May 20, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dribbles as Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) defends during the third quarter during game two of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images
The Western Conference Finals are at a stalemate thanks to chronic turnovers by the San Antonio Spurs. On top of that, Chet Holmgren finally showed up to the series, and OKC’s bench scored an abundance of relief points, which included Alex Caruso shooting like prime Klay Thompson. The series will now shift to San Antonio.
The Spurs never fell into a big crater (only 13 points), yet that deficit might as well be twice that with how desperate and physical the Thunder were playing. Victor Wembanyama was not the leading scorer this time (21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists) but his rim protection had opposing players seeing ghosts, rushing shots and trying to sell calls. But despite valiant efforts and multiple moments in which the deficit was cut to one possession, there wasn’t enough enough disruption at the arc, and the offense wasn’t flowing the same after Dylan Harper left with a leg injury in the third quarter.
Observations
There was no slow build up as the first quarter had a combined 62 points scored and 13 lead changes.
The difference in the game was one side having a slight edge at key moments in 1. showing and recovering on screen rolls, 2. trapping the ball, and 3. limiting transition scoring. Additionally, OKC was able to force enough stops, even with the Spurs roaring back, without Jalen Williams, who only played seven minutes because he re-aggravated his hamstring injury.
OKC started two bigs again, and tried to get physical with Wemby, but it only resulted in two fouls in fewer than four minutes for Isaiah Hartenstein. It didn’t limit his defensive aggression because he was holding when the refs weren’t looking (?), which even drew the attention of the broadcast. Wemby subsequently went back at him early in the second half, forcing his fourth foul and putting him on the bench, which gave the Spurs a size advantage.
Devin Vassell got most of the minutes on defense against Chet Holmgren in the opener. He was a pest once more as the team’s third-best player. He made 85.7 percent of his shots in the second half.
Dylan Harper started again for De’Aaron Fox (ankle), and was a big factor pressuring the ball and organizing the offense. He plays more in control than Castle, granted with a lower usage. One would have suggested making him the primary ball handler while Fox remains out, but now his status is in question after getting tangled up when chasing a rebound.
It was an embarrassing performance in Game 1 for Shai Gilgeous Alexander by his standards, so naturally, he was more accurate, and did a better job of getting free on the dribble. He finished with 30 points on 50 percent shooting, with nine assists and four rebounds.
A good chunk of Castle’s turnovers are passes and drives into traffic. Yet the last one late in the fourth after macho man Keldon Johnson recovered the biggest offensive rebound of the game, was one of the last nails in the coffin. The turnovers would be more magnified if he wasn’t playing on such a great team, and maybe he’d be catching heat like James Harden.
The team’s substitution patterns for Wemby were part of the reason OKC went ahead by double figures in the first half, aside from turnovers causing them to take five fewer shots. It’s understandable to want to preserve Wembanyama, but trust this: healthy, great players can log big playoff minutes. Think about how he didn’t even look gassed after 49 minutes in Game 1. He did that because he’s a world-class athlete who can put his foot on the gas and keep it there at any time, for a long time.
Images posted by the news outlet showed debris scattered about the road, along with damage to both Bauer’s car and the other vehicle involved in the accident.
The other car was said to have crashed into the side of Bauer’s vehicle.
No one was taken to the hospital.
Long Island Ducks starting pitcher Trevor Bauer throws during the third inning of a game against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars in Central Islip, N.Y. on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Heather Khalifa for NY Post
Bauer, 35, is “doing well” following the accident, according to TMZ.
Ducks president Michael Pfaff confirmed in a social media post that Bauer “avoided serious injury.”
The Ducks hurler is in Arizona to get treatment for the back spasms that landed him on the injured list. According to Newsday, there is no timetable for Bauer’s return from the injury.
“Trevor is on the injured list and was receiving treatment for back spasms in Arizona (where he lives and his facility is) when he got into the accident today,” the Ducks said in a statement. “We spoke a little while ago and thankfully he is OK.”
This season, Bauer has had a 4-1 record, a seven-inning no-hitter and a 2.43 ERA for the Long Island independent league baseball team.
Bauer has been attempting to make a Major League Baseball comeback since he last played in 2021, when he faced sexual assault allegations and was later suspended 194 games — reduced from 324 — for violating MLB’s domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.
The pitcher was never charged criminally, and he has denied the allegations, but he has not found his way back onto a major league roster.
He spent the past three years pitching in Japan and Mexico. The Ducks are the first U.S. baseball club to pick up Bauer.
Trevor Bauer is on the Atlantic League injured list. Heather Khalifa for NY Post
Bauer has not been shy about voicing his displeasure about the circumstances.
“I could put up a 0.00 ERA and strike out more people than Mason Miller and it wouldn’t change anything,” Bauer told reporters after his first start with the Ducks in April. “I’ve known what this is the entire time. I’m blackballed. I’m not allowed to play Major League Baseball … I’ve literally offered to pay my entire salary back and play for zero dollars.
“When I say there’s nothing I can do, that everything is completely out of my control, I have offered everything. It just doesn’t matter.”
Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham left Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays with an apparent leg injury.
The team later announced that Grisham was dealing with left knee discomfort and will undergo imaging.
Grisham legged out a double to left field with two outs in the second inning and looked to be in discomfort after reaching second base, grabbing at his left leg.
"I don’t want to speculate too much. For him to come out of the game definitely raises your eyebrow," manager Aaron Boone said after the 2-1 loss. "We’ll see what we have and go from there."
The Yankees skipper said that he initially thought it was a calf issue, but when Grisham popped up from his slide into second base on the double, the veteran outfielder felt something on the side of his knee.
“Just felt weird in my knee for a little bit," Grisham said after the game. "It didn’t feel like something I should mess with. Got out of the game and we’ll see tomorrow.”
Grisham stayed in the game through the third and fourth innings, but was replaced by Spencer Jones on defense in the top of the fifth inning.
"Before his at-bat, we wanted to see how he was and we felt we needed to get him out of there at that point," Boone said.
Grisham said he went back out to the field because he thought it would get better over time, but it didn't. He felt it was better not to risk it and get imaging done, but was optimistic about the health of his knee.
After smashing a career-high 34 home runs in 2025, Grisham has been having a down year at the plate, hitting just .174 with six homers through 49 games.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 19: Trent Grisham #12 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on May 19, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Domínguez already on the shelf after injuries suffered within the past month in two separate series against the Texas Rangers, the organization’s outfield depth is being stretched thin. Unfortunately, the hits kept on coming during Wednesday night’s game against the Blue Jays, following a two-hour rain delay.
Center fielder Trent Grisham was removed after four innings due to an left leg injury—later revealed to be left knee discomfort—that he seemed to suffer in the process of legging out a hustle double that blooped between the left fielder and third baseman in the second inning.
The 29-year-old remained in the game for two innings after appearing uncomfortable on second base, but was not in the on-deck circle in the bottom of the fourth when his turn in the order was due up, signaling something was wrong. As one might expect after that, it was Spencer Jones who would jog out to center field to replace him in the field the next inning.
Grisham battled through a left hamstring injury throughout last summer, considerably hampering his mobility in center field and leading to the worst defensive season of his career. He was never placed on the injured list due to how great he looked at the plate, and his mobility has looked considerably better in the early going this year.
With the previous injuries already causing the Yankees to recall both of their top outfield prospects to the major leagues, there’s no telling what the course of action would be if Grisham were to miss time. It would likely mean everyday reps for Jones in center field between Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge, and likely more playing time for Paul Goldschmidt with more DH reps opened up, but the person to fill the roster spot would be unclear. Would this allow Anthony Volpe to stay in the big leagues when José Caballero returns? That’s something that you’d hope they wouldn’t have needed to think about.
Update
Trent Grisham left tonight's game with left knee discomfort. He was seen here at the Stadium by Yankees team physicians. He will undergo imaging tomorrow.
May 20, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) hits a single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Michael McGreevy’s command was not sharp Wednesday night against Pittsburgh, but he toughed his way through 5 innings before turning the game over to the bullpen which is where the game eventually fell apart. That combined with the St. Louis Cardinals offense finding it difficult to get runs across the plate made for an uphill challenge against a Pittsburgh Pirates team that hammered single after single and a multi-hit game from JJ Wetherholt was not enough to overcome the Bucs as they got a very solid start from Carmen Mlodzinski.
The Pittsburgh Pirates were the first to score Wednesday night as Spencer Horwitz ripped a 365 foot line drive home run down the right field line giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning. Pittsburgh would also generate a two-out rally in the top of the 4th inning when Konnor Griffin reached on an infield single followed by a walk to Rodriguez and then a single by Garcia that would score Griffin doubling the Pirates lead to 2-0.
Michael McGreevy’s lack of his typically good command would lead to his exit in the 6th inning. He gave up a trio of singles to start the 6th inning to Griffin, Rodriguez and Garcia to load the bases. Manager Oli Marmol brought in Justin Bruihl to try and get out of the bases loaded no outs jam and he did limit the damage to just one additional run giving up a sacrifice fly to Gonzalez, but nothing more holding the Pirates to just a 3-0 lead. Michael McGreevy’s final stat line for the night would be 5 innings allowing 10 hits giving up 3 earned runs with 1 strikeout and 1 walk.
The comeback Cardinals would threaten in the 6th inning when Alec Burleson smacked a one-out single to right. Jordan Walker was then hit on the right hand by a pitch and then Nolan Gorman had a great at-bat resulting in a walk to load the bases. (Walker would later leave the game, but unclear if the hit-by-pitch played a role in that) That brought up Masyn Winn who just returned to the lineup after being out for knee discomfort. Yohan Ramirez who had come into the game in the bottom of the 6th in relief unfortunately came back from a 3-0 count to strike out Winn for the 2nd out. That brought up Cesar Prieto who was assigned third base responsibilities Wednesday night. He turned on a 2-1 pitch and drove it to the right field wall where Mangum (who was busy Wednesday night) made a great sliding catch to rob Prieto of potentially a game-tying double or triple. So close.
It’s not that the Cardinals weren’t making hard contact, but what hits St. Louis did manage to tally were not timely resulting in run production. JJ Wetherholt had 2 hits. Alec Burleson and Nathan Church hat a hit apiece and Victor Scott II drove a ball into the gap for a double. The problem is that none of these hits happened with runners in scoring position.
Justin Bruihl did a great job in relief. Not only did he get the Cardinals out of a no outs bases loaded jam allowing only 1 run, but he also pitched a scoreless top of the 7th inning. Matt Svanson would take over in the 8th inning which is where the game would fall apart for the Cardinals starting with a dribbling infield hit by Konnor Griffin. He would be followed by a single from Rodriguez. Two batters later, Mangum singled to score Griffin. Gonzalez then singled scoring Rodriguez giving Pittsburgh a commanding 5-0 lead. Bryan Reynolds added to the misery by slapping a double down the left field line putting the Pirates up 7-0. Matt Pushard was given an opportunity to burn the rest of the innings for St. Louis on the mound and did a fine job allowing no more runs in the disastrous 8th inning and occupying the top of the 9th inning so no one else had to.
To add injury to insult, Alec Burleson was hit in the shin by a pitch in the bottom of the 8th inning, but he would stay in the game. Combined with Jordan Walker being hit on the hand by a pitch earlier in the game, tonight’s game was the perfect example of lots of pain, but no gain.
The St. Louis Cardinals wrap up their homestand with a day game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Thursday afternoon as they’ll try to win the series before heading to Cincinnati. Dustin May gets the start for the Cardinals while the Pirates will send Braxton Ashcraft to the mound. First pitch at Busch Stadium is set for 12:15pm central time.
WASHINGTON — Jonah Tong has entered the conversation as the next minor league starting pitcher who might get an opportunity with the Mets.
The right-hander was scratched from his start for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday, after which manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that Tong may start for the Mets this weekend in Miami to provide an extra day of rest for the starting pitchers.
Access the Mets beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.
But Mendoza said it’s not certain that the extra starter will be added.
“It’s where we are with the bullpen and see how much length we get from our starters, so there is a lot that is on the table,” Mendoza said before the Mets’ loss on Wednesday night. “Ideally we would like to give [the starters] an extra day, but they are ready for whatever the team needs.”
Tong has pitched to a 5.68 ERA in nine starts this season. In his most recent appearance, he surrendered six earned runs over 1 ²/₃ innings against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Mets rookie Jonah Tong, pitching in a game earlier in spring training, may get called up from the minors this week to start a game this weekend vs. the Marlins. Corey Sipkin for New York Post
“He’s been inconsistent, but we also like how he bounces back,” Mendoza said. “We saw it last year when he was here with us, he had a couple of tough outings and he was able to recover for the next one. We’re high on him and we have been saying it: He’s going to help us. So here he is waiting for this opportunity and I am pretty sure it’s going to come here soon.”
Tong, 22, started five games for the Mets last season and pitched to a 7.71 ERA.
A.J. Minter pitched back-to-back days for Syracuse on Tuesday and Wednesday.
MEts merch shop
47 Brand logo cap
1986 eco tote bag
Mets fiber beach towel
14-ounce sculpted relief mug
Customizable jersey
Color block logo backpack
New York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase.
The lefty reliever is expected to pitch an additional game for Syracuse over the weekend before he’s potentially added to the Mets roster.
Minter, who underwent surgery for a torn lat last year, was close to rejoining the Mets two weeks ago before hip discomfort restarted his rehab clock.
Each of the past six Mets are come-from-behind victories. Overall, the Mets have 13 comeback wins, which was the fourth-highest total in the major leagues entering the night.
Add Trent Grisham to the list of Yankees injury concerns.
Grisham left Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays with left knee discomfort, the Yankees announced, and the center fielder will undergo imaging Thursday.
Grisham suffered the injury on a double in the bottom of the second, when his pop-up down the left field line dropped in.
Aaron Boone talks with Trent Grisham Jr. as they exit the field during the second inning of the Yankees’ 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays on May 20, 2026 at the Stadium. He remained in the game but ended up exiting after the fourth inning. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
He remained in the game through the top of the fourth.
“I felt something weird in my knee,’’ Grisham said. “It didn’t feel like something I should mess with, so I got out of the game.
Though Aaron Boone said the fact Grisham had to come out was worrisome, Grisham said he was “very optimistic” the injury isn’t serious.
Grisham was replaced by Spencer Jones in center in the top of the fifth before Cody Bellinger moved there when Amed Rosario hit for Jones in the seventh, with Rosario in left.
Trent Grisham exited the Yankees’ win over the Blue Jays after four innings because of left knee discomfort. @TalkinYanks/X
The lefty-swinging Jones, who went 0-for-1, entered Wednesday just 3-for-20 with three walks, 11 strikeouts and no extra-base hits since being recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replace Jasson Domínguez, who’s on the injured list with a sprained left shoulder.
Domínguez suffered that injury crashing into the left field fence at Yankee Stadium on May 7.
He started swinging off a tee Wednesday and there’s no timeline for his return.
After a rough start upon his call-up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre — which included an error on a routine grounder and a pair of strikeouts in four hitless plate appearances — Volpe entered Wednesday having reached base 12 of his previous 20 plate appearances (five hits and seven walks) with just two strikeouts.
He went hitless Wednesday.
And Volpe played a steady shortstop, something he didn’t do last year, playing much of the season with a labrum injury in his left shoulder.
“I think he’s looked outstanding,’’ Boone said before Wednesday’s loss.
The manager praised Volpe’s at-bat quality, hard contact, defense and called his baserunning “excellent.”
“It’s a credit to him and just his physical and mental toughness that he dealt with a tough little situation to start the year,’’ Boone said. “[He’s] kind of showing you who he is and what he’s made of.”
But Boone declined to say that Volpe — or Caballero — would be the Yankees’ starting shortstop when Caballero returns.
“We’ll see,’’ Boone said of the position when asked about it more than once.
Yovanny Cruz made his MLB debut and tossed two scoreless innings against the Blue Jays.
The hard-throwing right-hander never pitched above Double-A before this season, but impressed the Yankees with his triple-digit stuff during spring training and it was on display Wednesday.
Cruz retired all six batters he faced and 13 of his pitches were strikes.
His command and ability to keep runners from stealing bases were among the issues Cruz had in the minors and he got off to a promising start in The Bronx.
Matt Blake knows what the numbers say about David Bednar, but the pitching coach isn’t down on the closer.
“Typically he’s cleaner than what he’s been, but the numbers are better than his [5.14] ERA indicate,’’ Blake said.
Yankees Merch Shop
WinCraft insulated can coolers
Team Effort driver head cover
47 Brand adjustable cap
Customizable jersey
Logo fleece blanket
14-ounce sculpted relief coffee mug
New York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase.
Bednar has had issues with his fastball command, but he’s also allowed two homers on his curveball — including the three-run shot to Tyrone Taylor that turned the tide of the Subway Series.
As Blake noted, that has been an effective pitch for Bednar. The pair of homers against Bednar’s curve are as many as he would allowed since 2022.
But there’s also the issue of Bednar allowing a ton of hits so far this season, even if some have been on soft contact.
And in his 21 appearances, Bednar has allowed the leadoff hitter to reach 10 times.
“There’s been more runs and traffic than we’d like,’’ Blake said. “But I fully believe he’ll work his way through it.”
The San Antonio Spurs rookie was shown on the NBC broadcast walking into the locker room after he fell to the court while wrestling a rebound from Chet Holmgren, who was called for a foul on the play. He trotted out of the tunnel, NBC reported, because someone thought the Spurs were in the bonus and he was needed to shoot free throws. But he was redirected back to the locker room for further evaluation and never returned.
"I have not had an update,” he told the media. “I just know he went out when he took an awkward landing — I don’t know if I guess he fell — but that awkward landing and I just heard he wasn’t coming back. I haven’t gotten an update yet.”
Just a few plays before the foul, Harper landed awkwardly while attempting a layup that was swatted by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He grabbed his right hamstring and grimaced in pain.
Harper ended with 12 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. He had a historic outing in Game 1 where he notched 24 points, 11 boards, 6 assists and 7 steals. At 20 years old, he is the youngest player to record a 4x5 in an NBA playoff game.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 20: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates his two-run home run with teammates against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 20, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Salvador Perez got the Royals an early lead against Connelly Early by pulling the ball straight down the left field line and into the seats. Exiting the first, Kansas City was up 1 to 0.
That lead did not last long. The top of the second was a long one for Michael Wacha. A leadoff triple led to an error by Nick Loftin who was looking to see if Willson Contreras was going home rather than scooping up out one. Willson was not headed home though, so it was first and third with no outs. Nick Sogard was up next and hit a single to right to score the first run of the inning and that was followed by a Marcelo Mayer walk. The bases loaded, one run already in, and no outs yet recorded. This could have been a very bad inning, but the next play was hit to Maikel Garcia who stepped on third and threw to first for a double play, though he did have to concede the second run of the inning. Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined out to end the jam with Boston now in front 2-1.
The game then settled in as both teams would get a runner here and there, but no one could break through. Wacha ended up with a really nice outing, finishing with a line of 6IP, 6H, 2BB, 2R, 1ER, and 8Ks. It was his highest strikeout total so far in 2026. He even left in line for the lead thanks to Elias Diaz who decided to swing at the first pitch he saw in his 5th inning plate appearance.
That ball left in a hurry and scored Starling Marte who had led off the inning with a walk.
Stephen Cruz took over in the top of the 7th and gave up a single to start the inning. Boston pinch hit with Mickey Gasper who struck out, and then Jarren Duran went yard for the second night in a row. The Royals had led by one twice and now Boston had their second one-run lead. Daniel Lynch ended up coming in and finishing off the inning and then shared the 8th with Alex Lange who also took care of the 9th.
Bottom of the ninth in a save situation meant Aroldis Chapman was coming in to finish the game for Boston. It started with a weak pop-up by Starling Marte, but it was just far enough up the first base line that Contreras could not get to it. Carter Jensen, who had pinch run for Diaz earlier and stayed in the game, then struck out on a check swing where the ball got passed the catcher and moved Marte to second. Royals had the tying run 180 feet away. And that was a close as they would get. Lane Thomas pops up and Garcia grounds out to end it.
Seattle will be in town tomorrow and they will try again, but the struggles are really starting to make it feel like the time is running out.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 20: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox hits a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 20, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox earned just their third win of the season when trailing after six innings. The rare clutch comeback helped Boston sweep the Kansas City Royals with a 4-3 victory. A quality start from Connelly Early and a late swing from a hot bat delivered the clincher.
Here’s three takeaways from Wednesday’s series finale.
EARLY BETTER THAN GAME SHOWS
Early made only two real mistakes in this start. The Royals made them hurt.
Salvador Perez hooked a solo home run in the first inning before Elias Díaz lifted a two-run home run off the lefty in the fifth inning to give the Royals the lead.
Otherwise, Early looked solid in this one across six strong innings with five strikeouts against Kansas City.
DURAN STRIKES AGAIN
The Red Sox could take a step forward if Jarren Duran finds a way to sustain even half of what he produced on the field at Kauffman Stadium this week.
Duran went 2-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs in the first two games of the series. On Wednesday night, he took over with a leaping catch at the wall in foul territory before his two-run home run in the seventh inning vaulted the Red Sox into the lead. He added another extra-base hit on the night with his first triple of 2026.
He did run into an out to end the ninth inning when he tried to score on a ball in the dirt from third. Despite the failed attempt to push the envelope, Duran scratched to secure the sweep for the Red Sox.
RISING ON THE ROAD
The Red Sox moved over the .500 mark in road games this season with a 14-13 mark. Boston also posted a 4-2 record on the road trip, the team’s first winning a record of a trip with multiple series this season.
While it wasn't a storybook debut, Mets LHP Zach Thorntonwas able to settle in after a tough first inning and get through 4.1 innings on Wednesday night against the Washington Nationals.
The 24-year-old let up a three-run home run to CJ Abrams in the first and another run in the second inning, but found a way to retire nine out of the final 10 batters he faced, including eight straight. After the 8-4 loss, Thornton was asked how he was able to lock back in after that first inning for the remainder of the outing and expressed confidence in his ability.
"I just know that I need to get in zone," Thornton said. "I feel as though I belong here. My stuff's going to play. So if I can just get in zone I'll be alright."
Overall, Thornton allowed four runs on four hits over 4.1 innings with three strikeouts and two walks. He said nerves weren't really a factor, because he's "nervous before every game," while focusing on the basics and adapting to the "little bit better" MLB hitters helped him throughout the night.
"Just getting back to what I do best, getting to two strikes before I get to one ball," Thornton said.
He added: "Learning how to get certain pitches by people."
Despite some of the results, manager Carlos Mendoza was happy with Thornton's resilience.
"Obviously Abrams gets him there on that cutter for the three-run homer out of the gate, but I thought he competed," Mendoza said. "They have some good takes on some pitches that were strike-to-ball. But they ran his pitch count up. The one thing I liked, even after he got punched there in the first inning, he didn't back down. He kept going after it. Pitch count went up, but he competed though."
Mendoza also complimented Thornton's tempo, saying there were "some positives there."
More importantly than the box score, Thornton called his debut "everything you kind of dream about" and was thankful that his father, Paul, could be in attendance. Paul Thornton underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his spine seven weeks ago and the procedure resulted in temporary lower-body paralysis, preventing him from walking since.
"Super special," Thornton said on his dad being in attendance. "Just seeing him sitting there in his little wheelchair."
While Thornton's immediate future and next start in the big leagues is yet to be determined, the left-hander will enjoy the moment with his family forever.
"It means everything to me. He's got his own battle that he has to put aside now. We're gonna get with him for the next 30 days and hopefully he can bounce back from his rehab."
May 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) throws the ball against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
The first series of the year between the Brewers and their arch-rivals, the Chicago Cubs, did not go the way that the Wrigley Field faithful wanted it to go. For the second straight night, Chicago was unable to score a run off a dominant Milwaukee starter. This time it was Kyle Harrison, who struck out 11 in seven shutout innings for one of the best starts of his young career. Injury was added to insult when Chicago starter Edward Cabrera had to leave the game with an injury concern, and the Brewers’ offense capitalized on some Chicago miscues to cruise to a 5-0 victory and a surprisingly comfortable three-game sweep.
The Brewers got a couple of hits in the first inning when Brice Turang and William Contreras hit back-to-back one-out singles. But Cabrera got Christian Yelich to fly out and Garrett Mitchell to ground out, and Turang didn’t make it past second base.
Nico Hoerner led off the Cubs’ half of the first inning with a double down the left-field line. But Hoerner tried to tag and advance on a fly ball to Mitchell in center, and Mitchell — who has one of the stronger outfield arms in the league — got him at third base (after an initial safe call was overturned on replay). A strikeout of Ian Happ ended the inning.
Things got weird in the top of the second. After a Jake Bauers groundout, Sal Frelick reached on catcher’s interference, a call that Milwaukee needed to challenge in order to get it right. Frelick stole second, then Joey Ortiz walked to put runners on first and second with one out. David Hamilton got ahead 2-0, which prompted a mid-at-bat mound visit from the Cubs’ dugout. On the next pitch, Hamilton hit what should’ve been a solid RBI single to center field… but for the second straight night, Pete Crow-Armstrong made an inexplicably bad play in center, and let the ball go under his glove. With the speedy Hamilton running, there was no question what would happen: it was a three-run little league home run.
Cabrera got out of the second inning with the score still 3-0, despite a 104-mph fly ball to center from Chourio. Harrison walked Seiya Suzuki to start the second, but came back with strikeouts of Carson Kelly and Michael Busch, and Dansby Swanson flew out harmlessly.
The Brewers also got a leadoff walk in the top of the third when Cabrera issued a free pass to Contreras. Cabrera struck out Yelich, and the Cubs could’ve had a strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play with Contreras running on the 3-2 pitch, but Kelly’s throw to second went into center field, and Contreras got up and made it all the way to third with one out. Mitchell had an ill-timed strikeout, but Bauers came through with a two-out RBI single through the right side that made it 4-0.
Miguel Amaya flew out to start the bottom of the third. PCA then watched four straight fastballs go by, three of which were in the zone, and Hoerner flew out to center to end the inning.
Cabrera threw one pitch in the top of the fourth, and something was clearly wrong as Kelly and Craig Counsell came to the mound. It wasn’t exactly clear what happened to Cabrera, but the pitch was a fastball that was about four miles per hour below what he’d been throwing earlier, and he seemed to be favoring his pitching arm. He went straight from the mound to the clubhouse, and there was a delay as Trent Thornton was given as much time as he needed to warm up on the mound.
Thornton settled things down for the Cubs and got the Brewers in order, though Chourio hit one to the back of the warning track in right field, his second flyout of the night that clocked in with an exit velocity over 100 mph. In the bottom of the inning, Bregman flew out to left, and Happ and Suzuki struck out, Harrison’s fifth and sixth strikeout victims.
Turang struck out looking to start the fifth on a pitch that needed to be overturned by a Kelly challenge. Thornton struck out Contreras, too, and Counsell went to Old Friend Hoby Milner to face Yelich, who flew out to shallow center.
Harrison had another 1-2-3 innings and two more strikeouts in the fifth, getting him to eight for the game. He’d also thrown just 65 pitches through five after needing 99 to get through five scoreless innings in his last outing. Milner continued in the top of the sixth and retired Blake Perkins, who’d entered defensively in the fifth (nothing wrong with Mitchell, it was just to counter the Milner move), Bauers, and Frelick in order.
UPDATE: After the game, it was reported that Mitchell’s back tightened up on him. Something to monitor, but hopefully it isn’t anything super serious to worry about.
Garrett Mitchell said his back tightened up on him in the fifth inning and they played things conservatively.
Had it been 90 degrees in August he probably would have stayed in the game.
Another 1-2-3 inning for Harrison in the sixth meant he’d retired 15 straight. He also struck out two more batters, bringing his total to 10.
Phil Maton was the new Chicago pitcher in the seventh. Ortiz hit a hard line drive into right field, but Suzuki had him positioned well and made the catch. Hamilton was next, and he hit a towering fly ball into the right-field corner that Suzuki reached but seemed to lose at the last moment — it hit Suzuki (it would’ve been a very nice play had he caught it), and Hamilton ended up at third base with a triple. Maton’s first pitch to Chourio was wide and got past Kelly, and Hamilton scored easily from third on the wild pitch.
Milwaukee tried to keep the rally going in the seventh — Chourio drew a one-out walk, and Contreras singled with two outs. Counsell went back to his bullpen to bring in lefty Ryan Rolison to face Yelich. Yelich nearly came through with a two-out RBI single on a slow grounder up the middle, but Hoerner made a nice play to end the inning.
Harrison, at just 80 pitches, was back out to start the seventh. Bregman hit the first pitch of the inning into center field for a hit, and he became the first Cub batter to reach since Suzuki’s leadoff walk in the second inning. But Harrison wasn’t rattled: he struck out Happ, and got Suzuki and Kelly on pop-ups.
That ended a gem of an outing for Harrison. He pitched seven innings on 94 pitches and allowed only two hits, Hoerner’s leadoff double in the first and Bregman’s single in the seventh, and walked just one batter. He struck out 11, one less than the career-high 12 he recorded against Pittsburgh on April 26, and recorded 19 whiffs, which at publication time was tied with Minnesota’s Joe Ryan for the most of the day. Harrison finished the day with a 1.77 ERA — lower even than his superstar teammate, Jacob Misiorowski.
Rolison got a clean inning against the Brewers in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the inning, the Brewers turned to DL Hall, making his 20th appearance of the season. Hall, who has gotten fantastic results that belie his issue with walks this season, gave a free pass to Busch to start the inning. But he recovered quickly: Swanson struck out, and Amaya hit a ground ball to second with which Turang started a 4-6-3 double play, possible only with the lead-footed Chicago catcher running.
Chicago kept rolling with Rolison in the ninth. Ortiz poked one further than it looked into the right-center gap, but Crow-Armstrong ran it down for the first out. After Ortiz was retired, Chicago turned to its closer, Daniel Palencia, with one out. Hamilton greeted him by picking up his third hit of the night, a single to left. Chourio flew out, Turang drew a walk, and Contreras hit a ball up the middle, which Hoerner made a diving play on — he couldn’t get any outs, but he did save a run, and that mattered, because Palencia struck out Yelich with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Pat Murphy let Hall continue in the ninth with a five-run lead. Contreras showed some annoyance that Hall fell behind PCA 3-1, but Hall came back to get him to ground out to Bauers at first. Hoerner also grounded out to Bauers, and Bregman struck out looking on a 3-2, backdoor curveball to end the game.
Harrison and Hall dominated Chicago on the evening. After Hoerner’s leadoff double, the Cubs didn’t get another runner into scoring position for the rest of the game. Hamilton was the offensive star: he had two singles and a triple and scored twice, but of course, one of those singles turned into his little league homer. (The triple was close to a homer, too, but Hamilton is still searching for his first actual home run of the season.) Contreras was the other offensive standout, as he was 3-for-4 with three singles, a run scored, and a stolen base.
Tomorrow is a well-deserved off day for the Brewers before they start a big series back at home with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in a rematch of last year’s National League Championship Series. See you then.
“One thing about James: I’ll just defend him,” the Cavaliers coach said Wednesday. “He’s a good isolation defender, always has been. He’s super smart. I said it [Tuesday] night, he has great hands.”
Kenny Atkinson reacts during the second quarter of the Cavaliers’ Game 1 overtime loss to the Knicks at the Garden. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
In fact, Atkinson was far more disappointed with Cleveland’s team defense — or lack thereof. Time and again, the Knicks targeted Harden in the pick-and-roll to get him to switch on to Brunson, and the superstar guard torched the Cavaliers for 17 of his 38 points in the final 12:39 of regulation and overtime.
In the fourth quarter, the Knicks were able to get Harden to switch on to Brunson for nine isolations that averaged 1.9 points per action, according to the “All NBA Podcast.” In a stretch when Brunson scored 11 straight Knicks points to cap an 18-1 burst, Harden was the primary defender.
“[Brunson] hit two or three really tough shots on him, but the baseline drive [that tied the game with 19.3 seconds remaining in regulation] where our low guy didn’t come over and get a contest, that is team defense. At this level, it’s team defense,” Atkinson said. “Sure, everybody’s putting it on James. A lot of it’s on the team, our team defense. … Sure, some of it was him, there were a couple of blow-byes. But again, I’d argue it was the team defense, too.”
Knicks Merch Shop
SOAR wireless speaker and bottle opener
Customizable jersey
Hydrapeak 30-ounce stainless steel tumbler
ZHATS adjustable cap
Pro Standard double knit full zip hoodie
Ultra Game team crew socks (3-pack)
New York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase.
On a few occasions, the Cavaliers blitzed Brunson to get the ball out of his hands, but it resulted in open shots for other Knicks, which was also a major part of the comeback.
It has been an inconsistent postseason for Harden. While he is averaging 19.7 points and six assists, he is only shooting 31.8 percent from 3-point range on 7.1 attempts. He has also accounted for more turnovers than field goals in six different playoff games, including the series opener.
But Atkinson has vehemently defended him throughout, speaking to Harden recently about his belief in him.
OG Anunoby past James Harden (1) during overtime of the Knicks’ Game 1 win over the Cavaliers at the Garden. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
“Without you, we’re knocked out in the first round,” the coach told him. “We’re in a great position, you’ve played great. Sometimes micro experiences get exaggerated. Keep being yourself.”
Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson argues with an official at the end of regulation in the Cavaliers’ Game 1 overtime loss to the Knicks at the Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The point: Heartbreak isn’t new to this group of Cavaliers. They are well-versed in adversity, having survived two elimination games to get to this point.
“We’ve been through it in the playoffs,” the Cavaliers coach said Wednesday after a walk-through inside the Garden. “I’m more like, ‘OK, here it is. This is what it’s about.’ You live between misery and awesomeness in the playoffs, and this is of course misery. But this is probably the fourth miserable game we’ve had in the playoffs. It’s like, ‘OK, get back on the horse.’ ”
Atkinson wasn’t trying to diminish the pain of the setback, and nor were his players.
The Cavaliers were in position to take home-court advantage, dominating the Knicks for three-plus quarters. MSG was quiet. The home team looked rusty.
Then, everything went wrong for the visitors.
Dennis Schröder goes up for a layup during the Cavaliers’ Game 1 overtime loss to the Knicks at the Garden. NBAE via Getty Images
“We gave them a game,” reserve guard Dennis Schröder said. “At the end of the day, we controlled the game — I think 90 percent of the game we controlled it. The last 10 percent, they did a great job. You have to give them credit, too, for not giving up and making shots at the end, and that was the game.”
There was a lot to like before the collapse at both ends of the floor. Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting in the first three quarters. Big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were giving the Knicks fits. Cleveland didn’t look like such a big underdog.
“I want to lean on the positive,” Atkinson said. “We had three quarters of really good basketball — some of the best basketball we’ve honestly played in the playoffs, offensively and defensively.”
Knicks Merch Shop
SOAR wireless speaker and bottle opener
Customizable jersey
Hydrapeak 30-ounce stainless steel tumbler
ZHATS adjustable cap
Pro Standard double knit full zip hoodie
Ultra Game team crew socks (3-pack)
New York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase.
The hope for the Cavaliers is their experiences throughout this postseason will help them Thursday and beyond. This is a team that shook off the Barrett shot, that rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take down the top-seeded Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals and win Game 7 in Detroit in emphatic fashion.
“Just understanding that we didn’t have the best effort last night, we didn’t have the best outcome,” Allen said, “and the resiliency is going to show [Thursday] how we come out.
“Just have confidence in yourself and the team, and know that we have to go get one [in Game 2].”
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 20: Brett Howden #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates with the puck against Ross Colton #20 and Nazem Kadri #91 of the Colorado Avalanche during the first period in Game One of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on May 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights are ready to get the Western Conference Final started tonight at Ball Arena in Downtown Denver!
The Golden Knights represent the Pacific Division after series victories over the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks.
The Avalanche have lost just one game so far these playoffs after sweeping the LA Kings and besting the Minnesota Wild in five games, but will go without Norris candidate Cale Makar in game one.
This is a heavy blow to Colorado’s backend and likely means that recently recalled Alex Gagne, Jack Achan, or Nick Blankenburg will see playoff action in the bottom pairing. If any other defenders are still hurt, two of them would play.
With that in mind, a commitment to structure and support will be crucial this evening, as the Golden Knights will absolutely look to find favorable matchups.
I have three keys to a Colorado Avalanche victory:
Play team-first hockey.
Stay out of the penalty box.
Thrive in the environment.
Whenever you have guys that haven’t played much NHL hockey, much less playoff hockey, slotted into your backend, a commitment to the process is vital. The process is the fail-safe when a talent advantage may not exist, and the Avalanche take pride in it. That will need to be shown for the Avalanche to win game one.
The Avs have made going to the sin-bin a far too common occurrence in the playoffs so far. Combine that with a clear and concise advantage at five-on-five against the competition so far, and you have plenty of reason to play things straight up. Vegas’ special teams aren’t to be tempted.
Ball Arena should be a madhouse tonight, as many fans still don’t like the Vegas Golden Knights after the 2021 playoff series, and, of course, the Avalanche appear plenty capable of winning it all. The Avs-friendly and raucous environment has the potential to deal a heavy blow to Vegas’ confidence.
It will be Scott Wedgewood back between the pipes for the Avalanche, which makes sense, seeing as he’s lost just one game these playoffs and came in and shut things down in Colorado’s game five comeback victory against Minny.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Knights have depth, particularly up the middle, and with the Avalanche missing Makar, expect Vegas’ head coach to be pretty active in getting his best skaters favorable matchups against Colorado’s bottom pair.
Torts has brought a lot of security to a team that couldn’t get consistent enough goaltending or results to take a strong hold of their division in the regular season. His arrival has ushered in another era of defensive focus in Vegas, similar to what we saw under Pete DeBoer.
The Golden Knights present as a team capable of shutting things down like the LA Kings, but while having the talent to cash in on limited opportunities.
Mitch Marner leads all point scorers in these playoffs and has been a consistent performer for the Knights. His matchup and the challenges he will face against this Avalanche team are a much taller task than what he saw in the first two rounds, however.
Here are three keys to victory for the Golden Knights:
Weather the storm.
Establish an early lead.
Exploit matchups.
If the Avalanche have a key to victory that plays into the home crowd, the Golden Knights have to have the opposite as a key to their success. Quieting Avalanche fans and making things awkward in the building can frustrate a club.
Vegas has shown the ability to win both low-scoring games and high-scoring games, but they’d be smart to limit Colorado’s flow and chances. Tough to see a goal fest not shaking out in Colorado’s favor.
Carter Hart has been better in the postseason than he was in the regular season, but the gap between his floor and his ceiling is large compared to most starters. He could be one of Vegas best or worst players on any given night. Do with that what you will.
