Long before he was striking out hitters in Yankees’ pinstripes, Carlos Rodón was mowing them down on the South Side. | (Matt Marton/Imagn Images)
The White Sox are looking to bounce back from last night’s 12-2 thumping. Standing in their way is an old friend, Carlos Rodón, who has quietly put together another strong, albeit brief, season since returning from left elbow surgery.
First, though, the Sox need a solid outing from Anthony Kay. The southpaw’s season has been a roller coaster. April was rough, May was excellent, and June has gotten off to a rocky start. The veteran definitely has an intriguing profile. His average fastball velocity of 95.5 mph ranks above average for a lefty, and his 71st-percentile chase rate shows he has the stuff to entice hitters into swinging at pitches outside the zone. The challenge has been converting those chases into outs.
Kay’s 5.65 xERA ranks among the bottom tier, and his strikeout numbers aren’t great. His 21.9% whiff rate and 17.6% strikeout rate both sit well below league average as well, meaning hitters are often making contact when they decide to swing. Against a Yankees’ lineup that demonstrated exactly how dangerous it can be when putting balls in play last night, that is not an ideal recipe.
The good news is that Kay’s 9.0% walk rate is manageable, and he generates ground balls at an above-average clip. If he can get Yankees hitters to chase while keeping the ball on the ground, the White Sox have a chance to keep this one close.
On the other side stands Rodón, whose profile is almost the exact opposite. While Kay’s underlying metrics suggest a pitcher searching for answers, Rodón’s numbers paint the picture of a legitimate front-line starter. Opponents own only a .184 expected batting average against him, ranking in the 97th percentile. He still misses bats at an elite rate, striking out 26.4% of hitters while generating a 27.8% whiff rate.
The velocity isn’t quite what White Sox fans remember from his dominant 2021 campaign. Rodón now averages 94.1 mph rather than the upper-90s heat he once featured. Yet his fastball remains one of the game’s most effective weapons, ranking in the 87th percentile in run value.
If there is a crack in Rodón’s armor, it is his control. His 14.7% walk rate ranks among the worst in baseball, and that may provide the White Sox with their clearest path to victory. Chicago has done a better job this season of grinding out at-bats and forcing pitchers to work, but that approach will be tested tonight. If the Sox come out chasing early-count pitches and expanding the zone, Rodón’s swing-and-miss arsenal could make for a very long evening. If they stay patient, force him into hitter’s counts, and capitalize on the free passes he occasionally offers, they may be able to drive up his pitch count and expose the Yankees’ bullpen.
Here is the Sox lineup that skipper Will Venable hopes can grind out some offense against Rodón.
The matchup tonight feels like a battle of opposites: Kay needs hitters to chase, while Rodón needs hitters to swing. The team that best executes its offensive approach may very well decide who walks away with the W.
First pitch is at 6:05 p.m. CST. Tune in to the TV broadcast on CHSN or listen in at ESPN Chicago AM 1000.
During a conversation with USA TODAY Sports, former BYU star AJ Dybantsa stated that he is confident he will go No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
However, in this one-on-one interview, Dybantsa also admitted that he knows there is a wide range of outcomes that can happen at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 23.
"I'm super confident in myself being the No. 1 pick. But you never know. There's been crazy stuff that happens on draft night," Dybantsa told USA TODAY Sports.
However, per Charania, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson has only visited with the Wizards and does not plan to grant any other franchise a workout. Charania reported that both players expect to hear their name called at No. 1 overall.
Dybantsa told USA TODAY Sports why he, unlike Peterson, chose to visit with both of the teams selecting at the top of the draft. The Julius Erving Award winner has long ties to Utah: He played collegiate basketball at BYU (where Jazz governor Ryan Smith and CEO Danny Ainge are alumni and boosters) and he attended Utah Prep Academy for his final year of high school.
"You never want to just be too stuck on just on going to visit one team, in my opinion. You want to visit different teams and see what they have to offer," Dybantsa explained.
On an episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Brian Windhorst shared a photograph that AJ's father, Ace Dybantsa, sent him via text message. In the picture, there is a T-shirt for both the Wizards and Jazz.
Washington's front office will control the cards and are reportedly not expected to make a final decision on their preferred pick until closer to the night of the draft, according to The Athletic. Utah's front office, meanwhile, will have an immediate decision to make when they're on the clock.
Additionally, per The Athletic, the Jazz are "genuinely torn" between Dybantsa, Peterson and national collegiate player of the year Cameron Boozer. They reportedly "won't hesitate" to select Peterson if they feel he is the best fit despite not conducting a pre-draft workout with the guard.
"You're not really in control. The team's in control," Dybantsa said. "Any team I go to, I'm going to bring a bunch of versatility, offensively and defensively. If it's the number one team, if it's the number ten team, I'm going to bring the same thing."
Boston, MA - January 28 - Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) lets the ball get loose as Boston Celtics guards Jordan Walsh (27), Hugo Gonzalez (28) and Baylor Scheierman (55) surround during the second half of a NBA game at the Garden. (Photo By Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images). | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The big name in any Celtics trade rumor right now is Jaylen Brown’s. After a career year and another All-NBA season, he’s been linked in a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo and his max contact could also be broken up into more manageable pieces if the front office decides to priority depth.
However, Boston could package other players together in order to land a big fish. In an unexpected 56-win season, young players like Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr. proved that they could be contributors to a winning team.
BOSTON – MAY 7: (L-R) Paul Pierce #34, Rajon Rondo #9, Kevin Garnett #5, Ray Allen #20 and Kendrick Perkins #43 of the Boston Celtics huddle together in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2010 NBA Playoffs on May 7, 2010 at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Cavaliers won 124-95. 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 2010 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When Danny Ainge made the move to get Kevin Garnett back in 2007, Rajon Rondo was a redline in negotiations with the Timberwolves. A young RR and Kendrick Perkins would later join the Big Three in the starting lineup and raise Banner 17 the following summer.
So, if you’re Brad Stevens and looking to reshape the roster, who are you not including in a trade? The everyman in Scheierman that can do a little bit of everything? How about Walsh and his A-plus defense a la Tony Allen? Did Gonzalez show enough in his rookie season to make him untouchable?
The 2026 NHL Draft is quickly approaching, and while the Detroit Red Wings don't currently have a selection in the opening round, the top news story surrounding the organization is the future of captain Dylan Larkin.
Earlier this month, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Larkin had requested a trade from the Red Wings despite having affirmed his commitment and desire to win the Stanley Cup with the organization in April.
Since then, numerous reports have surfaced over Larkin's alleged short three-team trade list, though newer reports indicate that his representation is willing to entertain expanding that list.
In the meantime, former Red Wings four-time Stanley Cup winner Darren McCarty stated his belief that Larkin was turning his back on the club that selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. Now, McCarty's longtime Detroit teammate Chris Osgood is weighing in.
Speaking on the "Ozzy and Keats" podcast, which he co-hosts with former broadcaster John Keating, Osgood admitted that Larkin's trade request caught him by surprise.
"That's tough, it's real tough," Osgood said. "I'm surprised for sure. Both sides - it's difficult, it's hard when you give three teams. I believe his agent, he has Vegas, Florida, and Minnesota. The thing with that is, you're Steve Yzerman - and he's been through this before with Martin St. Louis and Jonathan Drouin, he's going to be patient."
Osgood then pointed to GM Steve Yzerman's tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning, when he navigated trade requests from captain Martin St. Louis and Jonathan Drouin.
Yzerman ultimately dealt St. Louis to the New York Rangers in exchange for Ryan Callahan, while taking a much more patient approach with Drouin before eventually moving him to Montreal for Mikhail Sergachev.
"It's one thing to make the request, but in the end, it's Steve's job to make sure the Wings get what they expect back in a deal," Osgood said. "I think it's going to go on for quite some time to be honest, John. I just don't see a path with any of those teams."
While many have speculated that the Red Wings could deal Larkin at some point during the NHL Draft later this month, there remains the possibility that Yzerman chooses the patient approach with this situation until he feels he gets the best possible return for Larkin.
There's also the very real possibility that Yzerman doesn't receive what he feels is an adequate offer from another club for Larkin and ultimately retains him.
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The Big Red Machine - Jan. 12 2009 - Vol. 62, Issue 14 - Ken Campbell
THINGS ARE NOT SUPPOSED to be this way. As the domestic auto industry finds itself hanging by its fingernails, the gap between the Detroit Red Wings and the rest of the NHL continues to widen.
When THN conducted its first-ever NHL franchise ranking last season, the Red Wings finished ahead of the pack by a considerable margin, then went out and won the Stanley Cup, then signed the most sought-after free agent of the summer after he pursued them. So much for parity in the new salary-capped NHL.
Last season, the Red Wings’ margin of victory in our overall totals was 14.5 points over the Ottawa Senators, but this season they’ve bulged that lead to 21.5 points, this time over San Jose.
Yup, things are looking absolutely rosy for the Red Wings, that is until you step outside the Joe Louis Arena. If the Big Three in Detroit were near as solid and successful as the Wings’ Big Three of Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, they wouldn’t be on the verge of bankruptcy and holding out their hands for a government bailout. Detroit relies on the auto industry as much as any city does on its main employer and when the defending Cup champions have to sell tickets for some games for as low as nine bucks and still can’t fill the building for all of them, well, these are very difficult times.
There has been enormous amounts of speculation about what would happen to Detroit if one or more of the Big Three was forced to close its doors. It’s a scenario Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch does not want to contemplate.
“I can’t anticipate the automakers not being a part of the Detroit scene – let alone the U.S. economy – and so I don’t even want to speculate on that,” said Ilitch in an email. “I’m hopeful the president and the others in Washington will work with the auto industry to make sure the U.S. keeps a strong manufacturing base at home.”
There are, oh, about 25 other teams who would be doing cartwheels if they had the Wings’ attendance problems – they couldn’t even sell out the building for a Dec. 18 showdown against the Sharks – but their average numbers through 15 contests were still a robust 19,630 per game.
“I would say that given everything that has gone on to this point, we’re thrilled with our support,” said Red Wings GM Ken Holland. “Do I worry about it? Yeah, because I live it every day. I feel for people when I pick up the paper and see people losing their jobs.”
Holland is quick to point out, however, that if the Red Wings played in an 18,000-seat arena, they’d be selling out every game. The Red Wings play in a market where there are professional baseball, basketball and football (well, sort of) teams and huge athletic program at the University of Michigan. They have 3,600 more seats to sell per game than the Edmonton Oilers, “and they only have one team,” Holland said.
The economy aside, things haven’t looked this good for the Red Wings in some time. Ask any pro scout on the circuit and he’ll tell you the Wings have as many as a half-dozen NHL-caliber players on their minor league roster in Grand Rapids and their stable of young players is solid. They’ve been perennial contenders, dominant in the regular season and very good in the playoffs, have one of the best owners in hockey and the undisputed strongest front office in the game, have drafted and developed players very well and despite the fact they have filled a 20,066-seat rink only eight of 15 games this season, attendance is still a strong point.
Holland attributes some of the Red Wings’ success to luck, but that’s like saying the best poker players in the world somehow get the best cards all the time. The Wings make much of their own luck and their ability to put together a perennial Cup contender is what made Marian Hossa choose them last summer.
The Red Wings rarely sign bad contracts, which gives them flexibility with the salary cap and if they do have to make a trade, it gives them a valuable player and doesn’t force them to trade one headache to acquire another one. At some point in the New Year, Detroit will almost certainly announce it has signed Henrik Zetterberg for the balance of his career.
All of which makes it difficult to believe that the Red Wings will fall from their perch anytime soon. They may not win the Stanley Cup every year, but it’s difficult to believe they’ll fall off the map the way previous finalists such as Carolina, Edmonton, Tampa Bay and Ottawa have.
Every team in our franchise rankings was graded in nine categories and we concentrated primarily on the seasons spanning from 2002-03 through 2007-08. Our categories are: front office continuity; attendance; regular season finish; ranking in last year’s THN Future Watch; playoff performance; entry draft record; how teams are doing this season; franchise values; and, quality of ownership.
1 FRONT OFFICE CONTINUITY
Sure, you can debate this one. After all, the Nashville Predators have had the same GM and the same coach since they were a cuddly little expansion team and they haven’t won squat.
But we still believe there is a lot to be said for front office stability. Teams earn a maximum of 10 in this category and the Predators, Minnesota and Buffalo did that on the strength they’ve had the same GM and coach the past five seasons.
Teams that had three coaches and/or GMs were awarded eight points; four received five points; five got three points; six received one point; and, Chicago, which has had three GMs and four coaches since 2002-03, received a bagel.
Those who filled in for coaches or GMs on an interim basis were not included in the totals.
2 ATTENDANCE
Attendance is a bit of a mug’s game in the NHL because nobody knows what the actual figures are in many American markets. For example, the Canadiens draw 21,273 for each game and every seat is bought and paid for, but a number of southern U.S. teams have thousands of free giveaways, which inflates numbers.
In this category, teams received a maximum of 10 points based on their attendance figures for this season and the past five seasons.
The points were given for attendance with respect to percentage of capacity of the arena rather than straight attendance numbers. The Edmonton Oilers aren’t penalized for playing in a small building, but the Chicago Blackhawks, who tried until last season to fill the cavernous United Center with a bad team, take a hit here.
Teams averaging 100-percent-or-better capacity received 10 points, something all the Canadian teams but Montreal managed to do, along with the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers. Those drawing between 98.9 to 99.9 capacity received nine; 96-98.8 received eight; 90-95.9 got seven; 97-89.9 earned six; 84-86.9 received five; 80-83.9 earned four; and, 70-79 got three.
3 REGULAR SEASON
Yes, it probably has something to do with the fact that for the past three seasons, the Red Wings have hada pretty steady diet of St. Louis, Chicago and Columbus, but we’re very confident the Wings would pile up points no matter which division they inhabited.
As it is, their regular season success over the past half-decade has been nothing short of astounding. The Wings ran away with this category on the strength of capturing three Presidents’ Trophies the past five years and finishing no worse than third overall in any season since 2002-03. How dominant have the Red Wings been in the regular season? Well, consider that their average of 114 points per season is nine points better than second-place Ottawa and Dallas.
The score in this category was determined by teams’ regular season finish in each of the past five seasons. Clubs were assigned a numerical value based on where they ranked in the league each season, earning 30 points for finishing first overall down to one for the 30th-place team. That total was then divided by five to determine average placing per season since 2002-03.
The Red Wings received 30 points for each of their Presidents’ Trophies in 2003-04, ’05-06 and last season, and they earned 28 points for finishing third overall in ’02-03 and 29 for being second in ’06-07. That gave them a total score of 147, which averages out to 29.4, almost five points ahead of the second-place Senators.
For the second straight year, the Blue Jackets pull up the rear with just 5.2 points.
4 FUTURE WATCH
The Phoenix Coyotes didn’t do a very good job of drafting players in the first half of the decade, but things are undoubtedly looking up on that front.
Here at THN, we take a lot of pride in our annual Future Watch issue, which ranks each NHL organization on the quality of its prospects and NHL roster players under the age of 22.
Teams could earn a maximum of 10 points in this category and the Coyotes, Blackhawks and Penguins did just that by being the top three teams in last season’s edition. Teams ranked 4-6 received nine points; 7-9 got eight; 10-12 was worth seven; 13-15 was worth six; 16-18 received five; 19-21 was worth four; 22-24 received three; 25-27 received two; and, 28-30 one point.
So what do the Penguins, Coyotes and Blackhawks have in common? They’ve all had a bevy of high picks in recent drafts.
You know there’s parity in the NHL when the team that wins this category has won just one Stanley Cup and has fewer than half the available points in the category.
In this portion, we examined each team’s playoff performance from the spring of 2003 through last season. We awarded 12 points for a Cup; eight for a final appearance; six for making it to the conference final; four for getting into the second round and two for qualifying.
The Anaheim Ducks, with their Stanley Cup and appearance in the final in 2003, took this category with 28 of a possible 60 points.
Since they lost the Cup final to the New Jersey Devils in ’03 (eight points), the Ducks missed the playoffs (zero), lost in the Western Conference final (six), won the Stanley Cup (12) and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs (two). Despite winning the Cup last season (12 points), the Red Wings are two behind the Ducks in this category after losing in the Western Conference final (six), losing in the first round twice (two points each) and losing once in the second round (four).
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Panthers and Coyotes, who kept us from having to use our fingers, an abacus or any other calculating device by missing the playoffs each of the past five seasons.
6 ENTRY DRAFT SUCCESS
The path to the Stanley Cup starts in June at the draft table. That maxim has been proven time and time again by successful teams. Teams that draft and develop well always have a stable of young players who can push for jobs or be used in trades to fill a hole in the lineup.
Scores in this category were determined by each team’s performance in the five drafts from 2000 through 2004, the logic being the players from those drafts have separated themselves as either full-time NHLers or minor-leaguers by now.
We examined each of those drafts and awarded one point for each player who either is or has been an NHL regular. The team drafting the player receives the credit for the player even if he established himself with another organization.
If a player was drafted twice after re-entering the draft – and he became a regular – both teams that drafted him receive credit for the player.
The Sabres, who have had a remarkable run of success in producing big-league talent, lead the league with 11 NHL players over that period in Paul Gaustad, Jiri Novotny, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Keith Ballard, Daniel Paille, Denis Wideman, Thomas Vanek, Jan Hejda, Nathan Paetsch and Drew Stafford.
The Coyotes, who produced just Fredrik Sjostrom and Ben Eager, are last in this category.
7 2008-09
It would be impossible to rank the into account how franchises as of right now if we didn’t take they’re doing this season.
And to the surprise of no one, the record-setting San Jose Sharks are the top team.
In this category, we came up with the score based on where teams stood in the NHL standings as of Dec. 16. Since teams had played a different number of games, we based our rankings on winning percentage and not points accrued.
As was the case with our five-year analysis, we assigned a numerical value based on each team’s position in the standings, with 30 for first place down to one point for last. But since the season was barely one-third complete, we felt giving 2008-09 the same weight as the first two categories would skew the rankings. So, we took the scores and divided them by three, meaning the Sharks received 10 points in this category.
At the time of our ranking, Tampa Bay and the Islanders were tied for last place, so we assigned them two points each for being 29th – just 0.7 points out of 10 when divided by three.
8 FRANCHISE VALUE
Very straightforward. We took the franchise values for this season according to Forbes magazine and teams received one point for each increment of three that they were on the list. This season, the Rangers, Leafs and Habs were the top three teams, so they each got 10.
9 OWNERSHIP
It’s not a coincidence that the teams that make a habit of being successful have strong ownership. When it comes to on-ice success, it truly starts at the top. This category was ranked out of 10 and five teams earned perfect marks.
The Red Wings are owned by Little Caesar’s pizza baron Mike Ilitch and for the past 20 seasons they have set the standard for NHL ownership. Ilitch is involved enough without being a bother to the coach or manager and his commitment to the community will help the Red Wings through what promise to be difficult economic times.
Ilitch and Peter Karmanos were rivals on the Detroit minor hockey scene through the 1980s; as an NHL owner in Carolina, Karmanos has proven to be Ilitch’s equal in virtually every way. Karmanos’ teams have struggled since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, but he remains committed to a non-traditional hockey market in Raleigh.
In Calgary, the Flames are owned by a group of Calgary oilmen led by former NHL chairman of the board Harley Hotchkiss, a group that has ushered the Flames into an era of unparalleled prosperity.
They proved in Edmonton that ownership by committee could work, then made a seamless and encouraging transition by selling to a local and passionate billionaire in Daryl Katz, whose biggest challenge is finding a way to build an arena with only $100 million of his own money.
A group led by former Rangers executive David Checketts now runs the St. Louis Blues and while the results haven’t come quickly on the ice, the Blues are back to selling out on a regular basis.
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 17: Peter Lambert #38 of the Houston Astros reacts during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Daikin Park on June 17, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Peter Lambert (W, 6-4) almost wasn’t a part of this team. He’s been their second best starting pitcher despite not making the team out of Spring Training.
Lambert was nails for the Astros yet again, in a terrific 7 inning performance in which he allowed just one run on 2 hits, he struck out 5 and did not walk a batter. He threw 60 of his 89 pitches for strikes, leading the Houston Astros (35-41) to a series-clinching 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers (30-44) at Daikin Park.
Jeremy Pena got the Astros on the board first in the bottom of the third with a 2-out solo shot to left for his 4th HR of the season, giving Houston a 1-0 lead.
The Astros would tack on 2 more in the bottom of the 5th. After Christian Vazquez singled to lead off the inning, Yordan Alvarez drilled a one-out RBI double to drive Vazquez home. After Christian Walker lined out, the Tigers replaced SP Casey Mize (L, 2-4) with Kyle Finnegan.
Isaac Paredes greeted Finnegan with an RBI double to score Alvarez, and make it a 3-0 lead for Houston.
In the 6th, the Astros loaded the bases for Jeremy Pena, who delivered an RBI single scoring Joey Loperfido to increase the lead to 4-0.
In the top of the 7th, the Tigers would finally get to Lambert, as Kerry Carpenter snuck a fly ball into the Crawford Boxes for his 10th HR of the season, cutting the lead to 4-1. That HR would not have been a HR in any other park except Daikin.
In the 9th, Josh Hader (S, 4) was brought in to close the game out. Hader was working on back-to-back days for the first time since coming off the IL. He allowed a solo HR to Kevin McGonigle that went all of 3 feet further than Carpenter’s Crawford Boxes special, and followed it up by striking out the next 3 batters on 14 pitches with 7 swings and misses. It was the first run Hader has allowed this season.
With the win, the Astros are back to 6 games under .500. They are currently 4 games behind the Seattle Mariners, who play later this evening. They are 2.5 games behind the Athletics for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. The Athletics also play later this evening.
NOTES:
Cristian Javier is expected to make one more rehab start before being activated. Javier pitched for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys last night, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits (including a HR) in 3.1 IP. He walked 1 and struck out 6.
Javier worked the first two innings primarily with a fastball at 92-93, hitting 94 once. In the last two innings of his appearance, his velocity deteriorated to 91-92.
Mike Burrows will have his next turn through the rotation skipped, and will be available out of the bullpen. He is ready to piggyback on Tatsuya Imai on his next turn in the rotation which is scheduled for Friday.
Astros probables for the upcoming series with the Cleveland Guardians that runs Fri-Sun:
Fri: Tatsuya Imai (3-3, 6.43) vs Tanner Bibee (2-7, 3.96)
Sat: Spencer Arrighetti (7-2, 2.57) vs Joey Cantillo (5-3, 4.38)
Sun: Kai-Wei Teng (3-6, 4.31) vs Slade Cecconi (3-5, 4.60)
Kyle Leahy battled spotty command in the early going. He ends up working through to a quality start with 6 IP, 3 runs allowed with 7 strikeouts. But the Cardinal offense musters but a single run on a ground, losing multiple runners on the bases in a game where there weren’t a lot of base runners. The Cardinals were outhit 14-6 on the day.
Pre-game notes
Here we are again on a Wednesday. A day game. Getaway day. You probably don’t want to hear their record on such days.
The Cardinals go for a home sweep over the San Diego Padres. Perhaps you would not like to hear their record on “sweep day”.
It is also their fourth crack at vaulting to the mark of ten games over .500. You definitely don’t want to hear their record on days when they are 9 games over .500.
So, with the odds stacked against them, Kyle Leahy toes the rubber and leads the team to battle against…TBA? Turns out to be Bradley Rodriguez as the opener. I expect him to be followed by Griffin Canning, who if I recall mesmerized in San Diego twice through the line-up and then blew up the third time through. That was a different line-up, though.
Speaking of line-ups, today will be a typical L-R-L lineup.
For those that track such things, Fangraphs now projects the Cardinals to win 84 games, which would be the result of a projection that has them playing slightly less than .500 baseball the rest of the way.
Marinaccio is unavailable today. He pitched last night and takes his suspension day. Without him and Miller, the Padres bullpen seems short.
The first innings
The Padres came out swinging against Leahy. A fine stop by Blaze saved a bigger inning, but a Leahy walk complicated the inning and ultimately scored on a SacFly following an advancing single. I hate walks! Leahy navigates the first three innings, working around 3 hits and a walk, with a lot of hanging pitches that a poor offense could do little with. He did accumulate 4 K’s in the early going.
In the Cardinals’ first, Herrera nearly decapitated the pitcher with a hit, then made two base running mistakes to remove the advantage. The first mistake was he started and stopped when trying to steal second, but got away with it when the C threw the ball into CF. Herrera was unable to advance (never make the third out at third base is a good rule of thumb). But, then he promptly ran into the 3rd out at third when Walker hit a nubber to the third baseman, who had to do nothing other than tag the incoming Herrera.
Griffin Canning indeed replaced Rodriguez in the second, and he mesmerized again. Through four innings, the Cardinals mustered 3 singles and a walk, none in the same inning.
The middle innings
More hits and more hanging pitches combined to add to the Padres score in the fourth inning. A double play builds Leady a pathway out of the inning, though. A single on a 0-2 count and a misplay by Church in CF scores a third Padre run in the fifth. It was scored a double, but it was a poor read and route taken.
Blaze Jordan gets his first MLB walk as he leads off the fifth. Church follows that with a single. Wetherholt advances them with an infield out. The Cardinals lose a runner at the plate on Herrera’s infield out. Burleson gets a nice 2-out RBI single, extending his hitting streak to 17 games. After five innings the score is 3-1 Padres.
Leahy ends up with a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth. Overall, he battles through six innings, giving up 7 hits, 1 walk and 3 runs. He recorded 7 K’s as well. 81 pitches. His command appeared to improve as he got deeper into the game.
In the sixth, Winn walks and gets picked off. Been difficult to get any offensive continuity today.
The decisive and bitter end
Svanson effectively pitches the seventh and 1 out into the eighth. Bruihl then comes in for the left-right matchups. Sure enough, he gets the RH hitter and loses the LH hitters. Hey, wait a minute….
Roycroft comes in for Bruihl. HBP on the first hitter but retires the next of a fly to left to end the 8th inning.
Very little occurred offensively in the later third. An eighth inning HBP on Herrera (again!) is quickly erased by a GIDP.
The Padres tack on runs in the ninth against Roycroft. In a surprising turn of events, Roycroft had an inning spin out of control. A single followed by another single off the wall by Tatis Jr. who was thrown out (by Walker) trying to make it a double but still garners the RBI, followed by another single and a long home run by Merrill. Then a walk. Roycroft was out on an island with no one warming. Then another walk. Then came an error on a routine grounder by Winn to continue the misery. A strikeout to the ninth batter of the inning brings a merciful end.
Nootbaar leads off the ninth with a single, but Winn quickly erases him with a GIDP. Pages ends the game with a ground out. Padres win 6-1. Back to 8 games over .500.
Post-Game Notes
Check out Today on the Farm – Wednesday 6.17 for updates on MiLB action.
The Cardinals head to Kansas City for that crucial cross-state, inter-league rivalry match-up with the Royals. Games are Thursday, Friday and Sunday with an odd Saturday off to accommodate a soccer game.
It’s funny how a bullpen can go from over-used to well-rested and rusty in such a short span, huh? And back again…
Have you noticed the trend of openers against the Cardinals? That seems to me to be a league-wide recognition of the top 3-4 hitters in the line-up. Teams find value in trying to neutralize them the first time through that line-up. Seems like the investment is a scripted one inning appearance with the chosen matchups and payoff is you give the starter a shot to go two times through the line-up and get deep enough into the game to avoid the chase/bridge guys and go straight to the leverage/closer guys.
I think we need an update on Blaze Jordan’s defensive prowess at third base. He has been better than advertised.
The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have traded defenseman Michael Kesselring and the 27th overall pick of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the 20th overall pick of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Kesselring had been the subject of trade rumors since the completion of the Sabres' season. Now, he is heading to San Jose, and the Sabres have moved up seven spots in the first round because of it.
A change of scenery was definitely needed for Kesselring, as he struggled during his lone season with the Sabres. He was limited to only 34 games this regular-season with Buffalo, where he had two assists and 50 penalty minutes. He was also scratched for all but one playoff game for the Sabres this spring.
With this, it is not surprising that the Sabres have moved on from Kesselring. He will now be looking to bounce back on the Sharks, where he should have a more prominent role.
Kesselring was acquired by the Sabres last off-season with Josh Doan in the deal that sent JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth. While Kesselring's time in Buffalo is over, that trade has certainly been a good one for the Sabres due to Doan's big breakout year.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 28: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers guards LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena on January 28, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 129-99. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking for ways to improve their roster after being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the eventual champion New York Knicks. One of the players that could provide an instant upgrade for the Cavs would be 41-year-old free agent LeBron James, who’s still playing at an All-Star level.
However, a third stint in Cleveland doesn’t seem to be on the horizon. All signs point to James re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the 2016 championship shirt HERE.
Bringing James back to Cleveland would’ve been tricky. They’re currently over the second apron and wouldn’t be able to bring him back on anything above a veteran minimum contract. However, if there is interest on both sides, it would be possible to make something work.
As of now, the Cavs haven’t shed the salary they would need to make a reunion with James possible. Trading role players like Dennis Schroder or Max Strus (who will be entering the last year of his contract) would be the first steps if you wanted to clear salary space for a possible James reunion. At the same time, trading either or both players may be in the best interest of the team anyway, given their cap situation.
Things can change quickly in the NBA. But as of now, it seems like James won’t be coming back to save the Cavs for a third time.
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds on .515/.317/.737 shooting splits in 60 games last regular season. In the playoffs, James produced 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds on .458/.327/.746 shooting splits for a shorthanded Lakers team that was missing Luka Doncic in the postseason.
BUFFALO (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres are moving on from defenseman Michael Kesselring.
Buffalo sent the 26-year-old Kesselring and the 27th overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft to San Jose on Wednesday for the 20th overall selection.
The Sabres acquired Kesselring in a trade with Utah in June 2025, hoping the 6-foot-5 blueliner would provide some physicality and grit to Buffalo's defensive core.
Injuries, however, intervened. Kesselring had just two assists in 34 games with the Atlantic Division-winning Sabres. He appeared in just one playoff game, seeing a scant 4 minutes, 25 seconds of ice time.
“Michael has a big frame with solid two-way ability,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “He is a responsible player in the defensive zone with a well-rounded offensive game, and will be a good upgrade for us patrolling the blueline.”
Kesselring, a sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft, has 12 goals and 43 assists in 190 career games with Arizona, Utah and Buffalo.
One of, or maybe even the most intriguing, players in the 2026 NHL draft is Swedish center Viggo Bjorck.
The skilled right-handed shooter put up an impressive six goals and 15 points in 42 games in the SHL, regarded by most as the second-best hockey league in the world. Outside of the SHL, he posted eight goals and 20 points in nine J-20 playoff games in Sweden.
Bjorck also won gold with Team Sweden at the World Junior Championship, scoring three goals and nine points in seven games. He then earned a spot on Sweden’s World Championship roster, becoming the youngest Swedish player to ever participate in the event. In eight games, he scored one goal and six points, but made a noticeable impact in Sweden’s top six.
Bjorck is a feisty player who loves to have the puck on his stick. He excels at zone exits and entries, routinely doing so with possession. He’s also stellar at finding pockets of space in the slot to fire shots on goal, very similar to players like Brayden Point and Logan Stankoven.
Those are two players he’s been compared to, largely due to their play styles, but also physically.
Bjorck, alongside fellow 2026 NHL draft prospects, recently completed the Scouting Combine, where he was listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds. While his game is polished on both ends, his skating is high-end, and he competes hard, his size as a center is undersized, which is holding him back from being a top-five or top-three pick in the draft.
The Panthers don’t usually go down the route of selecting undersized players, but Bjorck’s skill, two-way prowess, and compete level are all traits that should make him a great NHL player.
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 17: Robbie Ray #38 of the San Francisco Giants reacts during the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves during the continuation of a game from June 16, at Truist Park at Truist Park on June 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants’ 7-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday was a story of two games. No, literally. A story of two games, played on two days. Two games that the Giants won, resulting in — stay with me — one game that the Giants won.
It began on Tuesday night when, against the the judgement of nearly everyone at the park, the game was started despite pouring rain in Atlanta. The rain seemed to benefit the hitters on each side, as they jumped on pitches that were lacking in their usual spin. Luis Arráez led off the game with a double, and moved to third when Bryce Eldridge singled. After an unproductive out by Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers loaded the bases with a walk, before a Jung Hoo Lee sacrifice fly put the first run on the board. In all, Grant Holmes threw 28 pitches in the first inning, and looked entirely uncomfortable in the storm, though his long, soaked hair looked fairly majestic.
In the bottom half of the inning, it became abundantly clear that the struggles in the top half had been due to the weather, as Adrian Houser immediately suffered the same fate. The first batter he faced, Drake Baldwin, absolutely annihilated the baseball, hitting one of the longest home runs in the Majors this year (473 feet!!!), despite it being his first at-bat in roughly a month.
A single, a walk (by former Giant Dominic Smith), and another single (by former Giant Mauricio Dubón) later, and Atlanta had not just equalized, but taken a 2-1 lead. Houser, like Holmes, had thrown 28 pitches in the first inning, and looked equally uncomfortable in the downpour.
Yet the game continued into the second inning, where the wetness continued to favor the hitters. Casey Schmitt led off with a single, and Drew Gilbert followed with a walk. Following an atrocious at-bat by Daniel Susac (a three-pitch strikeout that featured two failed bunts, and a whiff at a pitch in a different area code), Arráez loaded the bases with a Sandovalian golfed single. In one of the best at-bats of the season, Eldridge tied the game by working a walk, which featured a tremendous ABS challenge. Chapman, having failed in his prior attempt, exacted revenge this time around, successfully achieving a sacrifice fly (though sacrifice liner is a more accurate term, with Dubón making a brilliant catch in center to rob Chapman of a hit).
With that, the Giants not only led, but won the first game 3-2.
That was all the baseball that would be played, though we didn’t know it for a while. The rain had stopped, and the game had not entered a delay, but the baseball was over. The grounds crew took the field in an attempt to restore the soaked infield, and they stayed there for a good 45 minutes. At no point did the game ever officially enter a rain delay, to the confusion of the fans at Truist Park and the ire of the broadcasters and reporters in attendance. Finally, roughly an hour and a half after play had been paused (but not delayed!), it was announced that the game had been postponed, and would resume on Wednesday before the scheduled game.
In doing so, a gift was handed to Robbie Ray, a player in dire need of some help. Because the game was postponed after it began, the lineups were already set … which means Atlanta’s lineup was full of left-handed hitters to combat Houser. Ray, who doesn’t get to face left-handed hitters all that often, found the tonic he was searching for in Atlanta’s arrangement.
He struck out his former teammate Mike Yastrzemski to begin the second half of the first game, and then struck out Ha-Seong Kim, en route to a three-up, three-down first/second inning. He handled the third easily, giving up just a walk. In the fourth, he set down the side in order on just 12 pitches, finishing things off with another strikeout of Yastrzemski. He opened the fifth with back-to-back strikeouts, before issuing a walk that he easily worked around. Only eight pitches were required for a dominant sixth.
Ray was cruising, and he was cruising for the first time in a while. It was a delight to see. He resembled the Ray of early last year, who was both dominant and unfazed. In the seventh, he gave up a leadoff double, but looked completely unbothered, never letting the runner reach third while striking out Yastrzemski for a third time, and also the ever-dangerous Baldwin.
After opening the eighth with an out, Ray ceded a single to Matt Olson. With 94 pitches thrown, Tony Vitello deemed that a good enough effort for Ray, who left the mound having thrown 6.1 scoreless frames, while allowing just four baserunners and striking out eight.
It was a performance worth admiring, even if such performances are a little bittersweet right now. Ray finding his form doesn’t really help the Giants this year, given the hole they’ve dug; right now his success correlates mostly with the return the Giants will get when they presumably trade him next month.
So until then: enjoy the strikeouts, and enjoy the grunts.
While San Francisco opted to move up their scheduled Wednesday starter (Carson Whisenhunt has been recalled from AAA Sacramento to pitch the evening game), Atlanta chose to keep their rotation in order, and handle Wednesday’s resumption with a bullpen game.
For a while, it worked. James Karinchak handled the third inning, and set down the Giants in order. Dylan Dodd came on for the fourth, and did the same. With a pair of lefties due up in the fifth, the southpaw Dodd was given a second inning, and that’s where the Braves’ plan went awry. He retired Eldridge and Chapman easily, but Devers had different plans. Despite generally struggling against lefties this year, Devers jumped on a 1-1 sinker at the top of the zone, and comfortably cleared the fence with it.
What came next was even more surprising: on the very next pitch (a nearly identical pitch, I might add), Lee followed Devers and did the exact same thing.
It was a stunning sequence of events, and the context from the broadcast only made it more stunning: it was the first time since Barry Bonds and A.J. Pierzynski, a whole 22 years ago, that a pair of Giants lefties had gone back-to-back off of a left-hander. What a beautiful thing.
The Giants continued to rely on the long ball, getting their next run in the eighth inning, when Willy Adames took Anthony Molina deep for an awe-inspiring 424-foot solo bomb. By the time the ninth inning rolled around, not only did the Giants have a cozy lead, but they had scored all of their resumption runs on homers.
That would finally change in the ninth with a rally befitting the start of the game on Tuesday: Arráez and Eldridge hit back-to-back singles, with the former scoring on a Chapman ground ball, locking in the final score at 7-2.
Meanwhile, the bullpen held strong enough. Dylan Smith took over when Ray departed with one on and one out in the eighth, and quickly got out of the inning, though he did give up a single. Smith stayed in for the ninth and impressively struck out Riley, as he looked to be cooking.
It came to a screeching halt after that, though, when he gave up a single to Yastrzemski, before issuing a four-pitch walk to Kim, who currently boasts an .089 batting average. Even with the five-run cushion, and even with another nine innings to cover in a few hours, Vitello decided to take no chances, and brought in his recently-appointed closer, Caleb Kilian.
I’ve had my quips with Vitello opting to name Kilian the closer, but one of my favorite things is when the Giants make me look dumb. And Kilian made me look dumb. With two on and the top of the lineup stepping up, Kilian pounded the strike zone with a flurry of unhittable pitches, striking out Baldwin and Eli White to end the game.
It might have taken a few days, but the Giants won, and even managed to look great doing it.
But as Jalen Brunson and his teammates make their way up Broadway, they won’t just be celebrating a title, they’ll be traveling one of the most storied stretches of road in American history.
Here's a look at the history of New York City's famous Canyon of Heroes.
Long before championship floats and organized celebrations, New York’s signature tradition began with a spontaneous moment.
In 1886, during festivities marking the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty, office workers in Lower Manhattan tossed ticker tape — thin strips of paper used by stock machines — out of their windows, according to Alliance for Downtown New York, an advocacy group. The paper blew through the narrow streets, creating what historians describe as a blizzard or snow-globe effect.
By the early 20th century, ticker-tape parades are now official civic events reserved for historic moments and celebrated figures. The route along Broadway, stretching from Battery Park to City Hall, runs through the Financial District. Lined with towering skyscrapers, the narrow corridor became known as the "Canyon of Heroes" which also includes over 200 black granite plaques that commemorate and list every single ticker tape parade in New York City history.
Who has received a ticker-tape parade?
The city has hosted more than 200 such parades for more than 125 years, honoring everyone from military heroes and presidents to athletes and astronauts.
The first individual honored was Admiral George Dewey in 1899, drawing massive crowds after his Spanish-American War victory.
Albert Einstein (1921), the only scientist to receive the honor
Charles Lindbergh after his 1927 transatlantic flight
Jesse Owens and the U.S. Olympic team in 1936 after the Berlin Games
V-J Day in 1945, marking the Allied victory over Japan
Winston Churchill in 1946, symbolizing Allied leadership
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during their U.S. visit
The Apollo 11 astronauts following the 1969 moon landing
The 1969 "Miracle Mets"
American hostages released from Iran in 1981
"Hometown Heroes," honoring essential workers during COVID-19 in 2021
The New York Liberty after their 2024 WNBA championship
How much confetti is expected for the Knicks parade?
Expect a blizzard.
Roughly 2,500 pounds of shredded, recycled paper will flutter down on the Canyon of Heroes as the Knicks make their way from Battery Park to City Hall to collect the Keys to City from Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
In the lead-up to the parade, the Downtown Alliance distributed 256 bags of confetti to roughly 25 office buildings along the route, where workers and volunteers will toss it from windows overhead, according to PIX11.
City officials expect the celebration, and the confetti amount, to match the scale of the moment.
"It may well be the largest parade in New York City history," Mamdani said.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Nashville Predators hired longtime NHL player and former Boston Bruins executive Jamie Langenbrunner as a special assistant to new general manager Chris MacFarland on Wednesday.
Langenbrunner, who scored 243 goals with Dallas, New Jersey and St. Louis during an 18-year career that included a pair of Stanley Cup victories, will focus on professional scouting, collegiate free-agent scouting and recruiting, and special assignments with the Predators.
The 50-year-old Langebrunner spent more than a decade with the Boston Bruins after retiring in 2013. He worked in various capacities with the Bruins, including stints as a development coach and director of player development before becoming assistant general manager in 2022.
A member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Langenbrunner won the Cup with Dallas in 1999 and New Jersey in 2003. He also served as captain of the silver-medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 09: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves looks on prior to the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kyle Sheridan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
As expected, the Atlanta Braves are likely going to take things very cautiously with Ronald Acuña Jr. and his most recent Grade 1 hamstring. Walt Weiss spoke with the media following Wednesday afternoon’s tough loss against the Giants and he was asked about Acuña’s status at the moment. If you were thinking that Acuña would be making a quick return, you can probably put a pause to that speculation right now.
Weiss said Acuña is a “long way” from returning. Because the hamstring strain is in the same spot, the Braves will be more cautious than they were when Acuña missed nearly three weeks with the previous strain
As frustrating as this is to see, it’s likely the right decision. While it’s hard to predict injuries, this is the safer route than rushing to get him back out there. Despite the current rough patch that the Braves have hit, they’re still comfortably ahead in the NL East and 20 games over .500 so they can afford to give Acuña as much time as he needs to get fully healthy again. It’s what I suggested in earlier posts about him and it’ll likely be the path that the Braves take when it comes to getting theri star outfielder right again.
So yeah, it’s a bummer but it’s likely the right path for the Braves to take. I’d imagine that we’ll probably see Acuña back in action after the All-Star break, maybe a little bit sooner if he’s further along in his recovery thane expected. We’re definitely not going to be seeing him in the field for the rest of June and it’s looking likely that he’ll be out for most of July as well. Again, it’s rough but it’s the sensible course of action.
Meanwhile, we also got some news on who the 27th man will be for the second game of today’s doubleheader. It’ll be Jair Camargo, who will likely serve as the emergency catcher while Sandy León likely starts tonight’s game as the catcher. If Drake Baldwin does play, it’ll likely be as the DH.
Cookie Carrasco and catcher Jair Camargo (27th man) will join the Braves roster for the second game. Camargo provides length in the pen. Camargo’s presence will allow Baldwin to stay in the DH spot if something happens to Leon in the second game
Also, Carlos Carrasco is back with the big league Braves. Welcome back, Cookie — hopefully the DFA cycle continues to work out for both parties since it’s almost certain that it’ll be happening again at some point in the near future. For now, the Braves have covered themselves depth-wise for tonight’s night cap and hopefully the decisions will help to yield results for Atlanta as they attempt to get this series evened up.
