The first player to represent the Royals in the All-Star game, catcher Ellie Rodriguez, passed away last week at the age of 79.
Rodríguez was born Eliseo Rodríguez Delgado, May 24th, 1946, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. His family moved to New York City in 1953, settling just 10 blocks from Yankee Stadium, where young Ellie and his brother would often go. His first major league idol was Yogi Berra, a player that inspired Rodriguez to become a catcher.
Before he committed himself to baseball, Rodriguez trained as a boxer and participated in Golden Gloves tournaments. He gave up boxing after suffering a broken finger.
He caught the eye of a Kansas City Athletics scout during a high school tournament and signed with the Athletics shortly after graduation.
He hit well enough in the Athletics minor league system to interest the Yankees, who selected him in the First Year Player draft. From 1965 to 1968, he made a steady climb through the Yankee system before getting his first call up.
He made his major league debut on May 26th, 1968, against the Chicago White Sox in a game at Yankee Stadium which for a New York kid had to be a dream come true.
His locker was next to Mickey Mantle, and Mantle and Bobby Mercer helped Rodriguez secure enough tickets to accommodate the 30 family members on hand to witness the occasion. Classy move by the veterans.
Rodriguez went hitless in three at bats that day but did pick up his first career hit in his next game with an 8th inning single off Mickey Lolich in Tiger Stadium. Lolich was one of the best pitchers in baseball in those days, but Rodriguez seemed to have his number, tagging the hard throwing lefty for three of his 16 career home runs.
The expansion Royals selected Rodriguez with the 13th pick in the expansion draft, and he immediately became their starter.
Rodriguez was superb in the first half of the 1969 season, hitting a solid .260. That earned him a berth on the American League All-Star team, though he didn’t see action in the game.
Rodriguez slumped in the second half of the season which opened the door for Ed Kirkpatrick.
Rodriguez and Kirkpatrick platooned for most of the 1970 season, Ellie being the superior defensive catcher while Spanky was a better hitter.
Rodriguez best days as a Royal came during an early June series at Yankee Stadium. Playing against his former teammates and in front of a large contingent of family and friends, Rodriguez went 5 for 13 with a three-run home run in the series opener, helping the young Royals win two of three. He also threw out two would be base stealers.
With Kirkpatrick and Buck Martinez emerging as their primary catchers, the Royals traded Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers after the 1970 season. While in Milwaukee, he developed a friendship with and helped mentor another young catcher named Darrell Porter. He spent three productive seasons in Milwaukee, often battling injuries. He made his second All-Star team in 1972 but again didn’t see any playing time in the game.
With Porter ready to assume the catching duties, Milwaukee sent Rodriguez to the California Angels, where he spent two seasons and became Nolan Ryans favorite catcher. Rodriguez caught Ryan’s 4th career no-hitter and had arguably his best season as a player in 1974 when he appeared in a career high 140 games, hitting .253 with career highs in home runs and RBIs. He later appeared in 36 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1976.
He spent the entire 1977 season with the Pirates AAA affiliate in Columbus before closing his career with four seasons in the Mexican League.
Rodriguez will be remembered for two things in particular. The first was his long running dispute with Bill “Spaceman” Lee, a feud which ended in fisticuffs on two different occasions. The duo first fought in a Puerto Rican winter league game in 1970, in which Lee lost four teeth, and more famously in a May 1973 game at Fenway Park.
The second was the fact that Rodriguez was an excellent defensive catcher. He had terrific footwork behind the plate, often attributed to his time as a boxer. He was one of the first catchers I recall that caught with his body at a slight angle, his left shoulder closer to the pitcher, so he could use that leverage on his throws. He was also one of the first I remember seeing that held his right hand behind his body when catching to protect his throwing hand from foul tips.
After his time in the majors ended, Rodriguez stayed in baseball. He did some coaching in the Mexican Leagues and held various jobs in the sport up until 2018.
He passed away April 23rd at the age of 79. All of us at Royals Review extend our condolences to the Rodriguez family.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 26: Matt Olson #28 (L) celebrates at home plate with Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park on April 26, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A couple of weeks ago, the Atlanta Braves embarked on a 13-game run of games that were solely in the NL East. Initially, it seemed like a tough task considering that they’d be seeing the Philadelphia Phillies twice during that run. At the same time, the Braves had gotten off to an encouraging start to the season as well so it seemed like this was an opportunity for the Braves to make an early statement in the division if things went well.
So here we are: 13 games later and folks, the Braves have indeed made an early statement. Atlanta’s gone 10-3 over that 13-game stretch and half of those wins came against the Phillies. The sweep in Philadelphia was absolutely lovely and Atlanta also got to welcome in the Phillies with their ballclub in the midst of a nine-game losing streak. This was a golden opportunity for the Braves to really put a significant amount of space between the and the Phillies and now we’re going to look at how things went over this weekend series.
The Braves found themselves in what was an increasingly familiar position once the third inning rolled around: Trailing the opposition. Indeed, Atlanta went behind in the top of the third inning after Trea Turner reached back to his days of being a regular Braves tormentor by hitting a two-run dinger off of Grant Holmes to break the deadlock. Fortunately for Holmes, his lineup responded immediately and got after Andre Painter with a leadoff single from Eli White and a two-run response dinger from Ronald Acuña Jr. to bring the game back to a deadlock.
Philadelphia once again went ahead in the fifth inning with another long ball — this time it was Bryce Harper hitting a solo shot as he began his usual routine of gleefully drawing the ire of Braves fans. Atlanta didn’t respond immediately but it didn’t take long, either. Once they did, it was a true game-changer and another example of Walt Weiss hitting nearly all of the right buttons to start this season.
With two outs in the sixth inning and two men on, Weiss went to the late scratch Michael Harris II for a pinch-hitting opportunity. The crowd erupted once Money Mike came out of the dugout and he repaid that excitement by hitting a deep fly ball that just about eluded the grasp of Brandon Marsh in left-center for a huge two-run double that gave the Braves the lead. Weiss promptly put in Jorge Mateo to run the bases, he stole third base and then ended up scoring after Andrew Painter uncorked a wild pitch. Both moves paid off in spades, Joel Payamps pitched a crucial scoreless eighth inning and then Robert Suarez finished things off in the ninth to give the Braves an exciting victory.
The pregame was all about Brian Snitker, who was rightfully inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in a ceremony that took place before the game started. Rain also pushed back the start by 55 minutes and while Walt Weiss and the Braves players never want to make excuses, their outfielders had a devil of a time dealing with the wet track on the field. The Phillies hit three triples in this game and aside from Ronald Acuña Jr. simply misjudging a jumping catch (which resulted in a run for the Phillies), the other two triples were aided by some literal slipshod defense.
Philadelphia went up 1-0 in the first inning thanks to Mike Yastrzemski coming up short on a diving catch that allowed Adolis García to scamper to third and then later on in the eighth inning, Kyle Schwarber picked up a stand-up triple (good luck seeing that again) after Eli White never really looked comfortable trying to get to the ball.
This was all a bit of a crying shame for the Braves because had even one of those plays in the field resulted in outs, the Braves probably end up holding on to a slim win. The bats for the Braves continued to get it done, as they were able to get to Zack Wheeler in the fourth inning with a Michael Harris II sacrifice fly and an RBI double from Austin Riley that kept Wheeler from cruising and made it a tie ballgame. Ozzie and Mike linked up together again in the sixth inning as Ozzie’s double tied it at three and then Money Mike’s RBI single actually gave the Braves the lead.
Unfortunately, tonight ended up being The Bryce Harper Show. The man who apparently enjoys tormenting Braves fans as much as he enjoys raw milk ended up with four RBIs on the night and all four of them felt like big whammies. His RBI single off of Bryce Elder in the fifth made it 3-2, his sacrifice fly in the eighth inning made it 4-4 and then he came up with the big bases-loaded knock in extras to make it a 6-4 game for the Phillies. By the time the Braves had a chance to respond, it was 8-4 after Jose Suarez had a bit of a nightmare in the tenth. Atlanta actually got the tying run up to the plate after Drake Baldwin delivered an RBI single but the game ended with Michael Harris II grunding out to none other than Bryce Harper, who flipped it to a late-covering Kyle Bachus to end their miserable (joyful for us) 10-game losing streak.
Remember last season when it felt like the Braves couldn’t buy a win in rubber games? Boy, oh boy, times have sure changed. Not only did the Braves end up winning yet another rubber game to keep their streak of avoiding series losses going, it felt almost business-like. Chris Sale got the ball and with all due respect to Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes who delivered perfectly fine starts of their own, Sale proved why he’s at the top of the rotation with yet another great start. Sale went six innings without giving up a run and he only gave up a hit and two walks in the process. He struck out nine batters and at one point had a run where he struck out five-straight Phillies batters.
He even made an incredible heads-up catch where it seemed like he was either going to catch it or sacrifice a digit after the batted ball got through with him. Either way Philadelphia couldn’t do anything with Sale a week ago and they certainly couldn’t handle him on this particular Sunday.
While Sale was making things miserable for the Phillies, the Braves were making things miserable for Aaron Nola early on. Matt Olson got things going in the first inning after he crushed a three-run shot that may have landed in the actual city of Atlanta and then they added three more runs in the second inning. Mauricio Dubón hit a triple that felt eerily similar to the triples that they gave up the night before and then Eli White left no doubt by crushing one into the road bullpen to make it a 5-0 game. Drake Baldwin eventually came up to the plate with one out and Ronald Acuña Jr. at second base (following Acuña’s sixth stolen base of the season so far) and Baldwin duly delivered with a liner that found green and plated Acuña to make it 6-0.
The only two runs that Philadelphia could muster came in familiar fashion, as Kyle Schwarber got a hold of one in the eighth from Aaron Bummer and sent it to the Chop House for a typical Schwarber bomb that made it 6-2. Fortunately, that’s how it ended! Robert Suarez finished things off in a non-save situation in order to put the Phillies right back in the “L” column after a one-night respite.
The Braves and Phillies won’t see each other again until September, which makes it all-the-more sweeter that the Braves have already banked five wins in six opportunities against them. If the Phillies eventually wake up and start trying to seriously dig themselves out of this early-season hole, they’ll have to do it while relying on other teams helping them out against the Braves.
That is going to be a tough task in itself since the Braves have continued to rack up the wins. They’re the first team to reach 20 wins this season and although the Padres an Dodgers have gotten off to just as good of a start so far, it’s still just really nice to see that nice, round number on the leaderboard. This upcoming week could be tricky with the Tigers bringing in the top of their rotation for a three-game series starting on Tuesday and then going to Colorado is always an unpredictable situation (even if the Rockies are bad like usual).
With that being said, the Braves still have some breathing room to play with in the division with their scalding-hot start to the season. They’re already 10 games clear of both the Phillies and the Mets and earlier on in this 13-game NL East Gauntlet, the Braves took care of both the Marlins and the Nationals as well. The Braves are going to eventually slow down but their quality of play seems to indicate that whatever valleys they may reach likely won’t be as deep as they had been in both 2024 and 2025. That middle game against the Phillies was a great example, in my opinion — Atlanta didn’t play all that well and they still had a shot to keep the game going in the tenth inning with one swing of the bat. If you’re winning a ton of games and your losses look like that, that’s a sign that things are really clicking for you.
Hopefully they continue to click like this, since this is certainly a lot more fun than how things started last season. Atlanta didn’t win their 20th game of the season until May 12 and they didn’t go over .500 for the first time until nearly a week after that. That one day over .500 was all they had last season — now, this appears to be a matter of just how high and far the Braves can get over .500 this season. It’s a much better situation, isn’t it, folks?
Following a rough start against the Astros on Sunday afternoon in which he surrendered six runs on five hits and three walks in four innings including a pair of early two-run homers, Luis Gil has been demoted to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre. It is the second time this season he has been optioned to the RailRiders this season after getting sent down out of spring training when the Yankees’ schedule allowed for a four-man rotation for the first two weeks. He must remain there for a minimum of 15 days, meaning the earliest he can be called up is May 11th.
The move comes as no surprise given the impending returns of Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole from elbow surgery rehab and Gil’s poor form to start the campaign. Although he appeared to right the ship with 6.1 scoreless innings against the Red Sox at the start of the week, this latest stinker means he is 1-2 in four starts with a 6.05 ERA, 8.43 FIP, -0.4 fWAR, and more walks (11) than strikeouts (9).
Gil’s fastball velocity is still about two mph below his AL Rookie of the Year campaign in 2024. Even more than the velocity, he hasn’t show the ability to command any of his pitches. This means his walk rate is creeping toward a career worst while also giving up almost three home runs per nine innings. He would certainly be served by an extended period to work on his mechanics in a lower pressure environment. As David Cone mentioned on the latest broadcast, Gil is throwing from a lower arm slot and cross firing instead of striding toward home plate, and you wonder how much he is continuing to compensate for the serious lat injury that cost him more than half of 2025.
Following today’s game, the Yankees optioned RHP Luis Gil to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
That being said, it was always inevitable that Gil’s name would be the first called for a potential demotion out of the starting rotation as Rodón and Cole near their returns. Rodón is the nearer of the two to his season debut after an offseason procedure to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow. He tossed 4.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts in his rehab start with the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades on Friday. He will likely require at least a couple more rehab appearances after throwing 65 pitches, but could theoretically be built up to join the major league team before Gil’s option window is up. Ryan Yarbrough could also make a spot-start if needed.
The Yankees are taking it more cautiously with the final stages of Cole’s Tommy John rehab. He has been up and down in his pair of rehab starts to date and will likely be a month behind Rodón’s timetable.
Going forward, it is hard to envision what Gil’s role could be on the major league roster. Will Warren and Ryan Weathers are clearly ahead of him in the rotation pecking order, and assuming health, one of that pair will have to be displaced once Cole returns. Gil’s issues with walks and the long ball make him a less than ideal candidate for the bullpen. And even then, it’s difficult to see him displacing Brent Headrick or Jake Bird at the moment while Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn do not have any minor league options remaining and would have to be DFA’d if Gil were to take their spot. For now, the focus for Gil should be to keep his head down and get his delivery right in the minors.
This series wasn’t going to be easy, we all knew that before it began.
And when Shōta Imanaga had a 32-pitch first inning in which he allowed a pair of walks and three runs, that made the Cubs’ task that much more difficult.
That, and the fact that the Cubs again had RISP issues, going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and leaving 12 men on base, led to a 6-0 loss to the Dodgers, and the home-standing L.A. team took the series.
The first two Cubs got on base, Nico Hoerner on a single and Alex Bregman by walk, but they were stranded when Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki struck out and Carson Kelly grounded out.
Then the Dodgers worked those three runs off Imanaga in the bottom of the inning, the key hit a two-run double by Miguel Rojas.
The Cubs again had a chance in the second inning, when Michael Busch led off with a double. One out later, Matt Shaw walked. The runners moved up to second and third on a wild pitch, an excellent scoring opportunity with just one out, and Pete Crow-Armstrong then walked to load the bases.
The Dodgers extended the lead to 4-0 in the sixth on an RBI single by Dalton Rushing, and that was it for Imanaga, who threw 100 pitches, striking out six. He also walked three, which is unusual for him. More from BCB’s JohnW53:
This was only the fifth of Imanaga’s 60 career starts in which he walked at least three batters. The last was April 15 of last year. He walked four only once, on Opening Day of last season vs. the Dodgers in Tokyo. This was his 29th start since then.
The Dodgers scored a fifth run in that sixth inning, charged to Imanaga, on a throwing error by Kelly. And they added a sixth run, in the seventh, on a solo homer by Shohei Ohtani.
Yacksel Rios, another of Jed Hoyer’s minor-league signings over the winter, threw two scoreless innings of relief, his first MLB appearance since he posted a 37.80 (!) ERA for the A’s in 2023. At this point the Cubs will take any sort of relief help they can get. Rios likely gets DFA when Phil Maton is ready to return, I’d think.
So at least the Cubs outfield defense is still doing its job.
All told, the pitching wasn’t great, but the Cubs also missed several good scoring opportunities in leaving those 12 runners on base. Beyond that I don’t have much more to say about this one — just hoping the Cubs can start taking better advantage of the scoring opportunities that they have actually had. One last note on all those runners from John:
The Cubs had played only 17 previous games since 1901 in which they were shut out and left at least 12 runners on base in a nine-inning game.
The most recent of those had been Aug. 22, 2011, in a 3-0 loss to the Braves at home. The Cubs left 15, tying the record for their most in such a game, set in the first of its kind, at Boston on May 11, 1905.
The last on the road before Sunday had been vs. the Braves, too, by 2-0 at Atlanta on June 22, 2009. They had a dozen LOB that day.
Until Sunday, the Cubs never had been blanked by the Dodgers, home or road, while stranding at least 12. Besides the two games with 15, there had been six with 13 and nine with 12.
The Reds also lost Sunday (as did the Cardinals and Pirates, the latter of whom lost to the Brewers), so the Cubs remain one game out of first place in the NL Central.
The Cubs head to San Diego to play a three-game series against the Padres beginning Monday evening. Matthew Boyd will start the series opener for the Cubs and Randy Vasquez will go for San Diego. Game time Monday is 8:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
The Buffalo Sabres ripped off a four-goal first period and never looked back en route to a 6-1 win over the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Sunday, April 26.
Peyton Krebs, Josh Doan, Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch all had a goal and an assist, while Zach Benson and Beck Malenstyn also scored for Buffalo. The Sabres takes a 3-1 series lead back home for Game 5 on Tuesday, April 28, after claiming back-to-back victories in Boston.
Krebs netted the opening goal only 4:17 into the first and it was 3-0 less than 10 minutes into the game.
The early flurry was more than enough offense to back goaltender Alex Lyon, who made 23 saves and held a shutout until Boston's lone goal by Sean Kuraly with 40 seconds left in the third.
Boston's Jeremy Swayman allowed six goals on 29 shots before Joonas Korpisalo entered in relief for the final 13:19.
In the midst of falling into a 4-0 deficit in the first period of a playoff game for the first time ever, the Bruins lost Viktor Arvidsson to an upper-body injury after he was hit by Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson.
Buffalo had a 19-5 shot advantage and eight high-danger scoring chances in the opening period.
Krebs scored Buffalo's first game-opening goal of the series. A turnover led to Tuch creating the scoring chance, firing a no-look pass to his oncoming winger for a wrister from the slot.
Just two seconds after Boston killed off a penalty, Doan made it a 2-0 game by deflecting Ryan McLeod's centering pass from the right goal line to the top of the crease at 7:10.
Benson added to the tally only 2:05 later. After picking defenseman Jordan Harris' pocket along the left wing, he drove hard to the net and snuck a backhand shot five-hole on Swayman.
Byram's third goal in three games capped off the four-goal period with 5:36 left. The defenseman took a pass from partner Owen Power down the left side and scored across the grain past a diving Swayman.
Two goals in a span of 84 third-period seconds put an exclamation point on Buffalo's win.
Starting the quick-fire sequence, Jordan Greenway's point shot took deflections off Tyson Kozak and then Malenstyn on its way past Swayman at 5:08. Malenstyn made the ultimate tip from between the circles.
Tuch finalized the Sabres' scoring to make it 6-0 at 6:32, slotting home Tage Thompson's feed from behind the net.
Kuraly scored on the rebound of Andrew Peeke's point shot for the lone Bruins goal, which came short-handed.
Apr 10, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati mascot Mr. Redlegs poses for a photo before the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
There was a time on Sunday afternoon where the fates seemed to be doing just about everything they could to push the Cincinnati Reds to yet another improbable victory.
That wasn’t true of the Top of the 1st. Reds starter Rhett Lowder was tagged for three hits and a walk in a 30 pitch inning to begin his day, the big swing being a 2-run double off the bat of Kerry Carpenter that nearly cleared the bases. Cincinnati, despite coming into this one with a chance for a series sweep, was immediately in a hole.
Trailing, though, is something that just seems to be part of what this team has become in 2026. Falling behind early and working their way back in gradual fashion is now just part of their ethos. And, once again, Sunday saw them grind their way back with single runs in the Bottom of the 2nd, Bottom of the 4th, and Bottom of the 5th to eventually claim a 5-2 lead as Lowder settled in and once again looked like the budding rotation cog that we know he can be.
Problem was, though, that Lowder’s early grind meant he reached 94 pitches after clearing 5 IP, and that turned things over to the Cincinnati Reds bullpen. Despite their brilliant work to begin this season, Sunday simply was not their day.
Brock Burke managed to scatter a trio of Tigers on the bases without allowing a run in the 6th, though Sam Moll wasn’t quite so lucky when he was tagged for a homer by Hao-Yu Lee that flipped the scoreboard. It was Lee’s first career dinger, but wasn’t the final big blast of the day for the Tigers by any stretch of the imagination. Spencer Torkelson homered for the fifth straight game with a blast off Pierce Johnson in the 7th only for Gleyber Torres to put the game completely on ice wit his 2-run blast off Jose Franco in the Top of the 8th.
That put the Reds in an 8-3 hole that they would not climb out of on the day.
Other Notes
Nick Lodolo breezed through 5 scoreless frames on his first rehab start with High-A Dayton on Sunday. He was originally slated to only through 4 IP, but was so pitch efficient that they rolled him back out there for another breeze of an inning. If his blistered finger can hold up for another five days, methinks he’ll potentially only need one more rehab start before returning to the Cincinnati rotation.
Nate Lowe homered again, his fourth of the three-game series. He’s good, the Reds are better off when he’s in the lineup, and I suppose that’s a good problem to have.
JJ Bleday made his Reds debut in this one with a start in LF. He homered and walked before being platooned with Dane Myers, but his efforts were good enough to take home today’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game. Welcome to Cincinnati, JJ!
The Reds have a day-off at home in Cincinnati on Monday before opening a three-game series in GABP against the Colorado Rockies. Chase Burns will start the series opener, which is set for 6:40 PM ET.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 26: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up before game four of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid will make his series debut in Game 4 against the 76ers, after previously being listed as doubtful. Embiid missed the first three games of the series as he continues to recover from an emergency appendectomy surgery on April 9th.
Embiid was upgraded to questionable and went through his full warm-up. Philadelphia made him available about 30 minutes before tip-off.
Embiid will take some of the minutes away from Adem Bona, who has been starting this series, and Andre Drummond, who has been playing the majority of backup big minutes.
Joel Embiid will make his debut in Game 4
Embiid averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game this season, while shooting 48.9% from the field and and 33.3% from three.
Nick Nurse said pregame he did not know whether Embiid would be on a minutes restriction if he did become available.
Pregame, Joe Mazzulla declined to get into how different the Celtics’ game plan would be if Embiid did play, but Neemias Queta did say on Saturday that Philadelphia would get a boost if the big man made his return.
“One of the best players the last couple of years, so it can only be better than them when he’s out there helping,” said Neemias Queta. “I’m not really worried about that yet, nothing confirmed about it yet. But until then, we’re worried about what’s confirmed. But he’s a hell of a player, and he can make them a lot better. We’ll embrace the challenge if he comes.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 26: Justin Wrobleski #70 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium on April 26, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers took the three-game series from the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, as Justin Wrobleski and the bullpen held the Cubs silent in a 6-0 shutout win.
For a second straight game, Nico Hoerner led off the game with a base hit, and the Cubs put two men on with only one out against Wrobleski. The left-hander got Seiya Suzuki to strike out swinging and induced a ground ball out from Carson Kelly to get out of the two-on, two-out jam.
The Dodgers had runners at the corners with one out in the bottom of the first inning after Shota Imanaga walked both Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández, setting up an RBI opportunity for Andy Pages. A sacrifice fly gave him his 25th RBI of the season before Kyle Tucker and Miguel Rojas both connected for a pair of two-out doubles to plate a pair of runs and give the Dodgers a three-spot in the first.
Chicago responded with a leadoff double from Michael Busch in the top of the second inning, followed by a pair of walks to Matt Shaw and Pete Crow-Armstrong to load the bases with only one out and bring up the potential go-ahead run in the form of Hoerner. Wrobleski got him chasing at a high fastball on a full count for the second out and got Alex Bregman swinging to leave the bases loaded and keep the Cubs scoreless.
It was a laborious start for Wrobleski compared to his other starts in April, as he had a pitch count at 51 over his first two innings. He settled down over his next two innings, only allowing a two-out baserunner in each while tossing a combined 21 pitches. Wrobleski had just five strikeouts over his last two starts, yet managed to strike out five over his first seven outs on Sunday.
Wrobleski later put the leadoff man on in both the fifth and sixth innings, but managed to work around both baserunners to complete another six shutout innings. His four walks on the game are his most in a start since his first of the year against Toronto, but he registered a season-high six strikeouts on a career-high 109 pitches, the most by any Dodgers starter this season.
Craig Counsell decided that he wanted Imanaga back out for the bottom of the sixth inning after keeping the Dodgers silent since the three-run first inning. The decision backfired as Pages and Tucker reached on a double and a walk respectively, and Dalton Rushing picked up his second RBI single in as many games on pitch no. 100 from Imanaga to make it a four-run game and knock the Cubs southpaw out of the game.
Left-hander Hoby Milner took over for Imanaga, and his very first pitch got away from Carson Kelly. Kelly tried to get Tucker napping off of third base, but he sent the ball into the left field allowing him to score and make it a five-run game.
Shohei Ohtani added a sixth run for the Dodgers with an opposite field home run against Miller to begin the bottom of the seventh inning. It was his first extra-base hit in six games and his first home run since he took Jacob deGrom deep on April 12. After having recorded two hits over his last 19 at-bats dating back to Tuesday, Ohtani’s three-hit game marked his first multi-hit game since Monday as well.
Edgardo Henríquez and Jack Dreyer made their second appearances of the series, both working around a leadoff baserunner while keeping the Cubs off the scoreboard. Kyle Hurt came in for his second consecutive appearance, and he needed all of five pitches to send the Cubs to their 13th consecutive scoreless inning at the plate and give the Dodgers their second shut out win over their last four games.
The Dodgers welcome in the Miami Marlins as they begin a three-game series at home on Monday (7:10 p.m. PT). While the Dodgers have yet to announce their starter, Chris Paddack goes for Miami.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 26: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots a three point basket during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers during Round 1 Game 4 of the 2026 Playoffs on April 26, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs found themselves down by over 15 points for the second consecutive game. Much like they did in Game Three, the Spurs exploded in the second half, outscoring the Trail Blazers 73-35 after halftime to win Game Four 114-93. It was the largest playoff win by a team trailing by 15+ at halftime.
San Antonio was propelled by its All-Stars, De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama. Fox led all scorers with 28 points on an efficient 11-17 shooting from the field, while adding in 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal. Wembanyama was a major difference maker on the defensive end, keeping Portland from getting good looks in the paint. In his first game back after clearing concussion protocol, Wembanyama had 27 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals, and 7 blocks.
Portland made things tough in the first half, especially in the second quarter, when they shot 58% to build a 19-point lead. Deni Advija led the Trail Blazers with 26 points on 8-14 shooting.
The Spurs have taken a 3-1 lead in the series. They’ll head back to San Antonio for Game Five on Tuesday, where they will look to advance to the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
Observations
Mitch Johnson should get a lot of credit for the Spurs’ turnaround. He used familiar lineups and strategies in the second half to pull ahead. He encouraged the team to pick up the pace offensively, which led to easy baskets while the Blazers struggled to get back. He relied on his guards and veteran experience to bring the team back. Harrison Barnes played more, Carter Bryant sat, and used Luke Kornet only in brief stints to give Wembanyama a short break.
Stephon Castle picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter. Johnson trusted him to play in foul trouble, and the gamble worked out. Castle was everywhere in the third quarter and made a big impact in his second-half minutes. He didn’t collect his 5th and final foul until the fourth quarter. Castle had 16 points and 8 assists in the win.
Wembanyama’s defense was huge in the second half. San Antonio outscored Portland 52-38 on Sunday. When they couldn’t get clean looks inside, they were forced to shoot contested threes. The Trail Blazers shot 10-31 (32%) from three.
The Spurs won the turnover battle, 18-13. They scored 29 points off turnovers, while Portland scored 18.
The Blazers battle back at the end of the fourth quarter, cutting a 20-point lead down to 12 points late. That run was ignited by some disruptive play by former Spur Sidy Cissoko.
The game was effectively over when Castle got a technical foul for putting the ball in Avdija’s chest after an and-1 layup. Those two have been physically competing all series long. That felt like a boiling-over point from Castle. It was probably an immature moment from the second-year man, but hey, those are the emotions of playoff basketball.
Scoot Henderson went scoreless on 0-7 shooting in his 27 minutes. Henderson has been a major difference maker in the first three games, but had a tough one on Sunday.
There were Go Spurs Go chants echoing in the Moda Center in the final minutes of the game.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 26: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Toronto Raptors during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The stats in the table below are taken from Cleaning the Glass. As a note, the percentiles are in comparison to other playoff games, which influences the sample size.
Offensive Rating
Effective Field Goal Percentage
Offensive Turnover Percentage
Offensive Rebounding Percentage
Free Throw Rate
Cavs
91.8 offensive rating, 3rd percentile
42.5%, 4th percentile
18.6%, 16th percentile
30.5%, 59th percentile
17.2, 33rd percentile
Raptors
95.9, 5th percentile
34%, 0th percentile
12.4%, 70th percentile
40%, 92nd percentile
27.8, 82nd percentile
Now, let’s dive into the numbers.
The Raptors had the lowest field-goal percentage (32%) from a postseason game winner since 1970, credit to Justin Russo. Toronto went just 31-97 from the field.
If you go before the three-point era, this was the fourth-lowest field-goal percentage from a team that won a playoff game, credit to Justin Thomas.
Jakob Poeltl is the only Raptor who had more makes than misses, going 4-7 from the field.
Toronto went just 4-30 from three (13.3%). Unsustainably hot outside shooting carried the Raptors to the Game 3 victory. Their regression to the mean was harsh as they couldn’t buy a basket from deep.
The Raptors had 10 more shot attempts than the Cavs. This is due to Cleveland losing the turnover and offensive rebounding battle. In a game where neither team could establish an offensive rhythm, the one that had more chances wound up the winner.
Toronto had 21 offensive rebounds, grabbing 40% of their misses (92nd percentile). This led to the Raptors outscoring Cleveland 19-7 on second-chance points.
Cleveland turned it over 18 times compared to Toronto’s 12. The Raptors won the points-off-turnovers battle 17-7.
The Cavs shot an abysmal 15-23 from the line (65.2%). On a day they couldn’t generate any offense, they also couldn’t convert the freebies that they got. Jarrett Allen struggled most, going 1-4.
James Harden turned it over seven times. This was the second time in as many games he’s had more turnovers than field goals (six).
Donovan Mitchell scored 20 or fewer points for the second game in a row. He finished with 20 points on 6-24 shooting (25%). In the regular season, the Cavs were 7-11 when he played and scored 21 or fewer points and 25-9 when he scored 30 or more. In the playoffs, the Cavs won both games he’s scored at least 30 and have lost both games he’s registered fewer than 21.
Mitchell went 0-4 in shots at the rim and 2-10 in shots in the paint overall.
Only 28% of the Cavs’ shots came at the rim (33rd percentile). Getting to the basket is still the most efficient way to score. The Raptors have kept Cleveland from getting there. The Cavs went just 13-22 (59%) on shots in the restricted area.
Cleveland registered just an 80 half-court offensive rating (9th percentile). The Cavs were outstanding in the half-court since the Harden trade in the regular season. That didn’t carry over to Game 4 as they couldn’t generate any consistent offense with their stagnant sets.
The Cavs were outscored 17-11 in the final five minutes. The Cavs went just 2-10 from the field with a turnover in that span. Sam Merrill accounted for both field goals.
Collin Murray-Boyles outscored Cleveland’s front-court 15 to 11, credit to NBACentral. The Cavs are paying $66.3 million for their starting front-court duo. Murray-Boyles is making 10% of that.
Allen, with five points, failed to register double-digit points for the seventh time in 22 playoff games with the Cavs. Allen’s aggression and activity have consistently fallen off in the postseason. He came into this game averaging 12.8 points per playoff game with the Cavs after averaging 14.8 across six regular seasons with the team.
Evan Mobley, with eight points, failed to register double-digit scoring in a playoff game for the fifth time in his career.
The Cavs won the 28 minutes Dean Wade was on the court by 11 and lost the 20 he sat by 16. Wade wasn’t great offensively in this game, but he was still a net positive because of his defense on Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. The fact that the Cavs have struggled in the minutes without him isn’t surprising because they have no one capable of guarding Toronto’s wings. The lack of playable wings continues to hurt the Cavs in the playoffs.
The Cavs’ bench outscored the Raptors’ 32-19. Cleveland’s role players weren’t necessarily great, but they weren’t the reason the Cavs lost this one. The blame falls on the stars. Merrill (14 points), Jaylon Tyson (nine points), and Dennis Schroder (eight points) provided some scoring for that group.
The Cavs are now 3-10 on the road in the playoffs in the Mitchell era. Two of those wins came against the Miami Heat in the first round last season. They’re now 1-10 on the road against playoff teams that finished the regular season over .500.
The Los Angeles Lakers will try to sweep the Houston Rockets in their first-round playoff series. The Lakers will advance to the second round with one more victory. Kevin Durant will be sidelined in Game 4 for the Rockets — the third game he has missed in the series.
How to watch Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets
TORONTO (AP) — Scottie Barnes hit the go-ahead free throws in the final minute and scored 23 points, Brandon Ingram also added 23 points and the Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 on Sunday, tying the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at two games apiece.
The best-of-seven series shifts to Cleveland for Game 5 on Wednesday.
RJ Barrett scored 18 points and Collin Murray-Boyles had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who won despite shooting 4 for 30 from 3-point range.
Barnes added nine rebounds and six assists.
Donovan Mitchell scored 12 of his 20 in the fourth quarter and James Harden added 19, but the Cavaliers couldn’t overcome an 18-turnover performance.
Mitchell missed two shots in the final 25 seconds, including a 3-pointer that would have tied the game. He finished 6 for 24 overall and made 4 of 12 shots from long range.
Sam Merrill scored 14 points and Jarrett Allen had 15 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were outscored 10-2 in the final 1:54 of the fourth.
With NBA commissioner Adam Silver in attendance, both teams struggled from 3-point range. Cleveland finished 10 for 40 from distance, including 5 of 10 in the fourth.
SPURS 114, TRAIL BLAZERS 03
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks in his return from a concussion, and San Antonio took a 3-1 lead in their first-round series against Portland Trail with a victory.
De’Aaron Fox added 28 points for the Spurs, who will return home to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday night.
The Spurs trailed the Blazers by 17 points at the half, but the game was knotted at 74 going into the fourth quarter. Fox and Keldon Johnson hit back-to-back 3-pointer to put the Spurs up 90-77 with 7:14 left.
Johnson’s dunk with 4:31 left made it 101-81 for San Antonio and all but sealed the win.
Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 26 points. There was tense moment with 2:13 left when Avdija and Stephon Castle exchanged shoves. They were given offsetting technical fouls.
Thunder vs Suns best bet: Dillon Brooks Over 18.5 points (-105)
While the Oklahoma City Thunder can probably start crafting their game plan for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns should at least go down swinging.
Consider that a compliment.
Phoenix has been a delightful surprise this season. There is no shame in the No. 8 seed getting swept by the defending champions.
However, there would be shame in not playing through the whistle.
If anyone can promise that effort until the final whistle — something the Denver Nuggets could clearly learn from — it is Dillon Brooks. The Brooks-related headline has been that he has scored 30+ points in each of his last two games, averaging 27 points per game in this series.
The actual stat to note is that he has taken at least 21 shots in each game of the series. Meanwhile, Devin Booker has not taken more than 17 shots in a game. Brooks has taken a total of 19 more shots than the Suns’ cornerstone has, a reality created intentionally by the Thunder.
No matter how much he might want to chuck, Booker simply doesn’t have those openings. Oklahoma City is quite content to let him heave.
Brooks’s volume has a competitive ceiling, while a fully-engaged Booker could tilt any game against any opponent. Expect that defensive blueprint to indulge Brooks one more time before his offseason commences.
Thunder vs Suns same-game parlay
Booker dished out seven assists in Game 3 while taking only 16 shots. When one of the best pure scorers in the NBA goes just 6-for-16 from the field, it’s a clear reflection of the opposing defensive intention.
The five-time All-Star should lean even further into his playmaking; it may be frustrating to acquiesce to Oklahoma City’s defensive approach, but generating better looks for the Phoenix offense as a whole should take priority.
Doing so should give the Suns one last gasp before the beach nears.
Thunder vs Suns SGP
Dillon Brooks Over 18.5 points
Devin Booker Over 5.5 assists
Suns 1H +6
Our "from downtown" SGP: 1, 2, 3, Cancun!
Consider this to be the tune of, “1, 2, 3 — slight pause — Cancun!”
In front of a home crowd with three shooters in the backcourt, the Suns should start Game 3 competitively... but when reality becomes inevitable, Phoenix’s focus and drive will wander.
Margaritas await.
Thunder vs Suns SGP
Dillon Brooks Over 18.5 points
Suns 1H +6
Thunder -10.5
Thunder vs Suns odds for Game 4
Spread: Thunder -10.5 (-110) | Suns +10.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Thunder -500 | Suns +375
Over/Under: Over 213.5 (-110) | Under 213.5 (-110)
Thunder vs Suns betting trend to know
Across the last three years, Oklahoma City is 7-4 ATS in the first round. Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. Suns.
How to watch Thunder vs Suns Game 4
Location
Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ
Date
Monday, April 27, 2026
Tip-off
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
Thunder vs Suns latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Following their 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday, the Yankees optioned right-hander Luis Gil to the minors after he struggled on the mound once again.
Outfielder Jasson Dominguez is being called up from Triple-A, according to multiple reports. (Dominguez's call-up could be the corresponding move for Gil, or could be related to Giancarlo Stanton's injury status, as the Yanks said they would make a decision on whether the DH needed a stint on the IL ahead of Monday's game against the Rangers.)
Gil lasted just four innings in New York’s series finale in Houston and allowed six earned runs on five hits, including two home runs, three walks and a hit by pitch.
“His velocity was there, his pitch movement was there, but, unfortunately, we missed locations and those guys in the other clubhouse didn’t miss,” said catcher J.C. Escarra. “Two big home runs there with men on base.”
Through four starts this season, the 27-year-old is 1-2 and owns a 6.05 ERA (1.34 WHIP) with nine strikeouts in 19.1 innings. Gil has also allowed the most home runs (six), walks (11) and earned runs (13) among Yankees starters despite pitching 12 fewer innings than anybody else on the staff.
“Just been struggling to get consistency with his, I think, delivery and fastball profile,” said manager Aaron Boone. “Again, we’ve seen flashes of it. It feels like it’s getting better in some ways and then the secondary: some good, some miss.”
The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year began the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre despite having no injury designation but failing to impress the organization enough in spring training, where he had a 4.66 ERA in six starts and allowed 20 hits, including six home runs, in 19.1 innings.
In one start for the RailRiders, Gil went 4.2 innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits and four walks. Still, the right-hander was called up on April 10 when he made his season debut against the Tampa Bay Rays and allowed three earned runs in four innings during that outing.
Since then, aside from a strong start against the Boston Red Sox, Gil has been the weak link of a very good starting rotation that ranks second in the majors with a 2.90 ERA and who has reinforcements on the way with aces Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon nearing returns from injuries.
“Just gotta pass the page on this one and concentrate on the next one,” Gil said through an interpreter after the game.
