109 wRC+ would be the lowest mark since his rookie year. Instead, George Springer and Ernie Clement were the Yankees’ principal tormentors in May and they unsurprisingly occupy the first two spots in the batting order.
How to watch
Location: Rogers Centre – Toronto, ON
First pitch: 7:37 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, Sportsnet, SN1, TVA Sports
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | SN590 THE FAN (TOR)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 26: Empty seats during a rain delay before a game between the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field on April 26, 2019 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first instance of Braves vs. Mets will have to wait a little longer, as the Mets have announced that first pitch (originally set for 7:15 pm ET) will be delayed. These northeast thunderstorms, man.
In the meantime, Demetrius put a fun prompt up in the feed – feel free to chime in there or in the comments below.
UPDATE: The Mets have announced that tonight’s game will start at 8:30 pm ET. Spencer Strider vs. Nolan McLean coming up on Apple TV! Follow along in tonight’s game thread to chat and discuss.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 11: Riley Greene #31 of the Detroit Tigers rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins during the seventh inning at Comerica Park on June 11, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Detroit Tigers (29-40) vs. Cleveland Guardians (37-33)
Time/Place: 7:10 p.m., Progressive Field SB Nation Site: Covering the Corner Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Jack Flaherty (1-7, 5.31 ERA) vs. RHP Tanner Bibee (1-7, 4.09 ERA)
