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Winners and Losers: Cavs vs Pistons Game 6 – Detroit claws to keep their season alive

May 15, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson (55) during the first half in game six of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers fumbled an opportunity to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Now they face their second Game 7 of the postseason. This time, on the road against the Detroit Pistons.

Let’s go over today’s losers.

LOSER – Donovan Mitchell

Closing out a team as talented as the Pistons isn’t easy. It’s borderline impossible if you can’t have the best player on the floor. Cade Cunningham fully took that title as Donovan Mitchell failed to replicate any of his magic from the last time they played in Cleveland.

Mitchell couldn’t find it tonight. He shot 6-20 from the floor and was a team-worst minus-20. He had the right idea, at times bursting downhill towards the basket, but his insistence on shooting floaters instead of going all the way to the rim or trying to dunk is a concern. This isn’t the same athlete that layed it all on the floor and scored 40+ points over the Orlando Magic in 2023. The vertical pop just isn’t there.

The idea of the core four was never for the Cavs to win a title with Mitchell as their outright best player. But I have believed they can win with him as their best scorer.

That’s something that felt possible in the past, and looked realistic as recently as Game 4. But currently, this isn’t it. The door is closed when Mitchell doesn’t score efficiently. And it’s harder for him to score efficiently when you remove one layer of the floor away from him. The rest of his game hasn’t been enough to make up for the lack of rim finishing. He’s more reliant on finesse than ever before, and that can come and go.

LOSER – The Force Battle

Big games can be decided on the margins. Especially in an evenly-contested matchup like this one. The Cavs have stressed the importance of winning the possession battle in each game. But all of that is easier said than done.

In a case of Deja Vu, first-half turnovers put the Cavs in a hole. 13 turnovers led to 15 points for the Pistons. That’s the type of stuff you can’t concede to a team that is fighting for its life. They’ll claw for every last opportunity. You can’t make it easy for them.

James Harden had 8 turnovers while Donovan Mitchell added three more. Dennis Schroder coughed it up three times in his first six minutes. The guards can’t be this loose with the ball. Not if you want to win.

Fortunately, the Cavs managed to force turnovers of their own. Cleveland finished with 20 turnovers while Detroit had 17. That kept them in it for most of the game, and they managed to snag 16 offensive rebounds to further cut into the gap.

Still, Cleveland allowed the Pistons to salvage a handful of possessions that should have been defensive stops. Cade Cunningham, in particular, converted on multiple three-point attempts off of second-chance opportunities. Detroit claimed 13 offensive rebounds of its own.

By the end of the night, the Pistons took five more shots than the Cavs and beat them 48-26 in the paint. Their force and physicality won out.

LOSER – Dennis Schroder

I don’t want to pile on the third-string point guard. The contributions Schroder gave in Game 5 versus Toronto should have made the rest of his postseason bulletproof. But… the Cavs have continued to lean on him way past the point of no return.

Again, Schroder is the third-best guard on the roster. There’s no reason he should be carrying as much usage as he did, particularly in the third quarter when Donovan Mitchell was alongside him, and Ausar Thompson was on the bench. Those are the minutes that Mitchell needs to hit the ground running and score in bunches. Instead, Schroder bricked a three-pointer and was swatted on a layup attempt while Mitchell spaced the floor away from the ball.

There’s only so much that Schroder is supposed to give this team. In the biggest moments, Harden and Mitchell should be the ones determining the game. It was a bizarre decision to lean on Schroder for 15 minutes as he went 0-4 from the field and finished with as many turnovers as assists.

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Pistons pound Cavaliers to force Game 7: NBA playoff analysis, takeaways

It turns out we’ll have at least one Game 7 in the NBA conference semifinals.

The Detroit Pistons, the No. 1 seed in the East, played with more intensity and energy, and their shot-making responded in kind Friday, May 15 in a 115-94 victory over the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6.

The Pistons finally got some help for Cade Cunningham, as they saw six players reach double-figures in scoring.

Later Friday night, in the Western Conference, the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs visited the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves, who have fallen into a 3-2 series deficit and were looking to avoid elimination.

Here are the biggest takeaways from Friday night’s Game 6s of the NBA Playoffs:

Cleveland’s effort, in a closeout game at home, was unacceptable

The Pistons were clearly the more desperate team, but Cleveland compounded that with effort at times that could be described only as casual. And it started early in the game.

Players like James Harden, who stood around on defense – and often didn’t get back on after most of his 8 turnovers – were emblematic of Cleveland’s issues Friday night. Detroit, time and time again, won the hustle plays.

All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell did play with some effort, but a poor shooting night (6-of-20) marred that energy. The biggest issue was that many of his teammates didn’t follow suit.

“They was just hungry, from the jump” Mitchell said of the Pistons. “At the end of the day, we didn’t match it.”

The most fight the Cavaliers showed Friday night was with 0.3 seconds left in the game, when Cleveland’s bench players who were on the floor in garbage time, shoved a few Pistons players.

“Nope,” Harden said when asked if he was satisfied with the level of intensity with which Cleveland played. “No, not at all.”

When pressed about why that effort wasn’t there, Harden added that it “was a great question” and cited the team’s slow start.

“Throughout the course of the game, we never really kicked it to that second level,” he said.

Early turnovers and offensive rebounds allowed put Cavaliers in a hole

The most concerning part was that these effort problems led to many of the same issues that have plagued the Cavs throughout the postseason: turnovers and offensive rebounds.

Through the first 14:34 of the game, the Pistons had generated six offensive rebounds (and 15 boards, overall) compared to Cleveland's two (and 9). In both the regular season and playoffs, the more intentional and aggressive teams tend to be rewarded with rebounding.

Somehow, early turnovers were even worse. Through that first 14:34, the Cavs gave the ball away 11 times, which turned into 14 Pistons points off turnovers, compared to five Detroit turnovers (for six Cavaliers points off those).

Cleveland let itself down with its lack of energy and careless attention to detail.

Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham walks off the court after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 in Game 6 of the NBA conference semifinals on May 15, 2026.

Jalen Duren (finally) responds

Give Jalen Duren credit. The Pistons All-Star center was benched in Game 5 and didn’t play the entire fourth quarter and overtime, ceding that time to backup Paul Reed.

Just two days after that, Duren played his most impactful game of the series. The stats (15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 steal) don’t necessarily paint the entire picture. Duren’s activity led to contested shots and Cavaliers players backing away from drive attempts and his performance was closer to what he showed during the regular season.

It’s telling, too, that Duren came back after rolling his left ankle in the third quarter and continued to make plays.

Detroit’s bench comes up big, and it could swing the series

All series long, the Pistons had been far too dependent on Cade Cunningham. The reserves showed up big to force a Game 7.

Detroit’s bench shot 18-of-29 (62.1%) and scored 48 points, as Paul Reed (17 points and 6 rebounds) and Duncan Robinson (14 points) were particularly effective. But it was a collective effort; Marcus Sasser scored 9 points but posted a remarkable plus-minus of +27 — a game high — in 18 minutes on the floor.

On the other end of that, Cleveland’s bench disappeared at the worst time: even as Cavs starters played rather sluggishly, the bench also lacked burst and scored just 19 points (through three of those came in garbage time) on a combined 6-of-23 shooting (26.1%).

The reserves that show up Sunday, May 17 in Game 7 may dictate who goes on to face the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pistons beat Cavaliers in Game 6; Spurs seek close out Timberwolves

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Orioles drop series opener to Nats, 3-2

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 15: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles watches the game in the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images

If there is one thing this Orioles team has been good at this year, it’s failing to maintain any momentum. They are coming off a feel-good series win against the Yankees and could have kept the good vibes going with a solid game tonight against a pitcher who has had no success this year. But they did not. They opened up their road trip with a dismal loss to the Nationals. They made some noise in the ninth to make the score 3-2, but in the end it was another loss.

Nats pitcher Zack Littell has been the worst starting pitcher in baseball this year. He came into the game with an ERA of 6.94 and a FIP of 8.25. He has given up a ton of homers. He doesn’t strike a lot of guys out. His season has been a disaster.

Enter the Orioles, who managed just two hits and two walks against this pitcher. They did hit him hard at times and had some bad luck, but they just couldn’t get the job done against a pitcher who has struggled again and again this year.

Both walks came in the second inning, sandwiched around three outs. They looked like they might score in the fifth inning when Coby Mayo was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Gunnar Henderson absolutely scorched a ball to right field. It got off his bat at 111.9 mph, a ball that would have been a home run in 19 parks. As part of the bad luck by the Orioles tonight, it hit off the wall and bounced directly to the right fielder. Mayo was unable to score and both runners were stranded on a Taylor Ward groundout.

The only other hit Littell allowed was a single by Ward in the second inning.

As for bad luck, in the first, Adley Rutschman was robbed of extra bases by center fielder Jacob Young. In the second, Pete Alonso hit what looked like a homer off the bat, but it stayed in the park. Tyler O’Neill had two flyouts that looked like they might go out. They did not. It wasn’t a warm night in DC, and at least a few of those may have been out of the park on a hot, humid day in the Mid-Atlantic. That doesn’t help the Orioles tonight, though.

Littell exited the game after five innings and was relieved by Andrew Alvarez. The lefty was activated before tonight’s game. He made five starts for the Nationals last year and was pitching as a starter at Triple-A with a 5.29 ERA. So naturally, he dominated the Orioles for three innings. He allowed just two hits, both in the seventh inning. Mayo singled ahead of Jeremiah Jackson, who doubled. Like Henderson’s double, Jackson’s 110.0 mph hit was too hard to give Mayo time to score.

Alvarez allowed just those two base runners in innings six, seven, and eight. He struck out five and looked in control. It did not extend to the ninth, where he allowed a Basallo single and O’Neill walk prompting his removal from the game.

From there, the Orioles made it interesting but couldn’t come all the way back. Pinch-hitter Leody Taveras took a walk from the new pitcher to load the bases with no outs. Mayo, who had been on base twice in the game, flailed at strike three out of the zone. But Jackson hit a sac fly and Henderson lined a single back up the middle to make the score 3-2. Ward walked, but Rutschman struck out to end the game. It was an off night for Adley, who went 0-for-5 with three Ks.

Lost in the offensive futility was a solid start from Shane Baz. Like Littel, Baz got hit hard early on without much damage. He worked around a single in the first inning and got out of trouble again in the second after allowing two baserunners. His first run allowed came in the fourth on a sac fly after back-to-back singles.

With the score just 1-0, it felt like the Orioles were still in the game. But then in the sixth inning, Baz walked Curtis Mead before giving up a big home run to Daylen Lile. It was Lile’s third hit of the game and the 3-0 lead felt insurmountable. Turns out it was. Baz ultimately finished seven innings with pretty good results despite a lot of traffic on the bases. His final pitching line: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Orioles lose, 3-2. These two teams meet again tomorrow at 4:05 with Chris Bassitt on the mound vs Cade Cavalli.

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Cavs blow perfect opportunity to punch ticket to conference finals, lose 115-94 to Pistons

May 15, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) fouls Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) while going for a loose ball during the first quarter in game six of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

CLEVELAND — Before Game 6, Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that you would have to “choke the life out of” his team. Those words proved to be prophetic.

The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t up for the challenge. They didn’t value possessions like they needed to, and overall didn’t have the attention to detail you need to close out a 60-win opponent. That came back to bite them as they dropped their best chance to go to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2018 with a 115-94 loss in Game 6.

Now, it all comes down to Game 7 in Detroit on Sunday.

The Cavs once again got off to a sloppy start, which has been a trend throughout the playoffs. Turnovers were once again to blame. Good three-point shooting allowed them to close the first quarter just down one, but the giveaways caught up with them in the second.

Detroit pushed its lead to 12 before Cleveland responded. A 7-0 run, capped off by a Max Strus triple, cut the deficit to just three at the break.

The Cavs had all the momentum going into the half. It seemed like they were going to turn things around and take control of the game coming out of the third quarter. Instead, it was the Pistons that did so.

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Detroit opened the third on a 14-4 run to push their advantage back to 13 and went into the fourth up 14.

Cleveland never mounted a serious comeback attempt in the fourth quarter. They weren’t able to bring the deficit below double digits as Detroit cruised to a somewhat stress-free victory.

The Cavs have talked this series about letting anyone but Cade Cunningham beat them. They weren’t able to do so. Instead, it was Cade and also everyone else who beat them.

Cunningham was once again the best player on the court. He got to his spots and was efficient with the opportunities he got. This led to 21 points on 7-19 shooting with 8 assists.

This was in stark contrast with Cleveland’s star guards.

Donovan Mithell wasn’t able to find a rhythm. He had a difficult time finishing when he got into the paint, going 3-12 on shots there, which included going 3-9 on shots in the restricted area. This led to an 18-point night on 6-20 shooting with three assists and as many turnovers.

Turnovers were an issue all evening. James Harden was front and center. It’s difficult to have a functional offense when your starting point guard gives it away eight times. Those turnovers wiped out any good that game came from his 23 points on 6-13 shooting.

This theme carried over in the other position group matchups.

Jalen Duren had his best game of the series (15 points and 11 rebounds), while Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley couldn’t get anything going.

Detroit’s role players also significantly outplayed their counterparts. Paul Reed had 17 points, Daniss Jenkins had 15, Ausar Thmopson had 10, and Duncan Robinson — with a bad back — put up 14 points on 4-7 shots.

Meanwhile, Sam Merrill was the only Cavalier outside of the core four with double-digit points. Max Strus, who hit multiple clutch shots in Game 5, had just six points on 2-9 shooting.

Every time you want to believe in the Cavs, they show you that there’s no reason to quite do so yet. We’ll see if they can respond with their season on the line.

Game 7 will be on Sunday in Detroit.

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Tigers 3, Blue Jays 2: Tork walks it off

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) runs off the field after out on second base against Texas Rangers during the sixth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tigers came home from New York with their tails between their legs, hoping their fortunes would change with some home-cooking. An unexpected bullpen game (of sorts) with finally some strong pitching, a key stolen base and a well-placed line drive gave the Tigers a 3-2 victory in the opener of a three-game weekend series against a former division rival.

Brenan Hanifee was the opener; he didn’t make the big-league team out of Spring Training this year, which was a little strange. He’s been a solid part of the Tigers’ bullpen the past two years, and especially in 2024 when he was sensational down the stretch. But, as the saying goes, “relievers are fungible,” so they can be great one year and lousy the next. The plan was for Ty Madden to be the Bulk Guy; he’s done that twice so far this season, and in his previous outing he started the third and finished the game. Kinda seems backwards to me.

The Blue Jays started highly-regarded rookie Trey Yesavage. It seems weird to still think of him as a rookie, given how valuable a pitcher he was for the Jays in their World Series run last year, but the fact remains that tonight was his seventh major-league regular-season start. He gets a lot of attention in Toronto sports media, and rightly-so: he was a first-round draft pick in 2024, rocketed through the minor leagues in 2025, and had a mostly-sensational post-season too. He has an exaggerated over-the-top pitching motion that causes a ton of vertical break on his fastball.

Hanifee had a 1-2-3 first inning, then threw one pitch in the second that Kazuma Okamoto hit for a double; Brant Hurter came in to face a stretch of left-handed hitters. With two out he walked Ernie Clement, and Andrés Giménez squeaked a double down the right-field line to score both runners. After Hurter walked Brandon Valenzuela — nice job with all those lefties, pal — Madden came on and got George Springer to fly out.

In the top of the third, Madden got hit by a 108-mph Yohendrick Piñango line drive on the right arm, and he had to leave the game after two batters; so much for being the bulk guy. I just hope he’s alright; especially so given the spate of injuries to Tigers starting pitchers lately.

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Burch Smith became the fourth Tiger pitcher of the night, and they were going to have to get some length out of him, and the rest of the pitchers in the bullpen. Smith then picked off Piñango for a bit of revenge for injuring his teammate, which is nice.

With one out in the bottom of the third, Kevin McGonigle walked and Dillon Dingler singled; McGonigle took third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch to narrow the lead to 2-1.

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Smith gave the Tigers two innings, then Drew Anderson — who has a background as a starter — took over. He got a nice 5-4-3 double play to end the fifth after giving up a single to Valenzuela.

In the bottom of the sixth Dingler hit a grounder to Clement at second; he airmailed the throw and Dingler ended up on second base. Greene followed with a double on a middle-middle splitter to the right-field corner to score Dingler and tie the game at 2.

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Anderson ended up pitching four innings of one-hit, no-run baseball, doing a heck of a job in a game in which the guys in the bullpen probably thought they could relax for a while. Kenley Jansen took over for the ninth and he sandwiched a lineout between a pair of strikeouts.

Jeff Hoffman, who’s now sharing closer duties with Louis Varland, took over for the bottom of the ninth for the Jays. With one out Matt Vierling blooped a single into centre; Gage Workman struck out and extra innings were looming. With Zach McKinstry at the plate, Vierling stole second base; this prompted Toronto manager John Schneider to intentionally walk McKinstry so Hoffman could face Spencer Torkelson, who went hitless in the Mets series. Well, Torkelson must’ve been saving up his hits for just such an occasion, as he spanked a fastball to the right-centrefield gap; Vierling raced around third to score the winning run.

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Final score: Tigers 3, Blue Jays 2

Injured List Update

Notes and Numbers

  • Coming into tonight, Riley Greene was second in the American League, hitting .341. If you had that on your bingo card this offseason, my goodness, you’re good.
  • Drew Anderson has pitched professionally in Australia, Japan and South Korea. Neat.
  • As per usual, there were plenty of Blue Jays fans in attendance that found their way over a bridge or through a tunnel to Detroit.
  • On this day in 1911, the US Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil, founded by John D. Rockefeller, had an unreasonable monopoly on the oil market. As such, it was ordered to be broken up under the Sherman Antitrust Act. Famously — or, perhaps, infamously — a lawsuit filed a few years later against Major League Baseball resulted in the organization not being found to be a monopoly, because it did not engage in “interstate commerce.” Now, I’m no Matlock, but that sounds like complete horsefeathers to me.
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Jays Walked Off by Tigers, 3-2

May 15, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Trey Yesavage (39) puts his cleat back on after cleaning dirt off his sock during a break in the action against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Well, after a dramatic walk off victory on Wednesday we get a crushing walk off loss. Jeff Hoffman takes the L, but actually wasn’t really bad. The bigger problem was managing just five hits and two walks off a pretty bad bullpen in a game where the expected bulk guy was knocked out after two batters.

The Tigers’ bullpen was mostly effective today. Their intended bulk guy, Ty Madden, was knocked out by a comebacker on his second batter, but Drew Anderson assumed the role and shut the Jays down for four innings. Brenan Hanifee got through the first facing the minimum, but a lead off double from Kazuma Okamoto knocked him out in favour of Brant Hurter. Hurter got two outs, but then a walk to Ernie Clement and an Andres Gimenez double right down the left field line resulted in a pair of runs for the Jays. He’d then walk Brandon Valenzuela, leading AJ Hinch to call for Ty Madden to clean up. He got a fly out to end the inning. Leading off the third, Yohendrick Pinango lined a comebacker off Madden, going for a single and knocking yet another Tigers reliever out of the game. Burch Smith got out of the inning, on a pop up and a K plus picking Pinango off first. Smith stuck around for the fourth, getting a double play to erase a Jesus Sanchez ground ball single. Drew Anderson did exactly the same in the fifth, with George Springer hitting the double play ball to erase a Valenzuela single. Anderson did one better in the sixth, sitting the Jays down in order, and then repeated the trick in the seventh and eighth.

Trey Yesavage had some struggles with his command today, as he has since his injury-delayed debut this season, but was pretty effective in spite of that. He got into a jam in the first, with a walk to Dillon Dingler and a Colt Keith single putting men on the corners with one out, but a pair of Ks helped him escape. After a 1-2-3 second, he found himself in another two-on-one-out jam in the third. Kevin McGonigle walked and Dingler singled. He struck out the next batter, but a pair of wild pitches while facing Riley Greene plated McGonigle and cut the Jays’ lead to 2-1 before a fly out ended the inning. The fourth was another clean inning. His wildness returned in the fifth. His third walk put Hao-Yu Lee on, and his third wild pitch moved him to second base. He got a weak fly from McGonigle that Lee thought was going to drop, but Daulton Varsho made a sliding catch and then threw back to second for the rare fly ball double play. The Tigers tied it up in the sixth. Dingler hit a grounder to second. Ernie Clement fielded it but his throw to first was way wide, allowing Dingler to advance to second. A ground out moved him to third, and a Greene line drive double scored him. The next two batters hit balls hard but some solid outfield D got Yesavage out without falling behind.

In spite of the wildness, Yesavage got through six in 88 pitches. Because he’s still ramping up, though, that was it for his night. All told he allowed two runs on four hits and three walks with three wild pitches, striking out six. He racked up 18 swinging strikes, which shows that his stuff was as dominant as ever. Trey still doesn’t have the feel for his splitter, but it’s a good sign that he’s getting through innings in spite of that, and as he gets dialed in the Jays can hope he gets even better.

Braydon Fisher took over in the bottom of seven. He walked Spencer Torkelson but a double play got him out of it with the tie preserved.

The eighth belonged to Joe Mantiply. Jahmai Jones lined a two out single, but Valenzuela gunned him down trying to steal second to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen sat the Jays down in order in the ninth. In the bottom half, Jeff Hoffman struck Greene out before a soft Matt Vierling fly ball found the exact spot where none of Varsho, Pinango or Gimenez could get to it. Hoffman bounced back to strike out Gage Workman. Vierling stole second, and Hoffman fell being Zach McKinstry 2-0 before deciding to intentionally walk him to get force plays at every base and get a matchup with Spencer Torkelson. That seemed questionable, and sure enough Torkelson lined a walk off single to right to end the game.

Jays of the Day: Gimenez (0.12), Mantiply (0.11)

Less so: Springer (-0.14), Pinango (-0.10), Vlad (-0.10), Varsho (-0.11), Hoffman (-0.36)

It’s a day game tomorrow. The Jays have not officially announced a starter. Last time through, Spencer Miles pitched three innings opening for Eric Lauer. With Lauer banished to the phantom zone, it’ll likely be a bullpen day, probably with Miles as a bulk guy or opener again since he hasn’t pitched in five days now. We know who’ll represent the Tigers: Casey Mize (2-2, 2.90), who’s off to a terrific start. Things get rolling at 1:10pm ET.

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Dodgers vs. Angels game I chat

Apr 23, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) greets the umpire before taking an at bat against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Dodgers (26-18) travel to Orange County Friday evening to battle the Angels (16-28) for a three-game series at Angel Stadium. 

Blake Snell was scratched before his scheduled start and is going on the injured list due to loose bodies in his left elbow.

The Dodgers will go with a bullpen game in the series opener.

Jack Kochanowicz (2-2, 3.97 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) starts for the Angels. 

Freddie Freeman also gets a break.

Lineups
Friday game info
  • Teams: Dodgers at Angels
  • Ballpark: Angel Stadium, Anaheim
  • Time: 6:38 p.m.
  • TV: SportsNet LA, KTTV channel 11 (Angels broadcast)
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
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How to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Athletics

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 10: Tyler Mahle #54 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Sunday, May 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The San Francisco Giants head to Sacramento tonight to begin a three-game series against the Athletics.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Tyler Mahle, who enters tonight’s game with a 5.18 ERA, 5.03 FIP, with 42 strikeouts to 20 walks in 41.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 7-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, in which he allowed four runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in five and two thirds innings.

He’ll be facing off against A’s right-hander Aaron Civale, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.59 ERA, 3.78 FIP, with 33 strikeouts to 13 walks in 41.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Athletics’ 6-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, in which he allowed six hits and three walks with six strikeouts in five innings.

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Game #45

Who: San Francisco Giants (18-26) vs. Athletics (22-21)

Where: Sutter Health Park, Sacramento, California

When: 6:40 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area & KNTV (Giants); NBC Sports California (A’s)

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

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Jalen Duren injury update: Pistons All-Star briefly forced out of game vs. Cavs

He was playing his best game of the conference semifinals, but Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren suffered a lower leg injury. Thankfully for Detroit, it didn’t keep him out long.

Duren, Detroit’s first-time All-Star, rolled his left ankle Friday, May 15 in Game 6 of the team’s second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The play came with a little more than six minutes left to play in the third quarter, when Duren bumped into Cavaliers guard James Harden, who was playing for an offensive foul. As Harden fell to the court, Duren took a step forward, but his left foot landed awkwardly, leading to the tweak. Duren immediately went down and grabbed at his leg.

He left the floor and went to the bench immediately, where trainers tended to him. After a few minutes on the bench, Duren went through the tunnel, toward the locker room. Several moments after that, Duren returned to the bench, but did not immediately re-enter the game.

After spending the remainder of the third quarter on the bench, where he occasionally stood and cheered, Duren returned to the floor to start the fourth quarter and did not appear to be hindered by the injury. Duren appeared to wear an additional brace to support the area.

The Pistons outplayed Cleveland Friday night, winning 115-94 to force a Game 7.

Prior to Friday night, Duren had been struggling to assert himself in this series, taking a passive approach on offense. With his struggles, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff chose to bench Duren the entire fourth quarter and overtime of Game 5.

Duren played the rest of the game, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, with 11 rebounds, 3 blocks and 1 steal.

“Just the will and determination,” Bickerstaff said after the game. “I thought it was huge for JD to get going a little bit. It starts with the rebounding part of it, what he was doing defensively for us, his communication, but the 4 offensive rebounds were huge — that means he’s imposing his will on the game. All the other stuff comes from that.”

This story has been updated with new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Duren injury update, status for Pistons vs Cavaliers

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Mariners Game #46 Preview and Discussion: 5/15/26, SEA vs SD

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 15: Emerson Hancock #26 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on April 15, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Let’s run it back.

Leg two of the Vedder Cup begins Friday in Seattle. The Mariners got swept in the first set in San Diego, so they’ll need to sweep at home in order to have a chance in the tie breaker, which is run differential (Padres lead 16-9) then average exit velocity in the series (Mariners lead 88.8 to 88.6).

Randy Vásquez and Emerson Hancock face-off again in game one. Both pitchers spent years toiling without the ability to miss bats, and both pitchers have suddenly figured it out this year, getting tons of whiffs and strikeouts. They may be their respective league’s most improved players. I wrote about the changes for Vásquez last month at FanGraphs, and on the same day, Michael Rosen outlined the changes for Hancock. The Mariners put up a four-spot on Vásquez last time out, and Hancock held his own. But the Mariners ultimately lost that game after Andrés Muñoz allowed five runs in the bottom of the ninth.

The Padres enter the series as one of the luckiest teams in baseball. For more on that, Jake Mailhot has you covered in the series preview.

The Mariners lineup looks a bit different with Cal Raleigh now on the IL. Randy Arozarena moves up to bat cleanup, and the lefty quartet each moves up behind him. Jhonny Pereda is behind the plate today and bats ninth.

Lineups:

News:

The Mariners provided updates about several players before the game. Kate Preusser has the latest:

Game Information:

Game time: 6:40 PT

TV: Mariners.TV

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.

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How the Padres’ lineup handled the season’s first stress test

Petco Park (Photo by Meg McLaughlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Nine days ago, the San Diego Padres placed their starting second baseman, Jake Cronenworth, on the seven-day injured list. The bats have gone cold against quality starting pitching, and the loss of Cronenworth has completely paralyzed the Padres’ offense. It has left a noticeable void at the bottom of the order.

It is still unclear how severe his injury is or how long he will be gone. Keep in mind that concussions are rarely a two-week IL stint. The organization remains optimistic, but it would be reckless to put Cronenworth back in the lineup unless he is fully healthy.

Hopefully, this setback is short-term, and the two-time All-Star will be back in the fold soon.

Padres’ offense needs to improve its run-scoring production

The depleted lineup must find ways to score runs. Friars manager Craig Stammen has resorted to sacrificing defense to bolster the offense. He inserted Nick Castellanos into the lineup as the primary rightfielder and moved Fernando Tatis Jr. to second. 

Unfortunately, the results have not been promising. Castellanos has shown limited range in the outfield, and his bat has looked slow going through the zone.

Granted, he did homer to tie the final game of the series against the St. Louis Cardinals, which the Padres won in extra innings. No question, this is Castellanos’ shot to show his value to the team. It may take a few more consecutive starts before he regains his former stroke and becomes a lethal run-producer.

Andujar and thrilling late-inning victories

Thankfully, Miguel Andujar has taken the challenge and become one of the Friars’ top run producers. He is hitting .289 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 114 at-bats. Andujar has stabilized the middle of the order. The lone negative is his high strikeout rate (19.5%), which is well above his career average of 15.8%. 

Thrilling, late-inning victories have become this team’s trademark. This season, the Friars have won 11 games in the seventh inning or later. A stark contrast from the five wins achieved in 2025. The late-game magic has accounted for nearly half of their 25 wins. 

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Gavin Sheets has hit three go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning, including a walk-off three-run blast against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park in April. 

The heroics have masked the inconsistency with the lineup. Stammen might experiment with the lineup’s order to jumpstart the struggling offense. 

Preller on the prowl for a bat

Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller is still on the hunt for another bat, as you never have too much hitting on your roster. The absence of Cronenworth proves the gap in the lineup.

Time will tell if the Friars have enough minor-league prospect trade chips to acquire a productive, proven hitter. 

The Padres have shocked the world by playing even with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the top of the National League West. They need to dig themselves out of their current predicament and become more productive at the plate. 
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The case against re-siging Collin Gillespie

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 19: Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns brings the ball up the court during the fourth quarter of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 19, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Phoenix Suns have numerous decisions ahead of them this upcoming offseason, including multiple restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents, and players with trade value. The following series will examine those decisions as our writing team presents both a point and a counterpoint for each.

Man, I drew the short end of the stick on this one, didn’t I? This is the topic in our point/counterpoint series that nobody wanted to touch. Why? Because it’s not an easy argument to make. It’s the basketball equivalent of going to Costco at noon on a Sunday. You know it has to be done, but you still don’t want any part of it.

That said, part of our job here at Bright Side of the Sun is providing holistic perspectives on the different paths available to the Phoenix Suns. The goal is to give you, the reader, a broader understanding of the options sitting in front of this organization. Yesterday, Bruce Veliz laid out the reasoning for why Phoenix should re-sign Collin Gillespie, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Today, I’m here to explain why the Suns should let him walk. Let’s see if I can actually pull this off.

I’ll start by acknowledging that Collin Gillespie turned into a player the Phoenix Suns gambled on and actually hit on. That feels increasingly rare these days. Watching him grow and develop into someone worthy of these conversations has been genuinely enjoyable.

Phoenix isn’t the only organization that recognizes what he is now. Teams around the league are going to have interest in him this offseason, especially because he’s entering his fourth year in the NBA and could still be viewed as a value signing on the right contract.

So you have a desirable asset that opposing front offices are absolutely putting on their boards as a target this offseason. Why would the Phoenix Suns let Collin Gillespie walk?

The only real reasoning I can come up with is one of two things. Either the Suns don’t view him as part of their long-term plans, which I don’t believe is true, or he becomes a little too expensive for their comfort level, which I’m also not entirely convinced happens.

My guess is he lands somewhere in the $12 million range annually, and maybe that becomes the sticking point. Phoenix could find itself prioritizing staying below certain tax thresholds while also deciding that Jordan Goodwin is a bigger long-term priority.

Honestly, the bigger factor might not even be Phoenix. It might be Gillespie himself.

I think Collin is a bench player. A damn fine one, but in the Suns’ current ecosystem, that’s where he is best served. I think continuing to roll out three-guard lineups with Dillon Brooks at power forward is the wrong direction next season. Gillespie makes the most sense as the second-unit leader. If that role and fit aren’t something both sides agree on, then he could absolutely look elsewhere.

This ultimately comes down to what he wants. There are going to be teams willing to give him the Tyus Jones treatment, not financially, role-wise. More minutes. More opportunity. A cleaner path to starting.

The ball is really in Collin’s proverbial court. Does he want to remain a backup in Phoenix for at least another season as the Jalen Green experiment continues to unfold? If the Suns and Gillespie can’t align on role and fit, then he walks. Not because Phoenix necessarily wanted him gone, but because he wanted something different.

The only other scenario where the Phoenix Suns let Collin Gillespie leave is if another team simply offers more than Phoenix believes he’s worth.

If the Suns view him strictly as a backup guard, then you start asking what the proper price point is for that role. Especially if you’re keeping Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale. At that point, you’re committing roughly $40 million to reserve players. That’s not necessarily a bad strategy. Depth matters. Bench production matters. You still have to decide if that’s the allocation of money you’re most comfortable with. Do I think that’s ultimately what happens? No. Still, like a rogue shopping cart drifting through a Costco parking lot, I’m simply trying to navigate the thought exercise.

And honestly, that’s what makes this such an uncomfortable conversation in the first place. Collin Gillespie is the kind of player every fan base falls in love with because he earned every inch of his NBA existence. Phoenix found value, development, toughness, and stability in a place where they desperately needed all four. The problem is the Suns are no longer operating in a world where good stories alone dictate decisions. Every roster spot, every rotation role, and every dollar has to align with a bigger vision. If Phoenix and Gillespie see that vision differently, the ending might feel frustrating even if it makes basketball sense.

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It’s time for Playoff Basketball: San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves, Game 6

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 12: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round Two Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 12, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site that visit other fan sites, especially sites of the opposing team. Be polite and don’t insult your hosts.

The Silver and Black return to the hostile confines of Target Center for the first time since the Elbowmania 1 on Mother’s Day with a chance to close out the series and advance to the conference finals against the Oklahoma Thunder, who have been twiddling their thumbs since finishing a sweep of the Lakers on Monday night. The Timberwolves won’t go easily, and the crowd should be frenzied after watching Wemby lose his cool in the first half of Sunday’s game and getting what they believe was a light punishment for the infraction.

The Spurs are coming off of a blowout win on Tuesday night, but with a couple of days off, the Timberwolves have had time to make some adjustments. Minnesota tied the game in the third quarter of Game 5, and they are looking to find out how to duplicate the effort that got them back into the game for long enough for them to steal another game and take the series back to San Antonio for a Game 7, where anything can happen.

The Spurs don’t have any players listed on the injury report for tonight, and they are looking to close out the series and advance to the conference championship on Monday, and not let the rugged Timberwolves beat them up for an additional 48 minutes on Sunday. Dylan Harper has been spectacular for the Spurs in this series, and he supplements Wembanyama’s dominance in the starting lineup by sparking the bench unit to keep pace when Victor sits. Keldon Johnson had his best game of the series on Tuesday, and if he can continue that tonight, it would be very helpful for the visitors. If Julian Champagnie and the rest of the Spurs can unlock their three point shooting it could be a nice night for the Silver and Black.

Look for the Spurs to keep trapping and double teaming Anthony Edwards whenever he has the ball. He’s good enough to beat the double teams enough to still be spectacular, but so long as no one else on the Timberwolves has a big night scoring, it’s a win for the visiting team. LETS GO SPURS!

Game Prediction:

The Minnesota crowd starts out booing Victor Wembanyama, but he wins them over in the second half by rescuing a kitten stuck on top of the backboard. [There’s a unconfirmed rumor that the cat was placed there by Gregg Popovich, but that’s just scuttlebutt.]

San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves, Second Round, Game 6
May 15, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT
Streaming: Prime
TV: Prime
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Wild vets Brodin, Eriksson Ek each had broken foot that kept them out of playoff series loss to Avs

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Defenseman Jonas Brodin and center Joel Eriksson Ek were unable to play for Minnesota in the second-round series against Colorado in the NHL playoffs because of broken bones in their feet, the veteran stalwarts revealed Friday in season-ending interviews with reporters.

Brodin suffered a fracture in the big toe in his right foot when he blocked a shot in Game 5 of the Wild's first-round series against Dallas, requiring surgery and forcing him to miss the clinching win over the Stars and all five games against the Avalanche.

The Wild were eliminated on Wednesday in a 4-3 overtime loss in Denver, with both Brodin and Eriksson Ek relegated to watching the game on TV. Their defensive acumen, physical presence and playoff experience were all missed against the high-scoring Avalanche, who had the best regular season record in the league.

Brodin, who finished his 14th season in the NHL, all with the Wild, was aiming to return at the end of the conference finals if they were to advance.

“It’s awful to not play in the playoffs," Brodin said. "Best time of the year.”

Eriksson Ek, who finished his 10th season in the NHL, all with the Wild, broke the heel bone in his right foot in Game 6 against Dallas. He took part in practice in a limited basis before Game 3 against Colorado last week, but he said he was unable to fully push off the foot on the ice.

“You want to play,” Eriksson Ek said. “I just couldn't do it. Too painful to skate.”

Brodin also had to miss the Olympics this year when surgery on an earlier lower body injury kept him from playing for Sweden.

“It’s a frustrating year. We’ve got to stay positive and come back stronger next year,” Brodin said.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Mets’ Luke Weaver not holding a Yankees grudge after brutal late-season stretch led to minimal interest

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows New York Mets pitcher Luke Weaver throws a pitch, Image 2 shows New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone takes out pitcher Luke Weaver
Luke Weaver left the Yankees for the Mets in the offseason.

In his last experience facing the Yankees’ best hitter in a major league game — before a possible rematch Friday — Luke Weaver was schooled on proper etiquette.

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Then pitching for the Reds in 2023, Weaver caught flack from Aaron Judge for not acknowledging him with a head nod when Judge came to bat against him for the Yankees.

The two were teammates in the Cape Cod League as collegiate players.

“We hadn’t seen each other in quite a bit,” the Mets reliever said Friday before the Subway Series commenced at Citi Field. “Aaron Judge was at the plate, and I was in a bit of a trying season, so I needed all the energy I could muster. We had a laugh about it, and he made it a big deal, but in a light, kindhearted way.”

Luke Weaver throws a pitch for the Mets during their April 30 game. Jason Szenes for the NY Post

Weaver spent the past two seasons as Judge’s teammate, but has reverted to wearing an opposing uniform.

He entered Friday with a 4.15 ERA in 17 appearances for the Mets this season.

The Mets signed Weaver to a two-year contract worth $20 million last winter after he received limited interest from the Yankees following a rough final stretch with the club.

“There was some light communication, I think respectful communication, and just like staying in touch,” Weaver said. “But I think they were wanting to go in a different direction, so there wasn’t anything major in our discussions about returning.”

Luke Weaver gets pulled by Yankees manager Aaron Boone during a September 2025 game. JASON SZENES/ NY POST

Weaver, who pitched to a 9.64 ERA last September before having two ugly postseason outings in three appearances, said he holds no animosity toward the Yankees for wanting to move on from him.

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“I have a lot of great, fond memories,” said Weaver, who pitched for the Yankees in the 2024 World Series. “For me individually down the stretch, it didn’t quite click the way it did the year before. Circumstances change and roles change and obviously results sometimes change.”

Weaver had a brutal stretch last month (he pitched to a 7.20 ERA in April), but entered Friday with five straight scoreless appearances.

“I think there were a couple of outings there where I kind of lost myself mechanically,” Weaver said. “It was kind of hard to get ahead in counts and I was pitching behind a lot.

“Lately, things have been going pretty good. Like our team, we go through waves and we’re trying to find ways to get back on track where we feel confident and we’re flowing the right way. I just want to continue to keep that momentum and not change based off who is stepping in the box and just attack.”