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European football: Milan blow away Inter to reach Coppa Italia final

  • Jovic double gives Milan 3-0 win over rivals
  • Juventus lose 1-0 at Parma in fresh setback

Milan ruined Inter’s push for a treble and advanced to the Coppa Italia final with a 3-0 derby win courtesy of two goals from Luka Jovic.

Inter pressed forward early on and Federico Dimarco struck the crossbar in the 23rd minute. But Jovic put Milan ahead 13 minutes later with a powerful header and then doubled the advantage from close range shortly after the break. Tijjani Reijnders added another for Milan in the 85th minute by finishing off an excellent team move, giving them a 4-1 aggregate triumph over two legs.

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Both Brett Baty and Hayden Senger improved their industry standing during surprise Mets opportunities

When the Mets started talking last year about getting Brett Baty reps at second base, the rational response was … what? That Brett Baty? The bat-first corner guy? The one who does not seem to possess the tools of a middle infielder?

It felt like a classic case of a team floating a topic that it knew made little sense, but that it hoped rivals would notice enough to increase a player’s trade value.

In the offseason, when president of baseball operations David Stearns continued to praise Baty’s work at second, it seemed more of the same. The Mets weren’t actually planning to do this at the major league level, were they?

But then Jeff McNeil suffered an oblique injury during spring training. Nick Madrigal, the infielder who would have backed up McNeil, was already out for the season after separating his shoulder. That left Baty and Luisangel Acuña with an opportunity to split time filling in for McNeil.

A funny thing happened when reality met expectations. Baty ended up exceeding all internal and external projections for his defense. He utilized a strong work ethic and naturally quick first step to perform capably at second base. If he goes back to Triple-A on Friday, as seems likely with McNeil’s expected return, he will do so with increased value and versatility.

Similarly, Hayden Senger – a catcher who was long perceived to have a big league-caliber glove but perhaps the bat of an org-gut or non-prospect – has hit well enough during Francisco Alverez’s stint on the injured list to prove himself a viable MLB player.

Senger will also likely head to Syracuse prior to Friday’s game, but he will leave having added potential years to his professional career. That’s likely no exaggeration; now that Senger has shown that he belongs, he could break through as someone’s backup rather than wind down his career in the minors. For that matter, Luis Torrens proved he can be a starting catcher, which is why he’ll continue to see significant playing time after Alvarez returns on Friday.

Baty, of course, holds more significance to the franchise. A one-time top prospect, he has established a pattern of raking in spring training and at Triple-A and failing to control at-bats while with the Mets. He now finds himself blocked by Mark Vientos at third base.

Talk of Baty switching positions or serving in a utility role long seemed fanciful. Through no fault of his own, Baty was born with the broad lower half of a corner guy. Increasing his agility at third seemed a more reasonable goal.

But while Baty will never be as naturally slick and rangy at second as Acuña (who has earned a lasting place on the team) or Jose Iglesias, he left a deep impression on the Mets with his progress there. Just as Senger can survive at the plate in the big leagues, Baty has now shown that he can play a credible middle infield. Both he and the Mets staff, from Triple-A manager Dick Scott to major league infield instructor Mike Sarbaugh, deserve praise.

He has also validated the confidence that the Mets showed in him earlier this month. On April 9, Baty went 0-for-3 in a loss to Miami, striking out twice and hearing boos from the home fans. It seemed like a moment to consider optioning him to Triple-A, but the Mets did not seriously weigh it. Between that day and Tuesday of this week, Baty batted .280 with a .797 OPS.

On Wednesday, he homered when Zack Wheeler left a fat cutter over the plate, punishing the ball at 113.9 miles per hour. He also made a pair of slick plays and second on well-struck balls. If Baty goes down now instead of outfielder Jose Azocar, roster construction will be to blame, not the quality of his play.

This all means that, if Baty is forced to take another trip to Syracuse, it will be as a player enhanced by this stint in Queens, not diminished by it. Now the Mets – and perhaps as importantly, with Vientos emerging – other teams can view him as more versatile and attractive.

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Mets' Carlos Mendoza on perfect homestand: 'There’s a lot of good things happening'

Down 3-2 heading into the bottom of the 10th inning against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets’ six-game winning streak and hopes of a possible perfect homestand seemed to be dwindling at Citi Field on Wednesday.

At least outside of the Mets’ dugout, that is.

Inside the dugout, the Mets never lost faith, and their fundamentally sound play in the field and in the batter’s box paid off as they came back to win 4-3, finishing off a perfect homestand and a three-game sweep of the NL East-rival Phillies.

“That’s a huge team win there,” Carlos Mendoza said afterward.

And that statement couldn’t be more true, as it felt like every player on the roster contributed in one way or another, whether it was Juan Soto gunning down Nick Castellanos at home plate in the eighth, or Max Kranickrelieving a cramping Edwin Diaz to escape a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 10th, or Pete Alonso coming up clutch with a game-tying double that led to Starling Marte’s walk-off single.

Baseball is a game of fundamentals, and right now, perhaps no one is playing better fundamental baseball than these Mets.

“Today is a perfect example of a lot of winning plays, a lot of fundamental plays,” Mendoza said. “…Outfielders getting behind the ball on shallow fly balls with runners on third base, Soto making a huge throw at the plate, [Hayden] Senger not only catching the ball but making the tag, Pete being in the right spot with cutoffs. There’s a lot of good things happening. There’s a lot of good at-bats, getting big hits, walks, and then from a pitching standpoint, not giving in.

“There’s a lot to like about the way the guys are playing.”

While players like Soto and Alonso are expected to come up huge in big moments given their salaries and stature within the game, the unheralded Kranick played a huge role on Wednesday. After Diaz had to come out of the game due to what the team said was cramps in his left hip, Kranick faced a bases-loaded one-out jam against a Phillies lineup that has the potential to have things snowball.

But Kranick, who has been terrific so far this season to the tune of a 2.81 ERA, stopped any potential avalanche before it could even start, getting Bryson Stott to fly out weakly to center before Max Kepler followed suit to right.

Kranick’s magic act only fueled the Mets’ fire heading into the bottom of the inning.

“For Kranick to keep it there and what’s coming for us offensively when you see it’s Soto, it’s Pete, it’s [Mark] Vientos, it’s [Brandon] Nimmo,” Mendoza said. “So you’re like ‘We’ve got a chance, we’ve just got to keep it somewhat close,’ and that’s what Kranick did. Coming into the bottom of the 10th, we liked our chances. There was a good feeling in that dugout, and I’m glad Pete came through and then the other guys and then Marte there.”

It was almost fitting that it was Marte who walked the Mets off with a win, as he’s perhaps the perfect embodiment of what the Mets have become: a player putting the team first, and someone who has gone from being a full-time outfielder to a part-time DH, yet he still did his job when called upon.

“Not an easy role for him now after being an elite player in this league for a long time,” Mendoza said. “…At some point he’s going to contribute, and sure enough he did it today.”

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Projected top-three pick Ace Bailey declares for 2025 NBA Draft

Rutgers' Ace Bailey, a projected top-three pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, made the expected official on Wednesday and declared for the NBA Draft, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.

Bailey talked about how much he enjoyed playing at Rutgers — "I felt a lot of love from everyone... I loved being in college and playing college basketball" — and assessed himself in an interview with ESPN.

"I did good. I could have done way better, but I matured this season. The game slowed down for me. My IQ got higher. I got faster and way stronger. My ball-handling and shooting tightened up. Rutgers had me guarding everyone from point guards to power forwards. I learned a lot."

Bailey looks like a prototypical wing or stretch four in the NBA: he's 6'10", is a freak athlete, who can create his own shot, and averaged 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a game while shooting 36.7% from beyond the arc.

Bailey is a relatively polarizing player for a projected top-three pick, according to scouts who spoke to NBC Sports. His supporters said Bailey may have the highest ceiling of any player in this draft but his detractors questioned whether he could live up to that. He showed flashes of being able to create for others at Rutgers but his passing was inconsistent. Will he thrive in the NBA where the spacing is far better on the floor, or will it be more of the same?

Bailey's potential is so high that he is not going to fall further than No. 4 in the draft, and is most likely a top-three pick (depending on how the NBA Draft Lottery shakes out). With that, he made the smart move by declaring for the draft.

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Mets finish perfect homestand as Starling Marte delivers walk-off hit in win over Phillies

The Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, winning 4-3 in 10 innings on Wednesday afternoon, rounding out a perfect 7-0 homestand.

Here are the key takeaways...

-A huge moment came in the top of the eighth inning. With two on and two outs, Max Kepler lined a hit into right field, with Nick Castellanos steamrolling home for the potential go-ahead run. But Juan Soto came up firing, throwing a dart to the plate that was slightly offline, and Hayden Senger lunged and applied the tag just in the nick of time, keeping the game scored at 2-2.

-With the game still tied into extras, the Phillies pushed a run across againstEdwin Diaz in the 10th, as free runner Bryce Harper stole third and came in to score on a Castellanos single past a drawn in Mark Vientos. Diaz then committed a balk, disengaging three times, before motioning to the dugout. After talking to coaches and trainers, Diaz left the game, and the balk was overturned since it was deemed he stepped off due to injury.

Diaz was pitching in his second inning of work, and he ended up throwing 18 pitches before leaving the game.

-Max Kranick took over on the mound, and was able to escape a bases-loaded, one-out jam, keeping the Phillies' lead at one run. In the bottom of the inning, Pete Alonso delivered an RBI double off of Jordan Romano, tying the game and putting the winning run in scoring position. Starling Marte then played hero, lining a soft single into center to score Alonso and give the Mets a walk-off victory.

-Prior to the game, Carlos Mendoza discussed the roster crunch looming when Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez return, which will likely be on Friday. Brett Baty may have made that decision even more difficult in the bottom of the second, when he blasted a no-doubt, two-run home run off of Zack Wheeler, depositing the ball in the the upper deck in right field.

Baty went 1-for-2 with his first big fly of the season, and was later pinch-hit for in the top of the seventh inning.

-David Peterson dealt with traffic on the bases for most of his outing, but he did a nice job of mitigating any damage, like in the second when he escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam without allowing a run. The Phillies did get to him for a pair of runs in the fourth on RBI knocks from Johan Rojas and Trea Turner, but that was all the tall lefty would surrender.

Peterson went 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits while striking out two and walking one batter.

-Francisco Lindor stayed hot at the plate, reaching base three times, including a pair of hits. Lindor had multiple hits in each of the three games against the Phillies, raising his batting average from .271 at the start of the series, to .309 at the end.

-Brandon Nimmo had a quiet day at the plate, but he made a couple of terrific plays in the field. In the fifth, Nimmo went all out to dive and catch a sinking Castellanos line drive, and then in the sixth he followed that up by running full speed and jumping to grab an Alec Bohm liner that looked like it was bound to go for extra bases over his head.

-Wheeler, who came into the game with a 3.56 ERA in 15 starts against his former team, had another good showing. The former Met went 6.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and two walks. Like Peterson, he left the game without factoring into a decision.

Who was the game MVP?

Marte, who came into the game as a pinch-hitter and later delivered the game-winning knock.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

The Mets have a day off on Thursday before hitting the road for a four-game series in Washington D.C. against the Nationals.

Kodai Senga will start for the Mets, while the Nats have not yet announced a starter.

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Alexander Nikishin Is Technically Unsigned, But Hurricanes Aren't At All Worried

Alexander Nikishin

Carolina Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky revealed Wednesday on a Zoom call with local media, that new defenseman Alexander Nikishin has not yet technically signed his contract with the team.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan had first reported during Sunday's game that Nikishin hadn't yet been signed by the Canes, stating that he had instead been granted permission from the NHL to allow him to practice with the team. 

According to Tulsky, while Nikishin isn't signed, he has agreed to terms on a deal and there also isn't any real concern over getting that contract finalized.

"I expect that we will sign the deal any day now.," Tulsky said. "We're just working through some things. If we felt like we needed him on the ice in the next game, we'd get the contract in and have him ready to go. There's nothing that's getting in the way of him being able to play for us."

The biggest holdup is the fact that if the team wants him to get games in the AHL at any point this season, he'd only be able to if he signed a PTO with the Chicago Wolves. Therefore, signing his NHL contact would bar him from having that option.

"When we sign the contract, he won't be able to play in the AHL any more," Tulsky said. "He'd be restricted to NHL games, so we're trying to keep our options open by holding off for now."

It's a fairly unique situation to have a deal pretty much done, but not quite technically signed, and it probably also didn't help fans that the Hurricanes' social team put out a graphic that said 'Signed' in regards to Nikishin (although they probably just assumed the same as everyone else too. I mean, even I thought he was officially signed).

But worry not, Alexander Nikishin is going to be a Carolina Hurricane.

It's just that the front office is dancing around some legalities and loopholes to keep as many options as they can open, and it was important for them to still get him to Raleigh as quickly as possible to maximize the time they have to integrate him into the team, system and culture.

"[Nikishin] has a ton of ability, but it's a big transition for him," Tulsky said. "Every time he gets a chance to skate with the team, meet with the coaches, that helps him be ready to get on the ice and help the team. I think it's a great learning experience for him. The time he's getting around the team is helping him integrate and make sure he's ready to go when we need him."

Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub for all postseason stories!  

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Are the Yankees the best team in the American League?

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

The New York Yankees, reigning AL champs, are back in the conversation about the top team in the American League. But as the latest episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast" discusses, confidence in the Bronx Bombers is sometimes as shaky as their bullpen walk rate.

Host Jake Mintz led the pro-Yankees charge, saying flatly, “Have you seen Aaron Judge play before? ... Aaron Judge is the best player in the world. It's not close.” 

What's more: "Ben Rice is the second-best player in the world, apparently."

The numbers back that up: Even with disappointing starts from Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm and merely average output from Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells, the Yankees’ offense boasts a monstrous 131 OPS+. 

“That’s the bit,” Mintz said. “The bit is that Aaron Judge is unbelievable.”

Shusterman was quick with a reality check. “This is just a roster that once again is trending toward fitting together in a very strange way," he said.

With DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton working back into the mix, and Rice somehow posting a four-digit OPS, Shusterman questioned the sustainability of New York’s offense beyond Judge’s superhuman exploits. He expressed concerns about Rice catching, Bellinger hitting third and Paul Goldschmidt's consistency with the bat.

“I think this is just still a very bizarrely constructed roster,” he concluded.

There are also legitimate worries about the Yankees' pitching depth and a bullpen that “walks a lot of guys. A lot. So many walks,” as Shusterman noted. At the same time, as Mintz pointed out, "Max Fried might be a top-five pitcher in the American League. He looks unbelievable."

Despite the flaws, this is still the Yankees. They won ugly last year, made it to the World Series and employ the literal best player on the planet. “This team doesn’t have to be the best team in baseball. They just have to be the best team in the American League. And they just did that, doing the same exact shtick,” Mintz reminded listeners.

Are Judge’s shoulders (and bat) broad enough to carry the Yankees to another AL crown? History says yes. But the recurring flaws serve as a warning sign for New York — and anyone penciling them in to return to the Fall Classic.

For more on the Yankees and other baseball debates, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

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Yankees jump out to early lead, avoid sweep with 5-1 win over Guardians

The Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians, 5-1, in the series finale of a three-game set on Wednesday afternoon.

Here are the takeaways...

- The Yanks jumped on Guardians starter L.L. Ortiz, scoring twice in each of the first two innings. The first four batters of the game were able to reach base, with the big knocks being Aaron Judge's RBI triple and Paul Goldschmidt's opposite-field RBI double -- both were inches away from leaving the park.

- In the second inning, Jasson Dominguez led off with a walk, and after stealing second he scored on a Ben Rice single. Rice came around to score a run of his own a few batters later on Goldschmidt's second run-scoring knock in as many innings.

- Rice was on base three times out of the leadoff spot, bringing his OPS to 1.005. Judge was also on base three times -- he's now hitting a league-high .419 with a 1.247 OPS. Goldschmidt continues swinging a hot bat, posting a .383 average through 94 at-bats.

- Carlos Rodon put together his second consecutive strong outing after being staked to the early advantage. He was hurt by a Cody Bellinger error in the first, which allowed an unearned run to score, but was able to dance around further damage from there.

The southpaw's best inning came in the fourth, when he struck out the side on just 10 pitches. He worked around a one out walk in the fifth before retiring the next six batters he faced to close out one of his strongest performances of the year.

Rodon allowed just the unearned run on four hits and two walks while striking out eight across seven innings.

- Fernando Cruz continued his strong start to the year, striking out a pair in the eighth. Luke Weaver then came on and worked around a one-out single to put the finishing touches on the Yankees' 15th victory of the season.

- The heart of New York's order continues to struggle, with Jazz Chisholm Jr., Anthony Volpe, and Austin Wells going acombined 2-for-15 on the afternoon with eight strikeouts. Chisholm singled and the other knock was a Wells RBI double, but they have a combined .683 OPS on the year.

Game MVP: Carlos Rodon

Rodon put together one of his strongest outings of the season to help New York avoid the three-game sweep.

Highlights

Whats next

The Yanks return home to start a three-game set with the Blue Jays on Friday at 7:05 p.m.

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Jimmy Butler ruled out of Warriors-Rockets with pelvis contusion after hard fall

Jimmy Butler ruled out of Warriors-Rockets with pelvis contusion after hard fall originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Forward Jimmy Butler has been ruled out of the Warriors’ game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night due to a pelvis contusion after a scary fall to the Toyota Center floor.

Butler will undergo an MRI on Thursday, the Warriors announced.

Butler was undercut by Rockets guard Amen Thompson while attempting to rebound a missed shot.

Butler remained down for a minute before getting back to his feet, walking to the other end of the court to shoot the two free throws.

After Butler split the free throws, he stayed in the game for a few possessions before leaving and limping to the locker room.

The Warriors ruled Butler out midway through the second quarter.

With Butler in the locker room and guard Brandin Podziemski battling through an illness, coach Steve Kerr put Jonathan Kuminga into the game.

Kuminga hasn’t played in the Warriors’ last three games, but in an emergency, coach Steve Kerr turned to the fourth-year NBA forward.

Butler scored three points and grabbed two rebounds in eight minutes before exiting.

The Warriors have to hope that Butler is available for Game 3 against the Rockets on Saturday night at Chase Center.

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