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And it’s back to the Alamo City.
Following an intense, back-and-forth first two games of the Western Conference Finals, Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder head to San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center for a pair of high-stakes showdowns.
As of now, last-minute tickets are available for both contests.
At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for either game was $338 including fees on SeatGeek.
While pricey, this series — that pundits have billed as “the real NBA Finals” — has been nothing short of stunning thus far.
Game 1 saw a herculean effort from Victor Wembanyama, who led the Spurs to a 122-115 double-overtime victory. The 22-year-old, 7’4 French center scored 41 points, grabbed 24 rebounds and sunk a clutch three from near half court to tie the game at 108 and send the game into its second overtime.
Wow.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite as planned in Game 2. San Antonio fell behind in the second quarter and were down 11 at halftime. Although they outscored OKC in the second half and mounted a comeback, they lost 122-113.
“It’s all in the scouting,” Wembanyama said. “I have to trust the scouting. We have to trust it and do our work early. It’s straight effort. … Doesn’t mean it’s easy. We have to work through it.”
Should you attend, the Frost Bank Center will be giving away Fiesta-colored T-shirts for Game 3. The Game 4 giveaway is rally towels.
Best of all, Taco Palenque is offering free tacos to fans after every Spurs win.
Want to be there to see Wemby, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell and Julian Champagne suit up at home?
We’re here to help you, baseline bums and Spurs Jackals.
Our team has everything you need to know and more about seeing the San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 2026 Western Conference Finals games live at Frost Bank Center below.
San Antonio Spurs playoff home game tickets
All Spurs Frost Bank Center playoff home game dates and the cheapest tickets available can be found here:
San Antonio Spurs home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Game 3 Friday, May 22
$338(including fees)
Game 4 Sunday, May 24
$398(including fees)
Game 6 Thursday, May 28(if necessary)
$433(including fees)
Oklahoma City Thunder playoff home game tickets
A complete calendar, including all announced Thunder Western Conference Finals home game dates and the best prices on tickets are listed below.
Oklahoma City Thunder home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Game 5 Tuesday, May 26
$240(including fees)
Game 7 Saturday, May 30 (if necessary)
$565(including fees)
How to watch the Thunder vs. Spurs on TV
Fans hoping to catch Wemby and SGA duke it out on the tube can watch all first-round playoff games on ABC, ESPN, TNT, Prime Video, NBC, and NBA TV.
Just make sure to review your local listings before tuning in.
If you don’t have cable, your best bet may be DIRECTV.
2026 NBA playoff schedule
Been meaning to see how the postseason has shaken out?
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 19: Landry Shamet #44 of the New York Knicks celebrates during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on May 19, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 serious basketball heads I know are ecstatic. The NBA Conference Finals have delivered three thrillers so far. Last night in the West, SGA and the Thunder tied their series with another slugfest against Wemby and the Spurs. On Tuesday, throughout most of their Game One, the Knicks looked rusty while the Cavaliers rode the momentum gained from besting the Pistons in the semifinals. Then Jalen Brunson lit the burner. Outscoring the Cavs on his own, Captain Clutch erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime with a 44-11 run and steal the win, 115-104. Yet, for all of Brunson’s heroics, don’t miss Bridges’ clutch defensive and offensive contributions, and Landry Shamet’s team-high +25 in 17 minutes. The star shined most brightly, but his supporting cast carried plenty of the load.
Tonight, New York hosts a crestfallen Cleveland crew for Game Two. Inquiring minds want to know if the Ohio Players will recover from their epic collapse and steal a win at the Garden.
Donovan Mitchell remains one of the NBA’s elite playoff scorers and is capable of carrying Cleveland’s offense for long stretches. He faltered down the stretch, however, like a man who’d burned his fuel to fumes over the past week. And James Harden? Forget it. When J.B. needed a bucket, it was Harden he hunted and took to the woodshed over and over again. In addition to all the points allowed by his turnstile defense, The Beard committed six turnovers and shot 1-of-8 from deep. We hope Kenny Atkinson plans to play him a full 48 minutes tonight.
In 40 minutes, Evan Mobley logged a 15-14 double-double and three blocks, but shot nearly as poorly as Harden. Jarrett Allen managed 10 points and seven boards, but was part of a frontcourt that got clobbered all night long. The home team outscored the visitors a whopping 60-38 in the paint, which compensated for New York’s 31% efficiency from the perimeter.
Deep into Tuesday’s game, fatigue set in for the Cavaliers, and New York benefited from its long respite, showing fresh legs late. Three things will likely decide the rematch (yeah, yeah, for brevity’s sake, we’ll say three). First, turnovers: the Knicks’ defensive pressure continues to yield great dividends, generating 28 points off 21 giveaways in Game One. Second, frontcourt dominance: the good guys didn’t just score a ton in the paint, they won the boards 47-38. Third, fourth-quarter execution: coach Kenny Atkinson said the ball got “stuck” in the fourth frame, and he wasn’t lying. His club managed just 18 points while the Knicks ran circles around them.
The Knicks swept Philadelphia in the semifinals and should have done the same to the Hawks (they lost two First Round games by a combined two points). They have consistently overwhelmed opponents with rebounding, defensive pressure, and superb offensive talent. As shown on Tuesday, when they switch to bulldozer mode, they are seemingly unstoppable.
Likely starters for Cleveland: Harden, Mitchell, Dean Wade, Mobley, and Allen. For New York: Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Towns, and Robinson. The injury report is blank.
Prediction
ESPN.com likes our heroes at 72%. Wasn’t that the percentage for the last game, too? We can dig it. Expect a more aggressive Cleveland effort tonight, especially from Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen. On Tuesday, each team shot below 33% from deep. We’ll get better from New York tonight, now that they are back in rhythm. Josh Hart brought a lot of wild, haphazard energy, resulting in a team-worst -23, but he should be more focused tonight. OG Anunoby could not throw a basketball into the ocean, shooting 2-of-9 and 1-of-6 from deep. He will prove that he is a better shooter than that sometime during this series. Finally, Karl-Anthony Towns seemed most befuddled after a long break (seven turnovers…) but still managed a 13-13 double-double and a +13. Once all these guys return to Round Two form, the Cavs might just hide beneath their bench. Look for less tomfoolery from our gang and, despite a few runs by Cleveland, a win by 8.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (1-0) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1) Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026 Time: 8 PM ET Place: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NY TV: ESPN Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
May 20, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Paul Sewald (38) celebrates with catcher Adrian del Castillo (25) after beating the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
Dominic Smith is the 6th Braves player in the divisional era (1969) with an over-the-wall HR AND either an inside-the-park or Little League HR (non-HR PA scored on) in the same game, joining:
7/27/93 Fred McGriff (ITP) 7/18/86 Andres Thomas 5/1/79 Gary Matthews Sr. (ITP) 6/26/77… pic.twitter.com/JAuLeGCKHt
Turns out, babies are as soft and delicate as they look. Babies may have more bones than the average fully-grown human, but they definitely won’t be doing any stunts anytime soon. Babies are born with a cartilaginous structure in their knees that will eventually develop into kneecaps by the time they are four years old.
The smallest ocean is the Arctic ocean.
It is also the shallowest and the coldest ocean among the world’s five ocean basins. The Arctic ocean is about 1.5 times the size of the United States.
A double rainbow is a mirror image of the first rainbow.
A double rainbow forms when a raindrop has two reflections where one reflection will be at an angle of 42 degrees. However, the sun’s reflection may also cause a second image off the back of the raindrop.
Spencer Strider only made his season debut at the beginning of this month, but he's been lights out. The right-hander owns a 2.45 ERA through three starts, and he's struck out 18 hitters in 14 2/3 innings of work. While Strider finished with just four Ks last time out, he cashed the Over in his two other appearances, and both were on the road.
The Miami Marlins are 12th in team strikeouts, and they're averaging 9.67 punchouts over their previous three contests. Strider hasn't faced many of these Marlins hitters before, but his swing-and-miss stuff is evident right now. He'll rack up the Ks in the series finale here.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: BravesVision, Marlins.TV
Ronald Acuna Jr. Over 0.5 runs (-106)
Ronald Acuna Jr. just returned from injury, and he's made an immediate impact for the Atlanta Braves. The slugger has four runs across his last two games, and he's hit the Over in runs scored in four straight. Acuna had two walks and a hit in the series opener against the Fish, and he registered another base knock on Wednesday.
The Venezuelan will be licking his chops ahead of tonight's matchup, too. He'll face Sandy Alcantara, against whom he's hitting .342 (13-for-38) with four doubles, a triple, two home runs, and two RBI. He's also drawn eight walks vs. Alcantara, and the Braves are hitting .270 with RISP.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Braves.Vision, Marlins.TV
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 RBI (+187)
The Toronto Blue Jays take on the New York Yankees again tonight, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be biting at the bit to step up to the plate. Carlos Rodon takes the hill, and Guerrero is 11-for-18 lifetime against the lefty with seven RBI. He's driven in a run in each of the first two games of this series as well.
The slugger's last three RBI have all been on the road, where he's notched 13 of his 22 RBIs on the year. Rodon has had serious trouble getting Guerrero out, and it's common knowledge that the 27-year-old typically swings it well against the Bronx Bombers overall.
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, YES
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 34-62, +3.65 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. 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.
Apr 21, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) looks on against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first period during game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
There is only one former Ohio State Buckeye left in the NHL Playoffs.
Montreal goaltender Jakub Dobeš has played a major role in the Canadiens advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals after outlasting both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres in seven game series in the first two rounds.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, Sam Montembeault was the top goaltender for Montreal after starting 60 games last season, earning 31 wins and posting a 2.82 goals against average in the regular season. Montembeault didn’t live up to expectations over the first two months of the season, allowing 41 goals in the 13 games he appeared in.
Eventually Montreal would turn to Dobeš, who is still considered a rookie after starting 15 games during the regular season last year, and two games in the playoffs. The former Buckeye impressed in December and January, going 10-2-1 over those two months.
By the time Montreal and the rest of the NHL took some time off in February to break for the Olympics, it was clear Dobeš was the top goalie for the Canadiens.
Once the teams reconvened after the Olympics concluded, Dobeš picked up right where he left off, going 7-3 in March, with a 2.21 goals against average during the month. By the time the regular season ended in middle of April, Montreal was three points shy of tying the Buffalo Sabres for the Atlantic Division title, settling for third place in the division after tying the Tampa Bay Lightning with 106 points.
With the odd NHL Playoff format which pits the second and third place teams in each division against each other, the Lightning and Canadiens squared off in the first round of the playoffs. Had the NHL adopted a normal format which gave the division winners the top two seeds and then seeded the rest of the eight teams in the conference in order of most points, Montreal would have been the fourth seed and playing Boston in the first round.
Tampa Bay and Montreal put on a classic seven-game series, with the teams alternating wins and each game being decided by one goal. The first three games of the series went to overtime, with Dobeš and the Canadiens taking two of those three contests.
With the series tied 2-2, Dobeš stood on his head in Tampa, saving 38 of the 40 shots he faced as Montreal took a 3-2 lead in the series with a 3-2 victory in regulation.
The Canadiens had a chance to send end the series in Montreal in Game 6 but Tampa Bay wouldn’t allow that to happen despite an outstanding performance from Dobeš. The game went to overtime scoreless before the Lightning would find a winner halfway through the first overtime period. Dobeš did all he could to keep his team in the game, registering 32 saves.
Going up against veteran Andrei Vasilevskiy, Dobeš held his own in a pressure-packed Game 7 in Tampa. The Lightning peppered Dobeš with shots but the rookie was up to the task, making 28 saves in the 29 shots he faced in the 2-1 to give the Canadiens the series win.
During the seven games, Dobeš stopped 181 of the 196 shots against him. Despite being just a rookie, it became obvious that pressure wasn’t going to get the best of Dobeš.
With the win over Tampa Bay, Montreal advanced to the Conference Semifinals to battle the Buffalo Sabres, who won the Atlantic Division after not making the playoffs in over a decade. If there was a feel-good story in the NHL Playoffs this year, it was the Sabres.
Along with playing a team who many were rooting for, Montreal was the only team from Canada left in this year’s playoffs, as the country to the north hasn’t won a Stanley Cup in over 30 years.
After a back-and-forth series with Tampa Bay, the series with Buffalo was more of a roller coaster with bigger peaks and valleys. After the Sabres took the first game, Montreal responded with big wins in the second and third games of the series, where Dobeš would stop 54 of the 57 shots he faced.
The Canadiens would eventually go up 3-1 in the series before Buffalo would go on to win two of the next three games, including an 8-3 victory in Game 6, which would see Dobeš pulled in the third period after allowing six goals.
Many goaltenders might have trouble rebounding for Game 7 after such a poor performance in the previous game, but Dobeš was the reason Montreal was able to end Buffalo’s Cinderella run. The Canadiens went up 2-0 in the game before the Sabres tied the game in the third period.
For the rest of the third period and early in the first overtime period it felt like it was only a matter of time before Buffalo won the game and the series but Dobeš kept stopping pucks and was able to keep his team in the game before Alex Newhook scored the series winner.
Now Montreal will take on the Carolina Hurricanes, who were the top seed in the Eastern Conference with 113 points. Unlike Montreal, who has played the maximum of 14 games through the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Hurricanes have swept both Ottawa and Philadelphia.
The two teams have met twice in the playoffs since Carolina moved from Hartford. The Hurricanes won both of those series with the most recent being in the Conference Quarterfinals in 2006.
Should Montreal be able to move past Carolina, it would mark the first Stanley Cup Final for the Canadiens since the 2020-21 season, where they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the bubble.
The last time Montreal made the Stanley Cup Final in a normal NHL season was at the end of the 1993-94 campaign when they beat the Los Angeles Kings in five games, marking the last time a team from Canada won the Stanley Cup.
With how fundamentally sound Carolina is on the ice, Dobeš is going to need to continue to display the incredible focus he has shown in the first two rounds. Despite his lack of his experience, Dobeš looks like a seasoned veteran between the pipes.
The Hurricanes are certainly to test the former Buckeye just as much mentally as they will physically. At least Dobeš can bring some confidence into the matchup, as he won all three of his starts against Carolina during the regular season.
The Eastern Conference Finals kick off tonight in Raleigh and the winner of the series will go on to play the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche.
It’s finally game day for the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens. The two teams couldn’t have had a more different road to the Eastern Conference Final. The Hurricanes swept both the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers; they didn’t even trail once against the Senators. Meanwhile, the Canadiens needed seven games to dismiss both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres.
The Habs would do well to start strong tonight to take advantage of the fact that their opponents might be somewhat rusty after such an extended break. Carolina might need a bit of time to regain their synchronism. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are coming off an emotive Game 7 win and might still be riding that high.
Montreal couldn’t start strong in their series against the Sabres; they looked like they were still at the speed of the battle with the Bolts. This time around, though, they’re not going from a team that has a slower pace to a high-speed one. Buffalo played a fast game, and so does Carolina. What might help the Canadiens, however, is the fact that the Hurricanes' defense corps is not as offensive as the Sabres’ was.
The battle in net will be interesting. Frederik Anderson has had a great start to the playoffs; he’s 8-0 with a 1.12 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage. In 24 career games against Montreal, he has a 15-7-2 record with a 2.41 GAA and a .918 SV, but he has lost his last two games against the Canadiens this season, one by a score of 5-2 and the other by a score of 3-1.
Meanwhile, Jakub Dobes has been the Canadiens’ MVP so far in these playoffs. He’s 8-6 with a 2.52 GAA and a .910 SV. He was the goaltender who played all three regular-season games against Carolina this year and surrendered eight goals in those duels. The Czech netminder should see a lot of rubber in this series. Rod Brind’Amour’s team shoots often and from everywhere, but that’s not something that will worry the young netminder; he likes seeing a lot of action.
Up front, the Canadiens will need to be mindful of the Canes’ second line formed by Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake. The trio has racked up 31 points in eight games so far. Their first line has been quieter; Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis have combined for just 11 points in eight games. Unlike the Canadiens’ top line, however, their differential isn’t that bad; they have a combined plus-two.
In the regular season, Aho had six points against Montreal, Svechnikov five and Nikolaj Ehlers four. The former Winnipeg Jets forward is currently skating on the Canes’ third line with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook, which proves how much depth Carolina has up front.
As for the Habs, they are led by Lane Hutson, who has 14 points and Nick Suzuki, who has 13. Three players follow with nine points: Alex Newhook, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky. Most of the first line’s points have come on the power play, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, Martin St-Louis will need more from his top guns at even-strength if the Canadiens are to go to the Stanley Cup Final. At the very least, if they don’t produce, they’ll need to tighten up defensively since they have a combined minus-20 rating.
During the regular season, Suzuki, Slafkovsky, Caufield and Ivan Demidov all put up five points in three games against Carolina. Both Caufield and Suzuki had three goals each, a contribution that would go a long way in this series.
Unsurprisingly, the Hurricanes will have a morning skate at 10:30 today, while the Canadiens will not take to the ice. St-Louis will therefore keep us guessing about his lineup. There’s no doubt that Dobes will be in the net, but will Oliver Kapanen still be dressed? Will Arber Xhekaj play in this series? Less physicality is expected in this series, and perhaps Jayden Struble would be better suited to this match-up.
The game is set for 8:00 PM, and you can catch it on HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, and CBC. Jean Hebert and Garrett Rank will be officiating, while Scott Cherrey and Jesse Marquis will be the linemen. Historically, the team that wins the first game of a best-of-seven series has won the series 68.2% of the time. When the home team wins the first game, they take the series 74.7% of the time, but as we’ve seen against Buffalo, there are exceptions to the rule.
Following game 43, I did some digging and saw that every full-season Cub team going back to 2003 had at least one five-game losing streak. So while this streak feels like it came out of nowhere, it’s not all that out of the ordinary. The good Cub teams in that stretch had a streak at least this long and the bad ones did too. So there isn’t anything particularly predictive based on a five-game skid. The 2003 Cubs that didn’t do that had a 1-5 rotation that was exceptional in comparison to the league and particularly 1-3. The only other team in my lifetime when the Cubs had a rotation that dominant 1-3 was the 2016 Cubs and they managed to have a five-game skid anyway.
This game was the first one that flashed me back in a bad way. This loss felt like something straight out of the 2021 Cub season when the final unraveling of the championship group happened. You’ll recall that team actually started pretty good, though not this year good. That team was 42-33 after 75 games and looked like they might be able to make one more run. Famously, that ended with the team no-hitter in L.A. And then they immediately lost 11 straight. The notorious game of that stretch was a game in Milwaukee where the Cubs jumped out early and then cratered and ended up losing 15-7.
This flashed me back there. Not just a sweep at the hands of the Brewers, but looking totally inept. The Brewers are good. Perhaps better than the Cubs. They had the better record last season and won a playoff series from the Cubs. They have the better record now and just swept the Cubs. Frankly, you have to be pretty stubborn to make a case for the Cubs being better. The Brewers are certainly in the collective heads of these Cubs right now. This was pretty ugly. But they aren’t as much better than the Cubs as they looked in this series. These three games looked about what it might look like if you played a couple of tune-up games against your Triple-A team.
I’m not particularly a fire and brimstone guy, an advocate of closed door or player-only meetings. I think fans have given almost mythical power through the years to things that probably happen more often than we have any idea of and probably don’t have a high correlation with forward looking success. That said, I do obviously believe that a good weight room pep talk by the usually quiet team leader will always lead to a World Championship. So quiet leader better pull everyone together when the team gets to the park on Friday and gets everyone back on the same page.
All sarcasm and joking aside, there was nothing fun or funny in this one. The Cubs got their tails kicked culminating a horrible series on the backs of three not so good series. A 3-6 road trip has now become nine losses in 12 games. Almost half of the cushion the team built up has evaporated. This team needs to apply the brakes, get back to basics and start making plays defensively that they should be making and moving the line offensively like they can.
Three Positives:
Trent Thornton retired all five batters he faced, striking out two.
Hoby Milner faced four batters and retired all of them, striking out one.
Ryan Rolison faced five batters and retired all of them, striking out one.
I’m positive I’ve not singled out three relievers on any game this year. The Cub bullpen had to throw six innings and they did so allowing only one run. That’s real good against a team like the Brewers. Four hits and two walks over six, we’d be ecstatic if a starter did that. So hat tip to the collective bullpen.
Game 50, May 20: Brewers 5, Cubs 0 (29-21)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
Billy Goat: Edward Cabrera (-.254). 3 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 K (L 3-2)
Goat: Alex Bregman (-.098). 1-4
Kid: Carson Kelly (-.060). 0-3
WPA Play of the Game: David Hamilton’s Little League homer with runners on first and second and one out in the second. It was legitimately a single and three base error. I’m not sure I’ve ever watched an outfielder slump before, but this has been jarring. (.233)
Cubs Play of the Game: Nico Hoerner led off the bottom of the first with a double. (.060)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 49 Winner: Nico Hoerner 105 of 125 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Michael Busch +16
Michael Conforto +14
Nico Hoerner +12.5
Shōta Imanaga +10
Trent Thornton +6
Ryan Rolison -8
Phil Maton -9
Matt Shaw -10
Dansby Swanson -11
Seiya Suzuki -17.5
Current Win Pace: 93.96 wins
Up Next: An off day Thursday that is very much needed. Then, they face the worst team (by record) that the Cubs have seen in quite some time. The Astros are 20-31 and managed only six runs in losing two of three to the Twins in Minnesota. Jameson Taillon (2-3, 4.97, 50.2 IP) is due for the Cubs. He has lost his last two starts and was tagged for eight earned runs against the White Sox over five innings of work. He’s been significantly better at home (3.63 v 6.04) and during the day (4.15 v 6.20). So this is as good a spot for Jameson to bounce back as we can find.
As I write, the Astros haven’t yet announced their weekend rotation. But I believe this spot should fall to 26-year old Spencer Arrighetti (5-1, 1.50, 36 IP). Arrighetti would be making his seventh start of the season. The Astros have occasionally employed a six man rotation as they, like so many other teams, struggle with injuries to pitchers. The sixth-round pick of the Astros in 2021 (178th overall) out of Louisiana-Lafayette threw 7.1 scoreless innings against the Rangers last Friday. He allowed just one hit while walking four. He has 35 strikeouts in his 36 innings of work but has also walked 21. This is the kind of guy the Cubs should get to, despite his really good numbers. Some walks and a timely hit or two.
The Astros lineup has been fairly good. They rank ninth in team OPS (.725). That doesn’t drop against right-handed pitching (.728). It also doesn’t drop on the road (.748). So this is no pushover for Taillon. The problem for the Astros has been their pitching (last in ERA at 5.34). Their starting pitching has been a little less bad (5.02) but their bullpen is a mess (5.72).
This is the kind of series where the Cub strategy offensively should work. Patience and persistence. Death by a thousand paper cuts. Get their starters out, get into the pen. Their relievers still strike out a fair number of hitters, but they sport a number of unsightly ERAs and most of them allow more than a hit per inning. There are a few WHIPs north of 2.00.
May 24, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller (50) and pitcher Luis Castillo (58) interact during the sixth inning against the Oakland Athletics at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
For better, for worse, for discourse, we saw our first “piggyback” start Tuesday night. Bryce Miller, in his second appearance back from a stint on the IL, carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning versus the White Sox, looking much more 2024 than 2025. Castillo came in and gave two solid innings of relief before things fell apart in the ninth. The Mariners wound up losing the game 2-1in one of the least fun games to watch this season by far. It’s sparked plenty of discussion about what the Mariners are supposed to do with a healthy Gilbert, Kirby, Woo, Hancock, Castillo and now Miller. -NV
Nick V: I’m happy with the “piggyback” approach. I know last night, it was more Castillo out of the ‘pen than a real piggyback, but I like the idea that it’s flexible on a given night based on who’s pitching and how they’re pitching. Bryce was throwing gas and so he got to throw almost 6. But if he was starting to fade in the fourth, now Castillo gives you 4 innings. Last night was just one way it could go.
Kate: But last night was about as good as it could go minus the ninth and it was still hard on them. Did you read Bryce’s postgame comments where he said basically “Hey man, I’m just an employee here”? I just think it’s too much disruption to the starters and their routines and if they’re unhappy, they can’t do their best work. Plus, Bryce also said the whole point is to do whatever it takes to win and they didn’t even win, although that’s more on the offense I guess. But now two of your pitchers have made this sacrifice and there’s still an L on the board.
Also it must feel so crappy for whoever is getting piggybacked. Luis I think can take it in stride at this point in his career, but I’m worried this is damaging to Bryce after everything he’s been through, now he has to figure out a way to escape piggyback jail. I don’t think it’s a coincidence he took a no hitter into the fifth or sixth or wherever it was last night.
Nick: I don’t think any pitcher ever wants to come out of any game, but the point is taken. That being said, historically Bryce has averaged about 5.1 IP per start. He obviously had more in the tank last night, but that feels more an exception than a rule. I feel like the value of this approach is flexibility and mitigating risk.
Re: Bryce’s quotes, that sounds like a communication issue or a lack of a clear game plan issue by the coaching staff. They should have made it very well and clear that, for example, Bryce was never going to pitch more than six innings so empty the tank for those six innings, or whatever the plan is.
Evan: For the first time in the Dan Wilson era, I feel like the team off the field failed the players on it, and that’s very out of character for them. They’re a smart organization. They are generally more tactically sound, even if they don’t play up to it.
Eric S: It does seem like the kind of thing that lives or dies by how it’s communicated and/or sold to the starting pitchers, similar to buying into the opener approach a few seasons ago. Like no starter in their right mind prefers this approach, right? They’re all extremely confident, stubborn dudes, otherwise they would not be here pitching in MLB. They have routines, like you said. But, if team unity and buy-in by the players is strong enough, then it seems like the piggybacking approach could work as long as they actually win games. If they blow it like last night one or two more times, I’m sure they’ll have to abandon it.
Kate: I’m thinking about Bryce’s “our job is to throw however many pitches they say” comment and it strikes me how little agency there is in that statement. Which seems to directly contradict the whole “conviction” thing they drill into every starter. I’ll try to find the sticker again, Kirby has it in his locker, but it’s something like, “command, control, conviction.”
Nick: You were the one actually talking to him, though. Was his “however we need to win we will do it” seem genuine or was he hitting one of these?
Kate: I don’t doubt Bryce is willing to do whatever it takes to win, but I am not sure he thinks this is the way to win. But I might be projecting my own feelings. He was mad for sure, but I guess that could have been about the loss in general.
Connor: I think going to Ferrer for Murakami in the sixth was totally sound process.
Evan: I don’t have an issue with them using Ferrer, it just feels inconsistent with their own stated objectives. It’s weird to defer to Ferrer in the 6th but not Munoz in the 9th. That’s where if you’re doing that to “piggyback”, you lose me.
Nick: Process-wise, I agree, Connor. It’s like the whole platoon thing, I don’t like judging decisions like these based on results just because the sport is so variable, especially with how few times it happens. It is about the process. And I feel like if players are feeling a lack of agency, it’s a coaching/communication issue. I mean, even if we went to a normal pen day after 5.2, he probably is just as mad, right?
Ryan: I thought the piggyback went great honestly. I think it’s good for Miller and I think it’s the only shot Castillo has of making it to the end of the season on the roster. I’d like to see 10 Miller starts while maintaining velocity and effectiveness after each turn before letting him free.
Evan: I think this is it. I was really pondering it this morning and the only reason this makes real sense is if they are a bit skeptical of long term Bryce and just wanna walk it all the way out.
Kate: 10 starts?! That’s nearly 3 months. I think Bryce Miller would call those 10 starts his “rehab assignment.”
John: I don’t doubt Miller and Castillo find it frustrating in this moment. I’m skeptical though that the mental alteration translates ultimately to a deleterious impact on them broadly. This is Nathan Eovaldi’s career! Seth Lugo’s, Michael Wacha’s, Michael King, etc. There are tons of guys who handled a piggyback or swingman role for a while and came out of it as good or better. And Bryce was horrible last year. For as much as we hope and believe he’ll be back to his 2024 self, he dragged the team down for months when they desperately needed him.
Kate: Lugo, Wacha, King didn’t come up in an organization that tells you if you’re not going six you are actively hurting the team, though.
John: I can’t say I know what the specific instruction was, but the 2016 Mets, 2011 Dodgers, and 2013 Cardinals had their starters going longer than the Mariners did when Miller came up. The 2019 Yankees… were not doing that in fairness, lol. Just to say tho, the M’s stand out by expecting the baseline that was expected 0.5-1 generation of pitchers ago, so I’m not sure it’s so out there compared to veteran examples.
Nick: Kate, Evan, as the two of us who are probably least happy with this approach, would you rather move to Bryce Miller as the fifth starter and Castillo as a reliever? If so, what role do you see him playing? Swingman, higher leverage?
Evan: Yes. And it aligns with the positive things people saw last night from both guys. The people who feel it went well I think are expressing positivity about Castillo’s first two innings and only second ever non-start, which is super valid. I think just letting him roll with that is the way to go without being beholden to this other, less consistent ruleset they applied last night. Get the best from Bryce, the best from Luis, prioritize winning the game! And if they gotta stretch Luis back out in a few weeks, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. If you can get 4 innings from Castillo over two appearances a week as opposed to 5 innings in a start, that’s a fine trade for where we’re at.
Gotty: Luis going from 97 to 94 between innings is concerning and makes me think he’d be best suited to a one-inning role if they go the bullpen route.
Evan: Honestly, if that’s the case, even better. Dan loves 1 inning stints, why complicate anything?
Kate: I’d rather them go to a six man rotation. I understand the argument against is your best pitchers pitch less but I think because there’s no extreme cliff between the front and back end of this rotation and I would argue even the best have been very inconsistent this year it doesn’t matter in the end and might be beneficial. It does force you to a shorthanded bullpen but I think that’s solvable with Criswell, or you have a starter be a swing guy, in this case Castillo.
Evan: I actually completely agree with the six-man. I’d do one thing or the other though. Not the other third thing they tried last night.
Nick: I’m okay with that, I suppose. I think that the idea of the piggyback is you’re able to get more out of your two guys, because they have to go less often, so instead of having two of them be, on average, just okay, for a total of ⅓ of the team’s starts, you can have them max out for one of the starts. I still think that it worked, and should be given a couple more times to be explored more fully. So actually I change my mind, I think six-man is actually the worst of all worlds, honestly.
Anders: I think if you were to get an honest answer from Jerry and Dan they’d say they don’t plan to run the six man or piggyback out forever and it would probably be more convenient for them if Castillo was good and Miller and/or Hancock was not (rather than the reverse). Castillo being bad and the others being good makes it so complicated.
Fans were treated to an absolute thriller at the Garden in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and we pick back up at the Garden for Cavaliers vs. Knicks Game 2 tonight.
Our basketball experts have their favorite NBA picks for this contest, where we're cashing in on how both teams will adjust their defensive schemes.
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Jon Metler's expert pick: Jalen Brunson Over 6.5 assists
Price: +102 at bet365
Jalen Brunson fell just short for us in Game 1 with six assists, but if sportsbooks are going to repost 6.5 at plus money, I’m going right back to it. Nothing from Game 1 changed my outlook on this prop. In fact, I feel even better about it heading into tonight: Brunson consistently broke down James Harden in isolation, and it’s hard to imagine the Cleveland Cavaliers continuing to let that happen without sending more help defenders or double teams. If Cleveland adjusts defensively, it should naturally create more passing opportunities for Brunson. What really stands out is that despite taking 29 shot attempts in Game 1, Brunson still generated 12 potential assists. That’s a very strong underlying number and suggests the playmaking opportunities were there all night. I price the Over 6.5 assists closer to -165.
Jason Logan's expert pick: James Harden Over 17.5 points
Price: -120 at bet365
The New York Knicks blitzed James Harden in the first half of Game 1, sending extra defenders to force the ball out of his hands. He scored only seven points on 3-for-5 shooting and couldn’t get inside to draw fouls in the opening two frames. However, Cleveland was able to skip the ball to open hands, building a big lead in the process. New York’s crazy comeback started when it switched up its defensive scheme in the second half and played Harden straight up. He took 10 FGAs and got to the foul line six times but walked away with just eight points in the second half due to poor shooting (2 for 10). Harden’s usage jumped from 23.7% in the 1H to 29.2% in the 2H, and if the Knicks stick to what worked, Harden will get plenty of scoring opportunities — but the Cavs won’t generate so many wide-open looks. Projections are bullish on "The Beard" with most models north of his 17.5-point total, including a few on the happy side of 20 points.
Joe Osborne's expert pick: Knicks -6.5
Price: -105 at bet365
I’ll take the Knicks to pick up where they left off in Game 1. There were clear signs of rust after an eight-day layoff, yet New York still finished on top in most key statistical categories... despite trailing by 22 in the fourth quarter. Zooming out, New York leads all playoff teams in both net rating and effective field goal percentage, with eight of their nine postseason wins coming by 11+ points. Cleveland’s road efficiency has cratered, and the Cavs looked completely rattled late in Game 1, which is an enormous red flag with a raucous MSG crowd to contend with again.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. 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.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 23: Carlos Carrasco #58 pitches during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It wouldn’t be a day without a roster move, right? Right?
The #Braves today selected RHP Carlos Carrasco to the major league roster and optioned RHP Víctor Mederos to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Carlos Carrasco returns to Atlanta for the third time this season. He pitched an inning in late April and was DFAed six days later, then re-added in early May, pitched another frame, and was DFAed the next day. And, after signing a minor league deal afterwards, he’s back again. He returns to a pretty good line across garnering six outs in the majors, and he’s also been carving up minor leaguers in Triple-A, but that’s not really surprising given his age and experience.
Victor Mederos threw two garbage time innings after Chris Sale fileted / flayed the Marlins. On the plus side, he went six up, six down. On the minus side, he had an 0/1 K/BB ratio in the process, leveraging a double play to face the minimum.
This is a pretty low-stakes move just to have a fresh arm in case tonight’s game is another blowout, but they can’t all be the giant roster mishigas that happened earlier this week (with Drake Baldwin to the Injured List and Aaron Bummer getting the boot), either.
The Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins wrap up a four-game NL East set at loanDepot Park on Thursday, May 21, and I’ve got a pair of MLB picks for the series finale.
My top Braves vs. Marlins predictions call for Atlanta to eke out a low-scoring win over Miami tonight.
Who will win Braves vs Marlins today: Braves moneyline (-136)
Atlanta Braves starter Spencer Strider has allowed a single run on just four hits while holding opposing hitters to a pedestrian 27.3% hard-hit rate across his past two starts, and I’m anticipating him keeping the good times rolling against a ho-hum Miami Marlins lineup.
The Marlins rank 19th in wOBA against right-handed arms, and Miami also ranks 20th in both overall ISO and xwOBA over the past two weeks.
Of course, Atlanta has been a force at the dish all season and ranks second in both runs per game and wOBA against righties.
Braves vs Marlins Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (+100)
In addition to Strider sliding back into elite form, Miami righty Sandy Alcantara has also been excellent this season and allowed two earned runs or fewer in seven of 10 starts for a solid 3.53 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 3.31 xERA.
As a result, I’m anticipating the righty keeping the Atlanta bats off balance enough to keep this total Under the number Thursday night.
The Braves have dipped to just 4.5 runs per game with a 14th-ranked xwOBA over the past two weeks, after all.
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 21-12, +10.68 units
Over/Under bets: 12-8, +3.37 units
Braves vs Marlins odds
Moneyline: Atlanta -140 | Miami +120
Run line: Atlanta -1.5 (+125) | Miami +1.5 (-145)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-115) | Under 7.5 (-105)
Braves vs Marlins trend
The Atlanta Braves have won 35 of their last 50 away games (+21.75 Units / 36% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Marlins.
How to watch Braves vs Marlins and game info
Location
LoanDepot Park, Miami, FL
Date
Thursday, May 21, 2026
First pitch
6:40 p.m. ET
TV
BravesVision, Marlins.TV
Braves starting pitcher
Spencer Strider (1-0, 2.45 ERA)
Marlins starting pitcher
Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.53 ERA)
Braves vs Marlins latest injuries
Braves vs Marlins weather
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It has not been a banner week for Pete Crow-Armstrong.
After his caught-on-video vulgar comments made to a female fan taunting him during a game against the White Sox on Sunday, the Gold Glove Cubs center fielder made a pair of ugly errors that even he admitted were terrible, including one Wednesday in which he let a David Hamilton single bounce right by him, leading to a three-run Little League home run for the Brewers.
That came after Crow-Armstrong, the former Mets prospect traded in the Javier Baez deal in 2021, dropped a fly ball Tuesday.
“Yesterday and today are genuinely laughable,” Crow-Armstrong told reporters Wednesday after the Cubs’ 5-0 loss, their fifth straight defeat.
“One thing I can fall back on is, it’s never a lack of focus but [instead] trying too hard and trying to make up for the lack of production that I have given this team and this city.”
The 24-year-old, an All-Star last season, leads all center fielders this year with three errors, and he’s tied for second among all outfielders; the Astros’ Cam Smith has four errors.
Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong looks back after dropping a fly ball during a game against the Brewers on May 19, 2026. MLB Photos via Getty Images
His three errors already tie a career high and surpass the two he had in 156 games in 2025.
During the fifth inning Sunday, after a female fan sitting in the outfield told him “you suck,” Crow-Armstrong shockingly responded, “You suck my f–king d–k bitch.”
According to Baseball Reference, Crow-Armstrong still leads MLB in defensive wins above replacement (WAR) this season at 1.5.
He’s hitting .225 with a .659 OPS, five home runs, five doubles, two triples, 20 RBIs and 12 steals in 50 games.
Crow-Armstrong signed a six-year, $115 million contract extension with the Cubs before the season began.
The Cubs (29-21) have hit the skids and lost their NL Central lead to the Brewers (29-18) in what has been the most competitive division in baseball so far, with all five teams entering Thursday over .500.
What - Game 1 When - 8 p.m., Thursday, May 21 Where - Lenovo Center; Raleigh, NC How to Watch - TNT, truTV, HBO MAX, CBC, SN, TVAS
After an 11-day layoff, the Carolina Hurricanes will once again be playing hockey as the host the Montreal Canadiens for the opening game of the Eastern Conference Final.
The Canes got here by sweeping both the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, while the Habs went seven games with both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres.
No team left in the postseason has played fewer games and had more days off than the Hurricanes while no team has played more than the Canadiens, so it'll be a true test between rest and momentum.
The series will also see the two best netminders in the playoffs (Frederik Andersen and Jakub Dobes) go head-to-head and the difference in this one may be which guy falters first.
It'll should be a good series pitting experience and depth versus youth and top-end talent.
Streaks
K'Andre Miller (3a) has points in three straight games.
Game Notes
Carolina and Montreal are meeting for a playoff series for the third time in team histories. The Hurricanes are 2-0 (2002, 2006).
Montreal went 3-0 against Carolina in the regular season this year.
Former Habs on the Hurricanes roster include Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Mike Reilly and Nicolas Deslauriers.
Hurricanes prospects Ryan Suzuki is brothers with Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki and Justin Robidas is the son of Montreal assistant coach Stephane Robidas.
For their regular season careers, Sebastian Aho (13g, 30pts in 25gp) and Andrei Svechnikov (13g, 21pts in 20gp) are point-per-game players.
Frederik Andersen has a career record of 15-7-2 against Montreal, with a 0.918 save percentage and two shutouts.
Key Matchups
Projected Starting Goalies
Frederik Andersen: 8-0; 0.950 Sv%; 1.12 GAA
Jakub Dobes: 8-6; 0.910 Sv%; 2.52 GAA
Leading Scorers
Goals - Logan Stankoven (7) / Alex Newhook (7)
Points - Taylor Hall (12) / Lane Hutson (14)
Power Play
Carolina - 13.5% (5/37)
Montreal - 25% (13/52)
Penalty Kill
Carolina - 95% (38/40)
Montreal - 74.1% (40/54)
Hurricanes Projected Lineup
Andrei Svechnikov - Sebastian Aho - Seth Jarvis Taylor Hall - Logan Stankoven - Jackson Blake Nikolaj Ehlers - Jordan Staal - Jordan Martinook William Carrier - Mark Jankowski - Eric Robinson
Jaccob Slavin - Jalen Chatfield K'Andre Miller - Sean Walker Shayne Gostisbehere - Alexander Nikishin
Frederik Andersen Brandon Bussi
Injuries and Scratches: Mike Reilly, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nicolas Deslauriers, Pyotr Kochetkov
Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield - Nick Suzuki - Juraj Slafkovsky Alex Newhook - Jake Evans - Ivan Demidov Alexandre Texier - Phillip Danault - Josh Anderson Zack Bolduc - Oliver Kapanen - Kirby Dach
Mike Matheson - Alexandre Carrier Lane Hutson - Noah Dobson Arber Xhekaj - Kaiden Guhle
Jakub Dobes Jacob Fowler
Injuries and Scratches: Samuel Montembeault, Patrik Laine (abdomen), Owen Beck, Adam Engstrom, Brendan Gallagher, David Reinbacher, Jayden Struble, Joe Veleno, Florian Xhekaj
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Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani receives a Dodgers cap from president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman at an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Let’s go back.
It’s August 1st, 2023. The Tampa Bay Rays just defeated the New York Yankees, 5-2, and improved to 66-44 on the season. It has been a golden season for Tampa Bay as they kicked off the campaign with a 13 game winning streak and took 20 of their first 23 games to effectively establish themselves as the favorites in the American League East.
Not to say there weren’t any bumps in the road as Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen both went down early with injuries that required season ending surgery.
Still the Rays enjoyed an incredible season from Yandy Diaz and breakout campaigns from Isaac Pardes and Josh Lowe. Randy Arozarena continued to show he was the model of consistency and Brandon Lowe showcased that he was the best offensive second baseman in baseball when healthy. Role players like Jose Siri, Luke Raley, and Harold Ramirez were quietly having tremendous years. Then you also had Wander Franco who was showing that he was a future MVP candidate.
Even with Rasmussen and Springs going down, the Rays pitching staff was extremely effective. Zach Eflin, the largest free agent signing in franchise history, was having a career year. Tyler Glasnow battled through an injury to be an ace. Shane McClanahan started the All Star game for the American League.
The Rays were all but locked into the playoffs.
So, back to August 1st:
It was the 2023 trade deadline and the Rays were looking to buy. It just so happened that Shohei Ohtani, one of the greatest players in baseball history, was possibly available. The Rays were interested.
The Rays would send top prospects Junior Caminero and Carson Williams to the Angels for Ohtani. The Rays were even willing to include more to seal the deal. At the time, Caminero and Williams were ranked 1-2 in the Rays system; Camerino was 5th on Baseball America’s top 100 while Williams was 22nd.
Entering play on August 1st, Ohtani was hitting .305/.407/.680 with 39 HR, registering a 186 wRC+ over 472 PA. That was just his offensive performance, on the mound, Ohtani had a 3.43 ERA | 4.13 FIP over 120.2 IP. The Rays would effectively be acquiring one of the best hitters and pitchers in the game, four months of him was worth emptying the farm.
It was a deal that would have vaulted the Rays from playoff hopefuls to World Series favorites.
However, the Angels were 56-51. They were in 3rd place in the American League West, 4.5 games back. In the Wild Card chase, Los Angeles trailed the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox for the 3rd Wild Card spot. There was still a chance they could make the playoffs and possibly win a championship with Ohtani, a player whom they’d wasted the Hall of Fame career of thus far.
So Arte Moreno decided against Junior Caminero and Carson Williams and whatever other prospects the Rays were willing to include.
Moreno instead was going to have the Angels go for it.
In the week leading up to the deadline, the Angels made a small flurry of deals, trading away their top prospects, Edgar Quero and Ky Bush. Later on they traded away Jeremiah Jackson, Jake Madden, and Mason Albright for short term rental pieces to try and improve their roster.
So how did it all work out?
From August 1st through the end of the season, the Angels were the 2nd worst team in all of baseball, going 17-38. Los Angeles finished 4th in their division with a 73-89 record, 17 games behind the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, and 16 games back of a Wild Card spot. Shohei Ohtani dealt with separate injuries that ended his pitching season and only allowed him a handful of games offensively. He would leave that offseason and sign a $700M deal with the Dodgers just a few miles away.
The only thing the Angels received for Ohtani was the 74th overall pick in the 2024 draft due to Ohtani rejecting the team’s qualifying offer. With that pick, the Angels took Ryan Johnson, who they accelerated to the big leagues. However, he currently has a 10.17 ERA over 23 IP at the Major League level.
Meanwhile, the Rays suffered through some of the franchise’s worst moments that August as Shane McClanahan went down with an arm injury and wouldn’t pitch on a Major League mound again until April 2026.
Wander Franco, one of the best performing players in franchise history and locked into a 10-year deal, would be placed on administrative leave after accusations popped up of him being involved with a minor. Over the years, Franco has formally been arrested, charged, tried, and tried against for the crimes of which is he is accused and has not been on the Rays active roster since early August, 2023.
Despite losing two of their top performers, the Rays still won 99 games and made the playoffs as the top Wild Card team. Unfortunately, the team was a shell of it’s regular season form as they were without Brandon Lowe and were relying on untested prospects to the carry the team. Unfortunately, Jonathan Aranda, Curtis Mead, and Junior Caminero were overmatched and the Rays fell easily to the Texas Rangers.
If the Rays had Shohei Ohtani, the Series or the season may have played out differently. But given his lack of playing time down the stretch, the difference could have lacked the desired impact, short of a contract extension being signed with the club.
In the years since, Junior Caminero has developed into one of the most prolific power hitters in all of baseball. Since the start of the 2025 season, Caminero is hitting .265/.322/.529 with 58 HR, the 5th most in baseball over that stretch. The 23-year old can also be seen leading the celebration whenever another teammate succeeds as he is often at the front of the line to greet players coming back to the dugout after scoring a run. In the community, Caminero often visits local youth baseball leagues to be the highlight of a young player’s day. He has become exactly the player you want representing your team.
The real lesson here should not be about winners or losers, but instead show you that the Rays are always willing to do what it takes to compete, whether that means going all in for the right trade piece, or adapting on the field strategies to meet the needs of a roster.
Then again, if potentially the greatest player of all time is available for trade, it’s not exactly surprising for the Rays to try and make it happen, right?
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Max Holy #99 of the Houston Astros bats during the sixth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Miami Marlins at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (20-27) lost 13-1 (BOX SCORE)
Gordon started for Sugar Land but struggled allowing 8 runs over 3.1 innings. The pen allowed another 5 runs as the River Cats extended their lead. The offense was quiet night finally getting on the board in the 9th on a Biggio solo home run but that was it as Sugar Land fell 13-1.
Colton Gordon, LHP: 3.1 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
J.P. France, RHP: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Jose Fleury, RHP: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (19-22) won 2-1 (BOX SCORE)
The Hooks got the scoring started in the 2nd inning scoring a run on a Ferreras RBI double. Mayer got the start and was solid tossing 4 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts. The RockHounds tied the game in the 5th but in the 6th inning, Holy connected on a solo home run to give the Hooks the lead. The rest of the pen was solid as they closed out the 2-1 win.
Railin Perez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (SAVE)
A+: Asheville Tourists (9-31) POSTPONED
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (18-23) lost 3-2 (BOX SCORE)
Potter got the start and allowed 2 runs over 3.1 innings. The offense got on the board in the 5th inning on a Salas sac fly. The pen pitched well with scoreless outings from Cassedy and Mathiesen. Oakes tossed 4 innings in relief allowing 1 run over 4 innings while striking out 8. The offense got one run in the 9th on a Flores RBI single but that was it as the Woodpeckers fell 3-2.
Spencer Strider
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 
Brunson 7+ assists
Harden 18+ points
COVERS INTEL: Braves lefty Spencer Strider has a 
DAVID HAMILTON LITTLE LEAGUE HOME RUN 
