Red Sox 5, Reds 6 (11): What a long, strange game it was.

Mar 28, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray (54) throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Zigs and Zags

The game had a ton of drama and resisted easy definitions. It wasn’t that the teams traded leads back and forth—the Sox never led, in fact—but every time I thought I had a handle on the direction of the game, a big moment occurred to completely erase that thought. For example, the Sox mishandling some plays, including logging their second error in as many games, had me thinking defensive deficits. That was until Marcelo Mayer came through in a big way with a great scoop and throw to first in the late innings. When the lack of offense seemed like the story of the game—despite scoring five runs, it felt like they were in a drought and they repeatedly came up short in big moments—Wilyer Abreu launched a two-out homer in the ninth inning.

This game will be remembered for its ABS adventures and umpiring miscues. The Sox ran out of ABS challenges with the first at-bat in the third. This was way too early, and a mistake by Roman Anthony with nothing on the line. Fully expect additional coaching on this point as players get used to incorporating it into game strategy. More ABS drama when Eugenio Suárez successfully challenged his strikeout, twice, on consecutive pitches.

Today ABS wasn’t popular in Red Sox Nation but it’s good to know that the game is a little fairer with it in the mix. So there’s that.

Even less popular was a big mistake by the home plate umpire, who egregiously called a check swing on Trevor Story to end a Sox rally as well as their eighth inning. It led to Story likely popping some blood vessels, and to Alex Cora’s ejection.

Personally, I sweated this game out and despite making it to extra innings, the Sox lost in eleven.

Studs

Ryan Watson

He walked the first batter faced in his MLB career, loading the bases in the process. In a dramatic sequence, he thought he got out of the jam, twice, while pitching to Eugenio Suárez. Suárez challenged—and won—the call both times. Credit to Watson for coming back and eventually getting the out. He did eventually get his first MLB K.

Carlos Narváez

His day: 2-3, 1R, 1 CS.

Duds

Pelvic Thrust Hit Celebration

I’m making a choice by putting this first in the list, but it’s important. Yuck. Jahmai Webster said he was told “it doesn’t mean what you think it means.” Hm. Dave O’Brien and Lou Merloni sounded a little skeptical, and so am I. To be clear, I don’t care about being “family friendly” at all but women find this gesture ugly and threatening. It’s unimaginative to boot.

Sonny Gray and Greg Weissert

They needed 35 and 27 pitches to get out of their respective first innings. Gray ran up several full counts and dropped the ball while trying to tag the runner at the plate. Whether or not the cold weather affected his spin, he couldn’t make the pitches he wanted. Weissert gave up a first-pitch HR, followed soon by a walk and a single.

Caleb Durbin

0-4 today, 0-7 so far as a Red Sox. The Sox need him to chip away and get on base in his typical small-ball ways. He killed a rally in the seventh after being called out on strikes.

Offense

Despite Abreu’s fireworks, the Sox had trouble getting themselves going in big moments and had 15 K’s on the day. Way too many.

Error #2 on the Season

It’s early but this also feels like too many.

Home Plate Umpire CB Bucknor

He rang up Story on a so-called check swing with the pitch in the dirt. What was egregious was not consulting another umpire.

Play of the Game

The glass-half-full part of me says it was Wilyer Abreu’s no-doubter with two outs in the ninth to tie the game. It was outstanding, but I think the reality is that the play of the game was Story’s at-bat that was unfairly cut short by mistaken umpiring.

Iowa Cubs Wrap: I-Cubs fall late to Columbus, 4-3

Feb 28, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs designated hitter Kevin Alcantara (13) reacts as his bat breaks during his at bat in the first inning of a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

The Iowa Cubs were broadsided by the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 4-3.

Iowa scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and then didn’t score again. First, left fielder Justin Dean walked to lead off the bottom of the inning. He then stole second, went to third on a bad throw and scored on a fielder’s choice by first baseman Jonathon Long.

Two batters later, right fielder Kevin Alcántara did this.

The two-run home run went 393 feet and came on a slider from a right-hander that drifted outside the zone.

The I-Cubs got a good 3.1 innings from starter Will Sanders. Sanders gave up one run on a solo home run by Petey Halpin but nothing else. The final line on Sanders was one run on five hits over 3.1 innings. He struck out six and walked just one.

Luke Little relieved Sanders. He did not allow a run or a hit over 1.1 innings. He did walk two while striking out one.

Meanwhile, Iowa only had three hits after the first inning. One of them was this double by center fielder Brett Bateman.

Columbus got one run in each of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to lose the game. Ethan Roberts gave up a run in the seventh and Yacksel Rios allowed a run in the eighth and ninth to blow the save and take the loss. The final line on Rios was two runs on four hits and three walks over two innings. He struck out one.

Alcántara was 1 for 4 with the two-run home run. Bateman was 1 for 3 with a double and a steal.

GameThread: Tigers vs. Padres, 8:40 p.m.

Mar 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) watches play during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

Detroit Tigers vs. San Diego Padres

Time/Place: 8:40 p.m., Petco Park
SB Nation Site: Gaslamp Ball
Media: Detroit Sportsnet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Randy Vásquez (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Note: Stats in the table below are Fangraphs’ 2026 projections

PlayerGIPK%BB%ERAFIPfWAR
Flaherty29160.025.78.44.033.892.5
Vásquez36137.015.88.34.804.940.7

Lineups

TIGERSPADRES
Kerry Carpenter – DHJake Cronenworth – 2B
Gleyber Torres – 2BFernando Tatis – RF
Colt Keith – 3BManny Machado – 3B
Riley Greene – LFJackson Merrill – CF
Spencer Torkelson – 1BXander Bogaerts – SS
Kevin McGonigle – SSGavin Sheets – 1B
Matt Vierling – CFRamon Laureano – LF
Zach McKinstry – RFNick Castellanos – DH
Jake Rogers – CFreddy Fermin – C

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Arizona Diamondbacks Gameday Thread, #3: 3/28 @ Dodgers

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 26: A general view of a flyover during the presentation of the national anthem before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks during Opening Day at Dodger Stadium on March 26, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Today’s Lineups

DIAMONDBACKSDODGERS
Ketel Marte – 2BShohei Ohtani – DH
Corbin Carroll – RFKyle Tucker – RF
Geraldo Perdomo – SSMookie Betts – SS
Pavin Smith – DHWill Smith – C
Nolan Arenado – 3BFreddie Freeman – 1B
Alek Thomas – CFTeoscar Hernandez – LF
Carlos Santana – 1BSantiago Espinal – 3B
James McCann – CAndy Pages – CF
Jorge Barrosa – LFMiguel Rojas – 2B
E. Rodriguez – LHPTyler Glasnow – RHP

The first shake-up of the season for the line-up, with Gabriel Moreno and Jordan Lawlar each sitting this one out, replaced by James McCann and Jorge Barrosa respectively. Maybe we can become the first NL West team apart from the Dodgers to win a game? The Rockies already lost their second game, joining us, the Padres and Giants, who all came into play at 0-2. The Giants have run their scoreless streak to open the season to 20 innings against the Yankees at time of writing, while the Padres are trying to avoid being swept by the Tigers. Hopefully, this is Detroit getting it all out of the way early, since they will be joining the D-backs in flying to Arizona tonight…

Tonight is Eduardo Rodriguez’s first start in 2025, and we’ll be hoping for an improved version of E-Rod for 2026. He comes in having made 39 starts for Arizona, with an ERA just over five (5.02). That’s an ERA+ of 85. Among those with more than twenty starts for the Diamondbacks, that puts him right in between Rodrigo Lopez and Barry Enright. It is also two points better than Brandon Pfaadt’s career figure, though the latter is not earning twenty-one million dollars this year. If Rodriguez can become the first Arizona starter to make it through five innings this year, that might be a good sign. Otherwise, we may be looking at a Joe Ross sighting.

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Pistons vs. Wolves final score: Detroit D too much for Minny

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MARCH 28: Kevin Huerter #27 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 28, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Detroit Pistons might have had one of their worst offensive showings of the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday afternoon. Lucky for them, their elite defense showed up and allowed the Pistons to coast to a 109-87 win. It was the sixth time Detroit has held an opponent to 90 or fewer points this season. They are the only team in the league to hit that mark six times.

They also held the Timberwolves to just 31% shooting from the floor, the Pistons’ second-lowest mark of the season against any opponent.

Both teams were shorthanded, including their superstars. The Pistons played without Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart. The Wolves played without Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Ayo Dosunmu. Both teams have been winning without their stars, however, because other players have been able to step up. That wasn’t the case for either team in what was mostly a defensive slugfest on Saturday.

Jalen Duren was limited to just 10 points and 13 rebounds in 29 minutes, attempting only seven shots. He had trouble dealing with Rudy Gobert’s length, and Minnesota, like most teams lately, has it in their game plan to limit passes to Duren in the post whenever possible. Daniss Jenkins, meanwhile, who has been on a bit of a hot streak since stepping into the starting lineup for Cunningham, was mostly awful against the Timberwolves.

Up until about the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter, when the game was pretty well decided, Jenkins was shooting 2-of-12 with as many assists as turnovers (three). He was sloppy with his handle, making ill-advised passes into non-existent windows, missing clear passing lanes, and giving up a lot of penetration on defense. In garbage time, he was able to hit four pretty easy looks, which allowed him to escape with a respectable 12 points on the night.

It’s not the first time Jenkins has had a stinker like that; he’s a second-year player, after all, but it might be the first time the Pistons have won a Daniss no-show in a while. They did it because so many other role players did just enough on offense — Detroit had seven players in double-figures, with Tobias Harris’ 18 leading the way — and because Detroit’s elite defense made everything difficult for an underpowered Minnesota attack.

To shout out just a couple specific guys — every Ron Holland three is a blessing, and we got two of them tonight to go with his stellar defense. Also, Kevin Huerter is looking more and more like a rotation mainstay, but I don’t know how it will happen when both Cunningham and Stewart return. Huerter had 11 points and made several smart reads as a cutter and a ball handler. He’s reminding me more and more of the rotation impact Dennis Schröder had on Detroit last year. A steadying presence who isn’t giving away anything on either side of the floor, and someone you trust to make the right decision if he has the ball in his hands.

Wolves’ role players not named Donte DiVincenzo couldn’t get anything going against Detroit’s stifling defense. Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Bones Hyland, and Mike Conley combined to shoot 8-for-38 from the floor. That’s 21% from the field. Only DiVencenzo was able to ride some hot 3-point streak shooting into a respectable night. He scored a game-high 22 and hit five threes. But he had 14 attempts, and was just 7-of-18 from the floor overall.

Even as Detroit was trying to give the game away with its patented rash of mind-boggling turnovers, Minnesota could do nothing with them. Detroit committed 19 turnovers on the night, and Minnesota was only able to turn those 19 extra possessions into seven points.

Unsurprisingly, Ausar Thompson and Holland get the lion’s share of the credit with their ability to hound players on the perimeter. Thompson had four steals and Holland two, as just one way to quantify their impact. But, really, it was a team effort. Caris LeVert had a couple of big blocks inside, Huerter continues to move and switch very well on defense, and Harris and Paul Reed were locked in and giving Detroit everything they had.

Detroit is now one win away from clinching the Central Division title, improved Detroit’s NBA Draft position courtesy of a pending swap with the Timberwolves, and they now sit 4.5 games up on the Boston Celtics for the first seed in the Eastern Conference.

Mitchell Robinson, Jordan Clarkson stepping into key Knicks leadership roles

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows 03/22/26 New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden: Center Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks pulls a rebound away from forward Anthony Gill #16 of the Washington Wizards, Image 2 shows Guard Jordan Clarkson of the New York Knicks reacts after hitting a 3-point shot during the second half when the New York Knicks played the Golden State Warriors Sunday, March 15, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, NY
Knicks

The Knicks are finding important leadership voices beyond their main stars. 

Fans mostly see one side of Mitchell Robinson: a silly, goofy personality who doesn’t take himself too seriously. Recently, however, Robinson has been one of the most vocal players calling out a few worrying Knicks trends and emphasizing the need to fix them ahead of the postseason. 

“The guys are starting to trust me a lot more,” Robinson said after practice Saturday. “They’re putting trust in me, so I’m telling them what I see and things that I think we can get better at. Being more vocal, it’s coming naturally. The guys mentioned a few times, I’m the anchor of the defense. They trust me on the defensive end. That helps a lot.” 

After the Knicks barely escaped with a one-point win over the tanking Nets last week, Robinson said, “Our approach got to be better. We can’t just look at their record and say, ‘we’ll whoop their ass.’ We just got to be better altogether. Until we figure that part out, then it’s going to be a long roller coaster.” 

Center Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks pulls a rebound away from forward Anthony Gill of the Washington Wizards Jason Szenes / New York Post

After the Knicks lost to the Hornets on Thursday, Robinson commented on an Instagram video of himself, saying, “don’t even matter unless we change our approach we ain’t doing s–t special keep that bulls–t up myself included [sic].” 

The video showed Robinson mentoring second-year center Ariel Hukporti, giving him advice on how to tailor his rebounding strategy based on who was taking a shot. 

It’s part of personal growth for Robinson, the longest-tenured Knick. During his first few years in the league, he was not nearly as comfortable with the media. Now, he’s consistently letting his thoughts — and concerns — be heard. 

Two things he’s repeatedly harped on are the Knicks’ approach and connectivity. 



“We’re gonna do some talking and get better connected and stuff like that,” Robinson said. “That’s basically what we have to do, at this point right now. 

“In the playoffs, you’re playing the same team, potentially, seven times. The more we’re connected, the better off we’ll be. You’ve seen what we did last year, and we’re trying to go farther.” 

There is value in having veterans beyond Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns provide different voices and perspectives in the locker room. Robinson is not the only one. 

Coach Mike Brown identified Jordan Clarkson, who has been playing himself back into the rotation lately, as another important leader. 

Guard Jordan Clarkson of the New York Knicks reacts after hitting a 3-point shot during the second half when the New York Knicks played the Golden State Warriors on March 15, 2026 at Madison Square Garden. Robert Sabo for NY Post

“You can have leadership in a lot of different ways,” Brown said Saturday. “As of late, the reality of it is, a guy like Jordan Clarkson is starting to separate himself and showing that he’s one of the leaders of the team. Just because you start, just because you score a ton or shoot a ton, or you’re one of the best defenders, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a leader. Because one of the things is, leaders aren’t afraid to tell the truth. They do what they say. Being a leader means you gotta be on point all the time. You can’t be worried about whether your teammate likes you at the time because you’re saying something that’s truthful or you’re holding people accountable or not. 

“So when you look at a guy like Jordan, who’s been through a lot, who’s still stayed ready, even when he was out, for him and listening to him speak up in front of the group now, that’s starting to show real leadership. Other guys have spoken up, other guys are trying to do it, and Mitch is one of them.” 

Brunson is the formally recognized captain. Hart is the biggest talker. Towns, given his stature, is expected to be influential with his voice. 

But Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are not particularly vocal. This leaves a bit of a void behind the aforementioned trio — one that Robinson and Clarkson can fill.

Hubert Kós leads Texas men to second straight swimming and diving championship

ATLANTA (AP) — Hubert Kós broke his own NCAA record while defending his title in the 200-yard backstroke to help the Texas men win a second straight national championship in swimming and diving on Saturday.

Kós won with a time of 1 minute, 34.13 seconds as the Longhorns piled up 445.5 points. He set an NCAA record of 1:34.21 in winning the event last season. Kós also broke the NCAA record in the 100 backstroke earlier this meet. Florida junior Jonny Marshall finished second and Virginia sophomore David King took third.

Runner-up Florida had 416 points. Indiana (351), Arizona State (328) and Tennessee (272) rounded out the top five.

Virginia freshman Maximus Williamson began the day by winning the 200 IM in 1:38.48. Indiana senior Owen McDonald was second, followed by Texas senior Baylor Nelson.

Florida senior Josh Liendo clocked a 39.91 to win the 100 freestyle. LSU junior Jere Hribar was second, followed by Tennessee senior Gui Caribe.

Arizona State junior Ilya Kharun won the 200 butterfly in 1:37.66, a half-second in front of Michigan senior Tyler Ray. Virginia freshman Thomas Heilman placed third.

Kharun, Adam Chaney, Remi Fabiani and anchor Jonny Kulow won the men’s 400 free relay with a NCAA record time of 2:42.15. N.C. State placed second and Florida was third. The Sun Devils won five of the seven relay races.

Texas A&M freshman Emilio Trevino won the title in platform diving with 465.40 points. Purdue sophomore Tyler Wills (451.15) and Florida sophomore Jesus Gonzalez (427.25) followed.

Coach Bob Bowman has led Texas to back-to-back championships. He guided Arizona State to the championship in 2024 before taking the Longhorns job.

Hall-of-Fame coach Eddie Reese led Texas to 15 championships during his 46-year run from 1978-2024.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Devils unable to keep up with Hurricanes in 5-2 loss

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and an assist to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Shayne Gostisbehere, Jackson Blake, Jordan Staal and Seth Jarvis also scored for the Hurricanes, who won for the fourth time in five games. Brandon Bussi stopped 17 shots to win his second straight start after losing his previous three.

Timo Meier and Evgenii Dadonov scored for New Jersey and Jacob Markstrom had 29 saves. It was only the second loss in seven games for the Devils.

Ehlers, who has seven goals and 10 assists in 13 games this month, fueled a three-goal second period for the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes signed Ehlers to a six-year, $51 million contract in the offseason.

After not scoring a goal in the first 11 games of the season, Ehlers has 23 goals in 61 games. The 30-year-old left wing spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with Winnipeg. He has found a role in Carolina on a checking line with Staal, the Hurricanes’ captain, and gritty veteran winger Jordan Martinook.

Ehlers’ power-play goal at 10:10 of the second period tied the game at 1-1. Blake fooled New Jersey defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler on a goal that gave Carolina a 2-1 lead at 13:48. Ehlers set up Staal at 15:13 to make it 3-1.

Gostisbehere returned after a nine-game absence due to a lower-body injury. He added a goal at 15:25 in the third and Jarvis tacked on an empty-net goal.

Meier finished a pretty play by Dawson Mercer to give New Jersey a 1-0 after the first period.

Carolina out-shot New Jersey 34-20.

Up next

Devils: Host Chicago on Sunday.

Hurricanes: Host Montreal on Sunday.

Real MVP of Elite 8 game after buzzer delay: Air horn. 'Got to stay ready'

HOUSTON – After a buzzer malfunction at Toyota Center caused an 11-minute delay during the first half of Saturday’s Elite Eight game between Iowa and Illinois, officials sitting courtside resorted to an old-fashioned solution.

Kevin Johnson sat at the scorer’s table armed with two blue-and-white air horns, which he used to signal timeouts, substitutions and the end of each half.

Kevin Johnson used an airhorn after a shot clock malfunction during Saturday's Illinois vs. Iowa Elite Eight game in Houston.

Johnson, who has worked for the Houston Rockets as a game clock operator for 25 years, said the game operations crew always keeps air horns and stopwatches available in the arena just in case. On Saturday, as the delay dragged on, Johnson had a feeling they would be needed. He relayed a message into his headset and an employee scurried through the back hallways of Toyota Center to fetch the two emergency horns.

“They tried to go up and they were going to cut (the scoreboard) off. I said, ‘OK in the meantime, just get the air horns out here in case there’s a problem,’” Johnson said. “They were going to try and switch them back but the horn is tied to the whole thing. When they turned the screens back on, the horn is not going to stay cut off.”

Johnson was working the NCAA regional games in Houston along with the rest of the Rockets’ regular scorer’s table crew. He and shot clock operator Larry Stick, another longtime member of the Rockets’ staff, said a similar malfunction happened once before at a Rockets game many years ago – but they emphasized that incidents like that are rare in NBA arenas.

However, Johnson and Stick said it’s not unusual for scorekeepers and clock operators who work high school games to use manual air horns.

At NBA games, Johnson and Stick control the horn by flipping a switch on a Tissot handset, which resembles a simplistic video game controller.  But that controller broke on Saturday, which caused a constant buzzing sound to emanate from the scoreboard overhanging the court.

At halftime, arena employees tried to switch out the Tissot unit entirely, but it still didn’t work. The scoreboard and horn remained inoperable for the second half. So Johnson returned to his seat, put down his cup of blue sports drink and positioned the air horn on the table in front of him.

“Got to stay ready,” he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iowa-Illinois game delayed by buzzer malfunction. Break out the air horn

Reds walk off Red Sox in extra innings for first win of 2026

CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 28: Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds hits a home run in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images

There was ample action in Great American Ball Park on Saturday, and the end result was a 6-5 victory by the Cincinnati Reds over the Boston Red Sox.

Dane Myers swatted a single over the shortstop – a replacement shortstop, I should add – in the Bottom of the 11th inning for his first hit, RBI, and Gatorade bath as a member of the Reds, as that was good enough to plate TJ Friedl from 2B and end the game. For that he not only gets mentioned in his first recap here at Red Reporter, but also takes home Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game honors.

How this game got there, though, was a bit of a see-saw.

Cincinnati jumped on Boston early as former Red Sonny Gray struggled early, needing over 30 pitches just to make it out of the Bottom of the 1st. The top of the Cincinnati order got on, got over, and scored twice in the game’s initial frame, and the early damage was enough to limit Gray to just 4 IP before exiting having allowed 3 ER overall.

Cincinnati held an early 3-0 lead and later a 4-1 score, though Brady Singer ran into trouble in the Top of the 4th and allowe another pair of Boston runs before exiting himself after just 4.0 IP. Boston then began to chip away at Cincinnati’s bullpen as just about everyone they have down there got in on the action, including a Wilyer Abreu homer off Emilio Pagan in the Top of the 9th to tie the score at 5 each and send the game into extras.

Pagan, for the record, came on in the 8th to get out of a jam created by Tony Santillan, and his second inning of work wasn’t quite so effective.

Elly De La Cruz socked a solo homer, as did Sal Stewart for the Reds first round-trippers of the season. Matt McLain had himself a day with a trio of hits and a pair of walks, and the heart of the Cincinnati lineup is looking mighty tasty to begin the year.

Eugenio Suarez even picked up his first ’hit’ and ribbie of the season with a dribbler back to Gray early that scored McLain when the veteran righty couldn’t get the ball to the plate quick enough.

All told, it was an entertaining day at GABP as the Reds picked up their first win of the season.

Other Notes

  • The ABS system got a workout with the erratic (at best) CB Bucknor behind the plate. The Reds had 6 (six!) correct challenges that overturned calls, Boston blew through theirs early, and shortstop Trevor Story (and manager Alex Cora) eventually got tossed by Bucknor at the end of the Top of the 8th after another one of his questionable calls. Story fanned 4 times on the day.
  • Sal Stewart’s homer wasn’t all he did on the day, as he also added an RBI single and walked. The kid’s a machine in the making and the Reds should sign him to a 15 year contract yesterday.
  • Boston is set to start lefty Connelly Early tomorrow, so I’d anticipate Myers getting his first start of the year in that one. Rhett Lowder will toe the rubber for the Reds in the rubber match, with first pitch set for 1:40 PM ET.

Luis Robert Jr.’s walk-off home run saves Mets in 11-inning win over Pirates

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Robert sent the Mets home happy, Image 2 shows New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits the walk-off game-winnng home run during the eleventh inning when the New York Mets played the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday, March 28, 2026 at Citi Field in Queens, NY, Image 3 shows The Mets celebrate Robert's walk-off homer
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If the season opener were about the Mets lineup’s liveliness, the follow-up was about first survival, and then one swing.

Surviving all those Pirates base runners. Surviving an infield defense that looked as inexperienced as it is. Surviving first against Mitch Keller, who looks poised to take a leap, and later against a Pirates bullpen that bent but wouldn’t break. Surviving a squibber that would not go foul. Surviving the elements that come with playing baseball in New York in March.

On a frigid and windy Saturday that kept players and bats cold, the Mets gasped for nine quiet, scoreless innings. They found just enough life to keep the game going into 11 innings and then received the jolt of a swing they had long sought.

Luis Robert Jr. looked like the superstar he once was in clubbing a three-run walk-off home run to complete what the Mets so seldom completed last year: a legitimate, late-game comeback. The Mets, who trailed in the 10th and 11th, pulled out a 4-2 victory in front of 37,183 hooded and blanketed fans at Citi Field.

“It’s a different group,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of the Mets, who notably never won a game when trailing after eight innings last season.

The Mets had looked ready to retreat into the warmth of their clubhouse as losers in the 10th, when they first allowed a go-ahead RBI single to Nick Gonzales and then spoiled the good feelings from Luis Torrens’ own RBI single by failing to score with the bases loaded and no one out, groundouts from Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto costly.

The Mets had looked like hard-luck losers in the top of the 11th, when Richard Lovelady, who was on the cusp of stranding the automatic runner, watched Bryan Reynolds’ dribbler down the third-base line hug the grass and go for a go-ahead RBI single.

The Mets celebrate Robert’s walk-off homer. Robert Sabo for NY Post

But in the first sign that this season might be as “different” as the roster itself, Robert provided the swing that swung the game.

The Cuban, surely not used to these temperatures, acknowledged that before stepping into the box, your hands get cold enough “that you can’t really feel them.” But then adrenaline takes over. He ignored a changeup out of the strike zone and found a slider that was low and away — a well-executed pitch that was nonetheless redirected, through the swirling winds and through air that hovered under 40 degrees, over the wall in left-center to ignite those freezing fans who remained.

“He’s talented. He’s gifted,” Mendoza said of Robert, whose tools are obvious. “With the way the wind was blowing, especially from left field, to just be able to leave the yard like that, in that situation, it goes to show you that this guy’s special.”

Robert sent the Mets home happy. Robert Sabo for NY Post
New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a walk-off-home run during the 11 inning when the New York Mets played the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday, March 28, 2026 at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post

He was special in 2020, when he broke into the majors and finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting with the White Sox. He was special in 2023, when he was an All-Star and received MVP votes while smashing 38 home runs.

He was less special the past two seasons, when his numbers plunged amid White Sox misery and injuries. An early focus with the Mets has been zeroing in on which pitches to slug and which to ignore.

“I think the one thing that great players have is knowing how to select pitches to swing at,” Robert said through interpreter Alan Suriel. “I think for me to be able to go back to being the player that I was and that I know that I’m capable of being, I think that’s going to be a big part of my game.”

New York Mets pitcher Devin Williams (38) gets out of the ninth inning when the New York Mets played the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday, March 28, 2026 at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
New York Mets Pitcher David Peterson (23) throws in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

Nearly forgotten by the end was the offensive frustration, following up an 11-run outburst Thursday with three hits through nine innings.

Nearly forgotten was a defense — which had looked sharp in the opener — prompting far more questions in Game 2, when Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco looked like a new third baseman and first baseman, respectively.

And nearly forgotten was the excellent work from the pitching staff. David Peterson, Huascar Brazobán, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley and Devin Williams combined for nine scoreless innings in which they stranded 12 on base. Luis García and Lovelady allowed just unearned runs in extra innings.

Big swings have a way of heating up cold bodies and pushing all other memories to the side.

“Real special, honestly,” Robert said of his brief Mets tenure so far. “These last two games have really been special.”

Mets 4, Pirates 2: Luis Robert Jr. plays hero with walk-off three-run bomb to give Mets win #2

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 28: Luis Robert Jr. #88 of the New York Mets reacts to hitting the game-winning home run during the eleventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field on March 28, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. The New York Mets won 4-2. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Let’s face it: Thursday’s Opening Day win was too easy. Too stress-free. The Mets aren’t really, truly back until they have a game that makes you question all the life choices that led to you deciding to spend three precious hours of your day watching them. Well, you best believe it: the Mets are officially BACK after today’s game in which the bats were held silent for three hours, followed by some extra innings nonsense. And yet, while this game was looking like it was going to be the first infuriating loss of the season, it instead proved to be the first thrilling come-from-behind victory of the season, with Luis Robert Jr. socking an 11th inning walk-off bomb to give the Mets win number two of 2026.

It was a cold and windy day at Citi Field today, and that perhaps played a role in both offenses being helpless for most of the afternoon. Starting pitchers David Peterson and Mitch Keller both put up zeroes in the first four innings while giving up just two hits and keeping their pitch counts low. The Pirates did load the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth against Peterson, but he induced a pop-up to first base from Marcell Ozuna to keep the game scoreless. He got in trouble again in the following inning by giving up two singles—one on a sharp grounder to first that Jorge Polanco couldn’t handle, and another on a bloop single to center—and Carlos Mendoza decided to pull his starter there after 5.1 innings of work in which he surrendered six hits and two walks while recording three strikeouts (a fairly quintessential statline for the longest-tenured Met). But Huascar Brazobán came out of the bullpen and got out of the jam to preserve Peterson’s 0.00 2026 ERA and keep the game scoreless.

Still, the Mets continued to be unable to get any rallies going against Keller. After Luke Weaver tossed a scoreless top of the seventh, the Pirates mercifully went to their bullpen after six scoreless innings from their starter, and it looked like the Amazins might finally break through after back-to-back leadoff walks against Justin Lawrence (who surrendered two homers in Thursday’s game). But he came back to strikeout Brett Baty and Marcus Semien, and the Pirates then brought in Gregory Soto to face Carson Benge, who also struck out to end the threat and prevent the first run of the game from crossing the plate.

After a 1-2-3 inning from Brooks Raley, the Mets tried again to score against Soto in the bottom of the eighth, and Francisco Alvarez started the frame with a leadoff walk and was subsequently pinch-ran for by Tyrone Taylor with the top of the order coming up. Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto were both retired, but Taylor wound up on third base (advancing to second on a wild pitch and to third on a fielder’s choice) to give Bo Bichette—the best hitter with runners in scoring position last year—a chance to give the Mets the lead. Alas, he instead struck out swinging, and the game headed to the ninth with goose eggs on both sides.

Devin Williams came on to make his Mets debut in the top of the ninth. Coming the day after Edwin Díaz made a successful debut for the Dodgers, we were gearing to have some major #discourse from the hysterical population of the Mets fanbase if the team’s new closer blew the game this early in the season. And much like the previous closer, Williams bent—allowing a double and walk in the inning—but did not break, striking out Bryan Reynolds with two outs to end the Pittsburgh threat and send the game into the bottom of the ninth. For the third straight inning—this time against new Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana—the Mets worked a leadoff walk to start the inning, and the winning run advanced to second on a fielder’s choice grounder to first by Luis Robert Jr. Alas, Baty then lined a ball to first base, and the runner at second was doubled off to send the game to extras.

Luis García—who surrendered two runs in his first outing of the season on Thursday—was called upon in the tenth, and the Pirates finally managed to bring home the first run of the ballgame against him on a one-out single to center off the bat of Nick Gonzales. He threatened to give up more after loading the bases on an infield single and a walk, but he retired Jake Mangum on a groundout to third base to keep the deficit at one, giving the Amazins the chance to at least tie the game with the ghost runner at second to start the bottom of the frame.

Well, the Mets finally did score a run in the bottom of the inning—and yet it somehow proved to be the most frustrating inning in a game full of them. Facing off against rookie lefty Hunter Barco with the bottom of the order due up, Semien started things off by getting hit by a pitch. Mendoza then called upon Mark Vientos to pinch-hit for Benge, and Swaggy V started his 2026 season by getting a single to left to load the bases with nobody out. That brought up Luis Torrens, who entered the game after Alvarez left for a pinch-runner earlier. The Mets might have preferred to have the latter up in this spot, but no matter—Torrens came through with another single to left to tie the game and keep the bases loaded. So with no outs and the top of the order coming up, surely the Amazins had this win in the bag, yes? Well… no. Lindor and Soto both had identical outcomes in their respective at-bats, hitting grounders that resulted in force-outs at home plate. Then with two outs, Bichette—who’d already failed with a runner in scoring position earlier—flew out to right field to end the inning. Thus, we were no longer scoreless, but still tied. Onto the eleventh!

With basically everyone else in the bullpen having been used by this point, Mendoza had to turn to Richard Lovelady to try to keep the Pirates off the board. He might be the last man in the bullpen pecking order, but he came pretty dang close to getting out of the inning unscathed after recording the first two outs, with the second out coming via a grounder to second that advanced the ghost runner to second. That unfortunately proved to be consequential, as Reynolds then hit a soft grounder down the third base line that stayed fair and allowed the second Pirates run of the day to score. And Lovelady almost subsequently surrendered even more after Marcell Ozuna lined a ball to right field and put runners on the corners, but he instead struck out Gonzales to end the threat and once again hold the Pirates to just one extra-inning run.

Still, just like last inning, one couldn’t help but feel as though we were setting up for a disappointing end to the game in which the Mets couldn’t bring home the ghost runner. But that very quickly proved to not be the case. Polanco walked to lead-off the inning against Barco, and Robert—lefty-masher that he is—had himself his first signature moment with his new team, as he socked a three-run homer over the left field wall to double the amount of runs scored in today’s game, and to give the Mets the come-from-behind victory.

In the end, it’s just win number two. We still have 160 games to go. But we certainly have seen plenty of these types of games go the other way for the Mets in years past—particularly last season—so to overcome the mostly frustrating affair and come out on the winning side is nevertheless a breath of fresh air. Now we will see the Amazins go for the sweep tomorrow with Nolan McLean taking the mound.

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Luis Robert Jr. (duh), +50.4% WPA
Big Mets loser: Luis García and Richard Lovelady, -31.0% WPA
Mets pitchers: +4.8% WPA
Mets hitters: +45.2% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Luis Robert Jr. walk-off three-run homer in the 11th (duh again), +49.1% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Bryan Reynolds RBI single in the 11th, -34.0% WPA

Ehlers leads Hurricanes to 5-2 win over Devils

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and assist to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Shayne Gostisbehere, Jackson Blake, Jordan Staal and Seth Jarvis also scored for the Hurricanes, who won for the fourth time in five games. Brandon Bussi stopped 17 shots to win his second straight start after losing his previous three.

Timo Meier and Evgenii Dadonov scored for New Jersey and Jacob Markstrom had 29 saves. It was only the second loss in seven games for the Devils.

Ehlers, who has has seven goals and 10 assists in 13 games this month, fueled a three-goal second period for the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes signed Ehlers to a six-year, $51 million contract in the offseason.

After not scoring a goal in the first 11 games of the season, Ehlers has 23 goals in 61 games. The 30-year-old left wing spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with Winnipeg. He has found a role in Carolina on a checking line with Staal, the Hurricanes’ captain, and gritty veteran winger Jordan Martinook.

Ehlers’ power-play goal at 10:10 of the second period tied the game at 1-1. Blake fooled New Jersey defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler on a goal that gave Carolina a 2-1 lead at 13:48. Ehlers set up Staal at 15:13 to make it 3-1.

Gostisbehere returned after a nine-game absence due to lower-body injury. He added a goal at 15:25 in the third and Jarvis tacked on an empty-net goal.

Meier finished a pretty play by Dawson Mercer to give New Jersey a 1-0 after the first period.

Carolina out-shot New Jersey 34-20.

Up next

Devils: Host Chicago on Sunday.

Hurricanes: Host Montreal on Sunday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Luis Robert Jr.'s walk-off blast caps Mets' 4-2 comeback win over Pirates in extra innings

The Mets rallied in the 11th inning to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 on Saturday at Citi Field, as Luis Robert Jr. hit a three-run home run to end the game.

The Mets didn’t score until the 10th inning, but rallied twice in extra innings to pull out the win.

Here are the takeaways...

-Here’s how the Mets won it in the 11th: with the free runner at second, Marcus Semien drew a walk and then Robert Jr. jumped all over an 82-mph slider from lefty Hunter Barco, hitting it over the left field wall for the game-winner.

The Mets’ high-leverage relievers were essentially flawless on Saturday, but with the game in extra innings Luis Garcia and Richard Lovelady each gave up a run in the 10th and 11th innings.

-The Mets rallied in the bottom of the 10th inning to tie the score at 1-1, but missed a golden opportunity to win the game as Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Bo Bichette all failed to deliver the winning run from third base. to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 at Citi Field on Saturday, pushing their record to 2-0.

Luis Torrens had lined a single to left, tying the game at 1-1. Lindor grounded to second for a force out at the plate, then Soto got jammed on a fastball, and squibbed a ball slowly between the pitcher and the third base line. Barco made a nice play, getting to it and flipping it home to get another force out at the plate.

Bichette then flew out to right to end the inning.

For the day the Mets managed six hits, and Robert Jr.’s home run was their only extra-base hit. They went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

-Bichette, who hit .381 last season w/RISP, had two big chances to change the game. He struck out with two outs in the eighth inning with the go-ahead run on third base at the time, looking bad chasing sliders down-and-in from Pirates’ lefty Gregory Soto.

And then in the 10th, with the bases loaded and two outs, he got under a 1-1 sweeper from Barco and flew out routinely to right.

-In his first appearance replacing Edwin Diaz as Mets closer, Devin Williams put up a zero in his first appearance as closer for the Mets, striking out Bryan Reynolds with runners at first and third to end the top of the ninth and keep the game tied at the time.

A line double by Jake Mangum and then a two-out walk to Ryan O’Hearn set up the Reynolds at-bat.

Williams got ahead of Reynolds 0-2 with two fastballs, one fouled off. After showing him his signature change-up, the air-bender, for a ball down, Williams beat Reynolds with a fastball for the swinging strikeout.

That finished up an outstanding day for the key relievers in the Mets’ bullpen, as Huascar Brazoban, Luke Weaver, and Brooks Raley all put up zeroes as well over the final 3.2 innings.

-David Peterson delivered a solid first start of the season. Despite allowing nine baserunners, on six hits, two walks, and a Bichette error, the lefthander held the Pirates scoreless over 5.1 innings as he made big pitches to get out of trouble in the fourth and fifth, and got relief help from Brazoban to escape the sixth.

For Peterson, it was a good sign as he looks to bounce back from his poor performance in the second half of last season, especially in September, after making the All-Star team with a strong first half.

Before Saturday’s game, Carlos Mendoza said he felt confident that Peterson’s slump was mostly the result of “hitting the wall” after throwing a career-high 165 innings.

Peterson’s biggest pitch was a 2-0 fastball, with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning, to Marcell Ozuna. Though the four-seamer was clocked at only 89 mph, Ozuna popped it up for an easy out.

Peterson’s velocity was down a bit throughout the game compared to last season. He was mostly 89-90 with his four-seamer, which averaged 92.3 mph last season.

Brazoban came on with runners at first and second in the sixth, and one out, and shut the door.

-Bichette made his first error at his new position of third base, fielding a routine ground ball from Reynolds in the fourth inning but then throwing high and wide of first base, as Polanco had to come off the base to catch the ball, too far off to tar the runner.

Bichette also made something of an unconventional play on a slow ground ball, positioning himself as he moved to his left so he could field the ball backhanded. It looked odd, but it put him in position to use his momentum to make a strong throw.

-Mitch Keller threw six shutout innings for the Pirates, allowing only three baserunners, all on singles.

Keller has historically been tough on the Mets. He came in with a 2.06 career ERA against them in six previous starts, though the ERA was higher, 3.46, in two starts at Citi Field.

Game MVP: Luis Robert Jr.

Duh. Robert Jr. is a gamble that so far is paying off in a big way, after coming over in a trade from the Chicago White Sox at a $20 million salary this season.

The Mets are convinced that if he can just stay healthy, he can put up a season as he did in 2023 when he was an AL All-Star.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets and Pirates wrap up their weekend series on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1:40 p.m.

Nolan McLean will make his 2026 debut, and he'll go against Carmen Miodzinski.

SEE IT: Luis Robert Jr. blasts walk-off home run to lift Mets over Pirates in extra innings

It took the Mets 10 innings to get on the scoreboard, but the result was worth the wait for fans at Citi Field.

Luis Torrens tied the game at 1-1 with a bases-loaded single in his first at-bat of the season, but New York couldn't find a way to get another run in the frame.

The Pirates took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 11th inning, setting the stage for a walk-off win.

Luis Robert Jr. stepped up and became the hero, launching a three-run home run to left field to give the Mets a 4-2 win in 11 innings.

It's Robert's first HR with his new team, his fourth career walk-off, and second career walk-off home run.