What we learned from the Spurs series-clinching beatdown of the Minnesota Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 15: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves lock arms after the game during Round Two Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 15, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

I was seven years old when my father first taught me how to play blackjack.

Whether that is a particularly normal thing to teach a child of that age is perhaps a conversation for another time, but it is, for me, a formative and happy childhood memory.

Having spent the better part of a week vacationing at my father’s boss’s coastal vacation home, we were beginning to run out of card games to play. Old Maid, Go Fish, Kings In the Corner, Spades, Cheat, Spoons, and Uno had all been played ad nauseam, and the beach-house (very purposely) lacked a television set, much less a VCR.

We had only ourselves, and our diversions, and the ocean at the shore. It was, in retrospect, a remarkably lo-fi moment in our lives, preceding the technological onslaught to come.

We read books out loud, and wrestled on the living room floor, and spent time on the beach until our burgeoning sunburns drove us back inside like vampires fleeing the dawn. We marinated in the scent of spices and fresh crustacean boiling in the cavernous kitchen, and sprawled about the dining room table telling all the jokes we knew, and making up worse ones. And then, after the meal, it was down to business.

“Remember, the dealer has to take a hit on 16 or lower”, my father reminded me, as I asked for a somewhat inadvisable hit on a 17 of my own.

“What’s a hard 17 again?”

“A 17 with no aces.”

“Oh, I have an ace. What does that mean?”

“That means you have a soft 17. Your ace can be an 11 or a 1.”

“It’s a 1 if I go over, right?”

“Right. But right now I’m showing a 6, which mean I’ll probably have to take a hit unless I have an ace too.”

“Because the dealer has to stand on 17, right?”

“In our game, yes. But not in all games. In our game, if I have an ace, we’ll push. We’ll tie.”

“I don’t wanna tie. I wanna win. I want a card.”

The card came off the deck and revealed itself as a 2.

“Ok, that’s 19. Do you want to stay?”

“The next card will be high, right?”

“Maybe. It’s not looking good for me.”

“Yeah, I’ll stay.”

My father flipped his second card. It was also an ace.

“Well, that’s 17. I have to stay.”

“I win?”

“Yep. But only in our game. In a casino maybe not. I’d get to take another hit.”

“Good thing we’re not at a casino.”

“Mhmm. And that it’s not your money. It’s harder when it’s your money.”

“How is it harder?”

“Well, do you have any money?”

“No. I spent it all.”

“I guess you’ll just have to find out one day.”

We spent the rest of the vacation playing blackjack when we were indoors, until I was certain I’d mastered the game. I knew when to take a hit. I knew when to stand. I’d gotten good at anticipating what might be coming based on what was on the board. It wasn’t card counting per se, but it was the best I’d ever been with numbers.

We ended up playing blackjack on a lot of subsequent vacations, and I was delighted to find in adulthood, in my first encounter with Las Vegas, that I’d retained the knoweldge.

Maybe that shouldn’t have been so surprising considering how I took to compiling and accumulating box scores in the years just after that first brush with Vingt-et-un.

I’d cut them out of newspapers the night after games (when the paper had been fully read) and keep them in my room, sometimes on my walls (like Tim Duncan’s Game 6 masterpiece against the New Jersey Nets), but more often in piles on the top of my dresser, or the tiny square of laminate ‘wood’ with legs that I called a desk.

It felt like there was more information than the information I was getting, as I tracked the ups-and-downs of important Spurs players in my spiral notebooks. Having gone through much of my mother’s storage, I suspect that they are long-lost at this point, but I still fantasize about finding the notebook that I dedicated to Stephen Jackson, Malik Rose, and Speedy Claxton, as I tried to figure out which one the Spurs should make an effort to keep.

I’m not 100% sure why these were the memories that San Antonio’s thrashing of the Minnesota Timberwolves triggered for me. I was certain that the game was over halfway through third quarter, in the midst of the 3rd straight 36+ point frame from the Silver and Black, just on the conscious side of dozing with the comforting weight of my daughter sleeping on my chest.

(Her sole contribution before passing out was to remark that 100 is a big number)

With every closing flicker of my own eyelids came a memory. With every opening, the massacre of reality.

How am I going to write about this? Do I just say that everyone played well?

I mean, they really did. Kelly Olynyk, Jordan McLaughlin, and Lindy Waters III all played two thirds of the fourth quarter. Only one member of the regular rotation played more than 27 minutes.

With eight minutes left in the game and a 30 point deficit, the valiant but ailing Anthony Edwards personally congratulated Spurs players before retiring to rest his banged-up knees for next season, the opposite of the comportment of the extra-physical ‘Jordan Rule’ Pistons that they were sometimes exasperatingly compared to at the start of the series.

In the end they were more paper tigers than the superstar thwarters so many outside the fan-base had hoped they’d be. Whether by dint of injury and/or inferior roster flexibility, they were forced to stand on 17.

The Spurs were playing with house money, deeper and more advantageously capable of adjusting, and lacking a certain weight of expectation due to the seasons preceding this one.

And while I have spent most of this year’s postseason blowouts reminding myself and others not to put the cart before the horse, I couldn’t help but look ahead to the match-up on the horizon, and the reality that expectations are about to really and truly change.

Before the opening of the season, even the most ardent of Spurs supporters and journalists considered the Western Conference Finals to be the absolute and remotest peak on the horizon. Most agreed that avoiding the Play-In and defeating a first round opponent would be an acceptable and reasonable limit.

But now the Spurs are on the doorstep of a Finals appearance in Victor Wembanyama’s 3rd season, and facing a team they went 4-1 against in the regular season.

The rules have changed. All things considered, the Thunder are more flexible and more talented and healthier than the Timberwolves were, and just as (if not more) physical, with a habitually favorable whistle to boot.

The Spurs can’t count on them to stand on a soft 17. The Thunder are going to take the hit. They’re going to have home-court advantage. They’re the house, and the house has the odds in their favor.

It’s almost guaranteed that the Spurs will have to make the exactly right play at the exactly right time, and this time, they won’t be able to afford the lapses they had against the Trailblazers and the Timberwolves.

They are no longer playing with house money. The cost will be their own, and that of the city that supports them. A loss here might haunt them, and that can go two very different ways. They’re too young to know better, and I sincerely hope that they get to stay that way.

Playing in Vegas with my own cash at stake, I found myself second-guessing moves that I would never have thought about twice in the past. It was money that I had set aside for exactly that purpose, but the brain can have expectations in direct opposition to that of the nervous system in the same way that Spurs fans can intellectually hold reasonable perspectives about how this team has exceeded all expectations and still become unmoored by the not-unreasonable desire for more.

It’s strange to be experiencing this all over again at the age I am now. I’ve seen variations of this story play out before, and I can see most of the plot points before they arrive, and yet it’s somehow a new experience all over again, except that now instead of the youth being soothed by the experience of the adults on the court, I find myself carrying hopefully anxiety for the prosperity of youth. I wonder how much more of my life will become that way.

And yet, I find that the wonderful chaos of this season and postseason has revealed itself as an ace in a soft 17.

Hit me. I’m ready for whatever card is next.

Takeways

  • We have to talk about the masterclass that Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell put on against Julius Randle in this series. Prior to the series, Randle was the obvious mismatch for a Spurs team that struggles with size at Power-Forward specifically. My thought was that the Spurs should let Randle shoot himself into a hole while the Spurs spent most of their time and energy on Ant Edwards. And there’s a reason that I’m not coaching in the NBA, because Sean Sweeney pulled out his previous playbook against the Wolves, and decided to alternate sending doubles at both of them. This was incredibly affective against Randle, who had lost his favorite passing target in Donte DiVincenzo against Denver, and his inability to anticipate these doubles seemed to shake him somewhat, as he was a turnover machine and forced some very ill-advised shots. But, most tellingly, he seemed to decline taking shots at all over the last two games, as Castle and Vassell smothered him in equal measure. This was, at least to me, a big, big deal, with teams in the Thunder and (potentially) the Knicks also being capable of exploiting what I was previously concerned would be a fatal flaw. Both of those teams are now going to have to figure out a way to deal with that when/if they face the Spurs.
  • As it turns out, when the Spurs three guards combine for 68 points very efficient points, San Antonio becomes an absolute juggernaut. This game served as yet another perfect example of why all three of these guards are critical to what the Spurs can do, and how they can absolutely unravel defenses with some of the best rim-protectors and perimeter defenders in the league. All previous elaboration and hedging aside, if the Spurs do this regularly, it just will not matter who they’re matched up with. Wemby opens up everything for these guards, and each one is different enough to pose varying challenges for the defense in such a way that it opens it right back up for Wemby and the perimeter snipers. Stephon Castle was absolutely irresistible in this one, but the filthy varieties of perimeter penetration from the other two had Minnesota’s defenders seeing ghosts by the middle of the second quarter, and only a spate of turnovers and defensive mistakes really let the Wolves back in the game at all.
  • Carter Bryant has this really funny thing going on, where when I see him on the court, he looks amazing even when his shot looks awkward, and then shows confusingly little in the box score, and then looks almost as amazing in the advanced stats. There are some thing about his game right now that don’t easily convey, but he’s been on Luke Kornet’s level when it comes to doing the dirty work and making the effort play, and he gave both Randle and Edwards trouble while gobbling up rebounds like Pac-Man after eating a power-pellet. If that shot comes along in the off-season, I’m willing to go out an a limb and say that he could transform into a reasonable facsimile of another forward who came to the Spurs with an awkward shot and staggering athleticism. The Spurs don’t even need to draft outside of best pick available at the rate that Bryant is improving. He’s overshadowed by the majestic poise and maneuvers of fellow rookie Dylan Harper (who I personally like to refer to as ‘The Left Hand of Darkness’), but he’s doing shocking work in the postseason for someone who got very little playing time comparatively-speaking, and I think this draft could go down as one of the best in Spurs history.

Playing You Out – The Theme Song of the Evening:

All I Wanna Do is Play Cards by Corb Lund

After exit at hands of Spurs, expect big changes to come to Minnesota this offseason

Despite reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2024, the Minnesota Timberwolves front office decided they needed to move on from Karl-Anthony Towns (and his contract) if they were going to make one more step forward. They traded KAT to the Knicks, betting that the combination of Julius Randle with the depth of Donte DiVincenzo would be the upgrade they needed.

If one thing became clear in the six games against San Antonio that ended Minnesota's season (despite the injuries they faced), it's that there is a large gap between the young, improving Spurs and the Timberwolves.

What's next for Minnesota? How does it take that next step forward?

Minnesota to pursue Antetokounmpo

Minnesota was one of the teams in conversation with Milwaukee about Giannis Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline, and the two-time MVP reportedly had interest in pairing with Anthony Edwards. However, at that time, the Bucks were gauging the market more than looking for a deal, league sources told NBC Sports.

That vibe has changed this offseason, with the Bucks sounding serious about a clean break. Expect the Timberwolves to be back in the conversation for Antetokounmpo, reports Jon Krawczynski at The Athletic.

One key question in this: Milwaukee is going to ask for Jaden McDaniels as well as a matching salary (Randle at $33 million or Rudy Gobert at $36.5 million are the most likely fits), plus draft picks. A third team likely has to be involved to add picks and make it work. Would Minnesota be willing to trade McDaniels, who, along with Naz Reid, makes up a core part of the Timberwolves' identity?

Even if they do, will that be enough? Will Antetokounmpo want to play with Edwards badly enough to push for this, or will he decide his best path back to the Finals is to stay in the East and push for a trade to a team there? Everything is still up in the air with Antetokounmpo, but Milwaukee will be in the mix.

If not Antetokounmpo, then what?

About the only thing that feels certain in Minnesota this offseason is that the team will focus on re-signing free agent Ayo Dosunmu, whom the Timberwolves acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline and who has become a key shot-creation option.

Aside from that, look for team president Tim Connelly to go big game hunting, Krawczynski reports.

Nearly every big name that has come available over the last few years, from Durant to Antetokounmpo to Ja Morant and James Harden, has at least been discussed internally. That will only shift into overdrive now.

For his part, Edwards thinks Minnesota's roster can compete with San Antonio and Oklahoma City (when healthy).

"I feel like we good," Edwards said at exit interview day when asked about adding another star.

There are parts of this core that the front office also believes can win, Krawczynski reports.

As disappointing as the finish to this season was, the Timberwolves do feel good about the core of Edwards, McDaniels, Reid and [center Joan] Beringer going forward. They will have some big decisions to make, but were encouraged by how the team did pull together to play for one another in the playoffs.

(Beringer was Minnesota's first-round pick last year and a player the team likes to take a big step forward next season.)

Expect changes, maybe big changes, around that core. Minnesota got an up-close look at where San Antonio is setting the bar in a West where it may not even be the best team. And a conference that still has Luka Doncic with the Lakers and Nikola Jokic with the Nuggets.

Minnesota is a good team, but the next step is the hardest one to take. They are going to try to take that step this summer.

Jose Berrios undergoing elbow surgery in Blue Jays pitching crusher

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Toronto Blue Jays pitcher José Berríos throws a pitch during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, USA, Friday, March 25, 2025, Image 2 shows Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jose Berrios reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Philadelphia Phillies' Kody Clemens during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Philadelphia
Berrios

José Berríos’ delayed start to the season could turn into a full missed season.

The Blue Jays’ right-hander, who has been sidelined since elbow inflammation was first detected as he geared up to pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, will undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a stress fracture and loose bodies in his elbow.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Dr. Keith Meister will also evaluate Berríos for possible ligament damage.

Berríos is expected to miss at least a couple of months, which could turn into the entire season if worst-case fears are realized or if the Blue Jays are out of the playoff hunt when he could return.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher José Berríos throws a pitch during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on March 25, 2025. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

“There may be some ligament stuff going on,” Schneider said. “They’re going to figure that out when they’re in there.”

Berríos made four rehab starts at Triple-A but was shut down after experiencing discomfort during his May 3 outing.

“There’s always risk with pitchers,” Schneider said. “Even if they’re healthy as can be, there’s always risk. That’s a risk that both he and we accepted when we said, ‘Keep throwing.’”

It’s essentially a continuation of a frustrating eight months for Berríos, who was 9-5 in 31 appearances for the Blue Jays last season.

But he landed on the injured list in September and missed the playoff run to the World Series due to elbow inflammation.

Berríos has an opt-out clause in his contract that could be exercised after this season.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jose Berrios reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Philadelphia Phillies’ Kody Clemens during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Matt Slocum

He has two years and $48 million remaining on his contract.

Considering the uncertainty of his health, it seems unlikely that Berríos would opt out even if he does end up making his season debut.

The Blue Jays’ rotation already is without Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer and Cody Ponce.

Berríos, 31, has been a model of stability during an era of heightened arm injuries.

He made at least 30 starts in each of the last seven 162-game seasons and 12 in the shortened 60-game season in 2020.

Yankees' Gerrit Cole looks sharp in latest rehab start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

While the Yankees and Mets faced off in Queens on Saturday night, Gerrit Cole had his own version of a Subway Series matchup in a rehab start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Syracuse.

The right-hander looked the best he has in the minors as he nears a return to the major leagues following Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of the 2025 season. 

Cole allowed just one run on six hits over 86 pitches through 5.1 innings of work. He struck out six and walked one, while averaging a 97.0 mph fastball and topping out at 99.6 mph, per YES Network's Conor Foley.

Manager Aaron Boonehad said Friday that Cole was expected to make two more starts in the minor leagues before he comes back to New York. And based on Saturday's performance, it appears the 35-year-old is feeling ready.

Plus, Cole's anticipated return by the end of May comes at the right time for the Yanks as Max Friedwas placed on the 15-day IL on Saturday

Diamondbacks 2, Colorado 4: Rocky Mountain Sigh

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 05: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Louis of Cambridge attends the Platinum Pageant on The Mall on June 5, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) | Getty Images

I was pretty excited about this game, after our offense suddenly found itself in the same ballpark as our defense and our pitching last night. Eduardo Rodriguez, my favorite hologram—everybody’s favorite hologram, actually—was going for us after nearly pitching a complete game in his last outing versus the Mets, while the Rockies had Tomoyuki Sugano, a second-tier Japanese import who made his major league debut last year at age 35 as a member of Baltimore’s undistinguished starting rotation, taking the mound for them. Per DBE’s invaluable series preview, this game looked like it would be the toughest of the series, but after last night’s game, I liked our odds.

But baseball is a funny game, and it will disappoint you sometimes.

Things seemed to be starting off on a good note for us, with Ketel Marte seeing five pitches to lead off the game before sending a rocket of a line drive into right where it was, for once, not caught by a defender who was exactly in the right place, but instead dropped for a single! Sadly, however, Corbin Carroll then swung at the first pitch he saw, lining it hard to second base and doubling off Ketel. This was made even more painful when Geraldo Perdomo lined a hard single to center that could have probably scored Marte, had Marte still been on base, which he was not. Gerry stole second base, at least, before Nolan Arenado flied out to left for the third out.

ERod, meanwhile, had a distinctly rough go of it in his first inning of work. He was greeted with a single, a ground rule double that bounced over the left field wall, and an RBI single to center that brought in the first run of the ballgame before he had even recorded his first out. A second RBI single with one out brought in a second run, and while he struck out the next two batters to end the frame, the Rockies had hung 31 pitches on him already and two Colorado runs were already in. 2-0 Colorado

Happily, however, at Coors two runs doesn’t tend to mean a whole lot, as we got one of the runs back right away. Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. went opposite field for a one-out double to left in the top of the second, and Jose Fernandez singled to right to advance Lourdes to third. Brian McCann came to the plate, and Fernandez broke for second. Rockies’ catcher Hunter Goodman threw to second, and as soon as he popped up Lourdes broke for home plate. Jose beat the throw to second for our second stolen base of the game, and Lourdes, somewhat surprisingly, beat the throw back to Goodman for our third stolen base and our first run. Baseball really is crazy sometimes….if you tell me that you had “Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. steals home” on your bingo card, I will know that you are lying:

McCann eventually lined out to center, allowing Fernandez to take third, but Ryan Waldschmidt struck out looking to leave him standing there. 2-1 Colorado

ERod’s rough time continued in the bottom of the second, with a leadoff double to Rockies’ third baseman Kyle Karros, followed immediately by old friend Jake McCarthy singling to left to drive Karros in. Perhaps because he felt bad about it, but more likely because he is still Jake McCarthy and so he will do boneheaded things, Jake tried to stretch his single into a double, and was thrown out easily by Gurriel. The Colorado lineup turned over, and Eddie allowed another single, but then he got his act together and shut that business down. 3-1 Colorado

After that, not much happened for awhile. We got runners on base in the third and fourth, but left them there on base with nothing to show for it. Hologram Eddie finally stabilized, putting up zeroes and actually recording a perfectly clean 12-pitch inning in the fourth. Finally, in the top of the fifth, it seemed like our bats might finally get going in earnest, as the top of our lineup came to the plate for the third time and greeted Sugano with back-to-back doubles by Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll. Ketel’s was particularly crazy to me, as he hit it to pretty much straightaway center and it bounced over the wall for a ground rule double. Carroll’s sounded like it was maybe a home run off the bat, but wound up hitting maybe two thirds of the way up Coors Field’s tall right field wall:

A one-pitch lineout by Perdomo and an Arenado ground ball to first ended the threat right there, but at least we’d scratched out another run, right? 3-2 Colorado

Well, that was pretty much all she wrote, at least in terms of our offense. The Colorado bullpen got involved after the fifth inning, and an assortment of arms you’ve likely never heard of put up zeroes the rest of the way. ERod wound up getting through five innings for us, and even coming out to record the first out of the sixth, before giving way to our bullpen, which did a comparably good job, with one glaring exception.

Brandyn Garcia came out to start the bottom of the eighth, and I guess the thin air in Denver really did not agree with him, as he utterly failed to record an out. The first three batters to face him went single-walk (of the unsightly four-pitch variety)-single to load the bases, and then he hit Colorado DH Mickey Moniak to bring the Rockies’ fourth run across the plate. So out came Garcia, and in came Kevin Ginkel with nobody outs and the bases loaded.

And that brings us to what has to be the real highlight of this game: Ginkel was masterful in getting out of the mess with no further damage. First he induced a grounder to second from Ezequiel Tovar. Ildemaro Vargas threw home to get the lead runner, Brian McCann threw quickly to first to force Tovar for the unusual 4-2-3 double play. It was actually called that way, too, on the field, but the Rockies challenged and replay clearly showed that McCann’s hurried throw pulled Fernandez off the bag. So Ginkel shrugged, struck some dude out on four pitches, and then got Kyle Karros to ground out for the third out of the inning and keep the score within reach as we went to the top of the ninth. 4-2 Colorado

As you know by the headline, we did not finish things off heroically, as much as I would have liked to see that happen. To their credit, though, we did show some fight in the ninth against former Rockies starter and apparently now Rockies bullpen power arm (?!?) Antonio Senzatela, who apparently can hit 99 on the radar gun now that he’s no longer having to try to pitch 5+ innings at Coors. Ryan Waldschmidt stroked a one-out single to left to bring up Ketel Marte as the tying run. Marte, happily, didn’t try to hit himself a six-run dinger, but instead took what Senzatella gave him, which was a four-pitch walk to bring the winning run to the plate with one out. Sadly Corbin Carroll struck out looking after running the count full, to bring Perdomo to the plate with a chance to be the big damn hero. Gerry, to his credit, fought mightily after falling behind in the count early, fouling off five straight pitches at one point and then, finally, on the tenth pitch of his at bat….flying out lazily to center field.

I mention this, though, because at the risk of offering up another bit of “well, the offense isn’t there yet but they’re showing signs of turning a corner” commentary, this was the first game in awhile in which I’ve seen our hitters, especially those at the top of the order, take patient at bats and see a lot of pitches:

  • Marte had a six-pitch AB to start the ballgame;
  • Carroll saw seven in the course of drawing a one-out walk in the third;
  • Perdomo had pretty short ABs for most of the game, but perhaps made up for it with the ten pitches he saw as he was recording the final out of the game;
  • Arenado saw six pitches each in two different ABs;
  • Gurriel hit his second inning double on the sixth pitch of his AB, and hit a two-out single on the eighth pitch of his AB in the top of the eighth;
  • Ryan Waldschmidt drew a six-pitch walk in the seventh.

My point is that, while the results weren’t there in terms of what you will see in the box score, I feel at least like it’s very good to see our batters not just flailing at the first or second or third pitch, plate appearance after plate appearance. I hope that will continue, and I hope that, if it does, we’ll eventually start seeing better results. Here’s hoping, anyway.

Loss Probability Added, courtesy of FanGraphs

Positive Contributors: None, as no player, pitcher or hitter, managed better than Ketel Marte’s +7% WPA
Negative Contributors: The offense (33 AB, 9 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 4 K, -54% WPA)

As dismal as this game was, it was broadly reflected by the attendance and engagement in today’s Gameday Thread, which at time of writing has a whopping 98 comments (and I’m pretty sure half of them were mine, because I needed to do something to entertain myself while watching the game). As above, so below, or something like that. In any event, a handful of comments did manage to go what passes for Sedona Red these days, so by popular acclaim CotG goes to AZNailgal520 for this disappointingly apt assessment of our backup catcher’s recent contributions:

It is sad but true. Anyway.

Tomorrow is the rubber match, as we try to secure what feels like it would be our first series win in awhile. Michael Soroka takes the mound for the Snakes, while Michael Lorenzen goes for Colorado. First pitch is scheduled once again for 12:10pm AZ time. Join us if you feel so inclined.

As always, thanks for reading. As always, go Diamondbacks!

Where to watch Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens Game 6 NHL playoffs: Live stream, start time, TV channel for Saturday, May 16

The Buffalo Sabres face the Montreal Canadiens, who are trying to close out the NHL second-round playoff series. The Montreal Canadiens are favored with a -172 moneyline compared to the Buffalo Sabres' +143.

  • Date: Saturday, May 16

  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

  • Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC

  • TV Channels: ABC, CBC, Spor, TVAS

  • Live Stream:ESPN+ | Follow on Yahoo Sports

  • Spread: Montreal Canadiens -1.5

  • Moneyline: Montreal Canadiens -172 (60.6%) / Buffalo Sabres +143 (39.4%)

  • Over/Under: 6.5

Where to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Athletics: Live stream, TV channel, odds for Saturday, May 16

The San Francisco Giants, fourth in the NL West with a 18-27 record, face the Athletics, who are first in the AL West with a 23-21 record. The Athletics are favored with a -136 moneyline compared to the San Francisco Giants' +115. Starting pitchers are Trevor McDonald for San Francisco, with a 2.92 ERA, and Luis Severino for the Athletics, with a 4.07 ERA.

  • Date: Saturday, May 16

  • Time: 9:40 p.m. ET / 6:40 p.m. PT

  • Where: Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, CA

  • TV Channels: NBCSCA, NBCS BA

  • Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

  • San Francisco Giants: 18-27 (No. 4 in NL West)

  • Athletics: 23-21 (No. 1 in AL West)

  • Spread: Athletics -1.5

  • Moneyline: Athletics -136 (55.3%) / San Francisco Giants +115 (44.7%)

  • Over/Under: 9.5

San Francisco Giants: Trevor McDonald (1-0, ERA: 2.92, K: 12, WHIP: 1.05)
Athletics: Luis Severino (2-4, ERA: 4.07, K: 47, WHIP: 1.52)

Weather: 82°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 14,111 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

Weather: 68°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 56,000 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

Where to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels: Live stream, TV channel, odds for Saturday, May 16

The Los Angeles Dodgers meet the Los Angeles Angels in the freeway series. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored with a -139 moneyline compared to the Los Angeles Angels' +117. Starting pitchers are Justin Wrobleski for the Dodgers, with a 2.42 ERA, and José Soriano for the Angels, with a 1.66 ERA.

  • Date: Saturday, May 16

  • Time: 9:38 p.m. ET / 6:38 p.m. PT

  • Where: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA

  • TV Channels: Angels Broadcast Television, KCOP 13, SportsNet LA

  • Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

  • Los Angeles Dodgers: 27-18 (No. 1 in NL West)

  • Los Angeles Angels: 16-29 (No. 5 in AL West)

  • Spread: Los Angeles Angels 1.5

  • Moneyline: Los Angeles Angels +117 (44.2%) / Los Angeles Dodgers -139 (55.8%)

  • Over/Under: 8.5

Los Angeles Dodgers: Justin Wrobleski (5-1, ERA: 2.42, K: 22, WHIP: 0.99)
Los Angeles Angels: José Soriano (6-2, ERA: 1.66, K: 61, WHIP: 1.05)

Weather: 69°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 45,517 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

Mike Brown isn’t certain if Knicks’ nine-day break will give them an Eastern Conference finals edge

New York Knicks Head Coach Mike Brown speaking to the media.
Mike Brown addresses reporters during his May 16 press conference.

Whoever the Knicks face in the Eastern Conference finals, whether it is the Pistons or Cavaliers, will be a team coming off back-to-back seven-game series.

Both teams went the distance in the opening round and the two will meet Sunday night in a winner-take-all Game 7 in Detroit.

The Knicks, meanwhile, will have a nine-day layoff between games by the time the next series begins Tuesday night.

Is that an advantage?

Coach Mike Brown isn’t certain.

“I’ve been in both situations, playing while a team’s waiting and I’ve been waiting while a team’s playing,” the Knicks coach said after practice Saturday. “You can say a lot theoretically. You can say they’re going to be tired, but you can also say they have a competitive edge because they’ve been going at it for seven games and we’ve been off.

“You keep trying to do different things during the course of the downtime to keep them sharp, keep them focused and try to keep their competitive edge up as much as you can.”

Mike Brown addresses reporters during his May 16 press conference. Charles Wenzelberg

The break has given the Knicks a chance to get healthy, especially OG Anunoby, who has been dealing with a mild right hamstring strain.

“I know you’re eager to go out there and play, but I think it’s just good to rest, get the body right and just keep working on your craft and working on what we have to do,” Mikal Bridges said. “So, obviously there’s positives, negatives in this situation, but I just try to look at the positives.”


Josh Hart isn’t backing down from his claim that he no longer considers Philadelphia a sports town after Knicks fans took over Xfinity Mobile Arena during the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

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“You can’t be a sports town if another team’s fan base takes over your arena,” Hart said during the latest episode of “The Roommates Show.”

“You cannot be a sports town if that happens. Boston? Sports town.”

He also took a shot at Joel Embiid, who implored 76ers fans to show up prior to the start of the series.

“You will never see Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum sitting there saying, ‘fans, we need y’all to come out because if y’all don’t the Knicks are gonna take over.’ They’re never gonna say that because they don’t have to,” Hart said. “Because that’s one of the places that’s a sports town, and you will not take over that arena. I don’t think you’re gonna take over the arena in New York.”

Cavs at Pistons Game 7: How to watch, odds, and injury report

DETROIT, MI - MAY 13: Paul Reed #7 of the Detroit Pistons and Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers go up for the rebound during the game during Round Two Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ entire season, and maybe this era of basketball, comes down to one night: Game 7 against the Detroit Pistons.

This has been a rollercoaster of a series. The Cavs started poorly, giving away Games 1 and 2 with a combination of untimely turnovers and wilting down the stretch of both contests. Then, they flipped the script in Games 3 and 4. They were the far superior team in nearly every aspect. Superstar performances from both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden helped as well.

Game 5 felt like the signature win of this era of Cavs’ basketball. They battled back from a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes on a night their best player didn’t have it going. The road overtime win showed a level of resiliency we’ve never seen from this group.

Then, Game 6 threw that all away. The Cavs didn’t come with the necessary focus or intensity to get the job done. Throw in a dreadful performance from Mitchell and a great showing from all of Detroit’s role players, and you get a 21-point loss for the Cavs.

Now, everything comes down to this. We’ll see which version of the Cavs show up in Motor City on Sunday.

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WhoCleveland Cavaliers (3-3) at Detroit Pistons (3-3)

Where: Little Caesars Arena – Detroit, MI

When: Sun., May 17 at 8 PM

TV: Prime Video

Point spread: Pistons -4.5

Cavs injury report: Larry Nance Jr. – DOUBTFUL (illness)

Pistons injury report: Duncan Robinson – QUESTIONABLE (back), Kevin Huerter – QUESTIONABLE (abductor strain), Caris LeVert – QUESTIONABLE (heel)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Pistons expected starting lineup: Cade Cunningham, Daniss Jenkins, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Previous matchup: The Cavaliers dropped Game 6 by 21 points.

Here’s a look at both teams’ regular-season impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

Offensive RatingDefensive RatingNet Rating
Cavs118.9 (8th)115 (15th)+3.9 (9th)
Pistons118.3 (10th)109.5 (2nd)+8.8 (3rd)

Elmer Rodriguez joins Yankees rotation again after Max Fried goes to IL

New York Yankees pitcher Elmer Rodríguez reacts on the mound in the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, USA, Tuesday, May 05, 2026.
New York Yankees pitcher Elmer Rodríguez reacts on the mound in the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium on May 5, 2026.

Elmer Rodríguez is headed back to the Yankees rotation, at least for a little while.

The Yankees placed left-hander Max Fried on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a left elbow bone bruise and recalled Rodríguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Rodríguez will now face the Mets Sunday, with Ryan Weathers pushed to Monday against the Blue Jays in The Bronx, followed by Will Warren on Tuesday.

With Gerrit Cole making another minor league rehab start Saturday night for SWB — and Aaron Boone indicating Friday that the ace would likely make at least another start before returning from Tommy John surgery — Rodríguez will fill in for Fried until Cole is back.

New York Yankees pitcher Elmer Rodríguez reacts on the mound in the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium on May 5, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

Rodríguez previously replaced Luis Gil in the rotation prior to Carlos Rodón’s return from his own IL stint.

It’s unclear how much time Fried will miss, since the bone bruise diagnosis was an “initial finding” from a Thursday MRI and CT scan.

The imaging was also sent to surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, which was expected to be due diligence rather than a concern about a more serious injury, since Fried said his ulnar collateral ligament was not injured.

As for Cole, Saturday marked the 30th day of his rehab assignment, which is normally the maximum allowed for pitchers coming off the IL, but that can be extended after Tommy John surgery.

Rodríguez allowed five runs in 8 ⅔ innings in his two previous starts with the Yankees. 

Hope turns to heartbreak as crazy 7th inning dooms Orioles to 13-3 loss vs. Nationals

May 16, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Andrew Kittredge (39) reacts after giving up a three run home run to Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young (30) during the seventh inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

After coming inches away from tying the game in the top of the 7th, a seven-run bullpen blowup in the bottom of the inning sunk the Orioles, leading to a 13-3 loss to the Nationals in DC.

The Orioles offense finally came alive in the 7th after a lackluster first six inning for the Baltimore bats. Trailing 4-0, Samuel Basallo put the O’s on the board with his sixth home run of the season. The burly backstop turned on a first-pitch sweeper from Nationals’s starter Cade Cavalli, sending a screaming line drive over the right field fence for a solo blast. Tyler O’Neill then followed the rookie’s lead, blasting a middle-middle Cavalli fastball into the left field bleachers to cut the Washington lead to 4-2.

The Orioles then sent all of Birdland on an emotional rollercoaster. After Leody Taveras reached on a ground ball sinlge, it looked like Coby Mayo tied the game on a towering fly ball to left. However, the blast was said to have crossed the foul pole just inches into foul territory. Mayo would go onto strikeout, before Jeremiah Jackson barely missed a game tying home run on his own—with a deep fly ball to left center that was run down by Nats center fielder Jacob Young.

The O’s would manufacture their third run of the inning. Gunnar Henderson walked to move Taveras to second, and then Taylor Ward bounced a single through the left side to bring home Taveras and make the score 4-3. The rally would end there, though, as Adley Rutschman lined out to short to strand both runners and leave him 0-for-4 on the day.

If the called back, would-be Mayo homer was slightly deflating, what happened in the bottom of the 8th was Austin Hays stamping on a beach ball. Keegan Akin took over for Deitrich Enns, walked James Wood to lead off the inning before the wheels completely fell off with one out. Pinch hitter Brady House doubled to left to score Wood and then moved to third on a CJ Abrams single. Daylen Lile then bounced a ball to a drawn in Gunnar Henderson, who tried to gun down House at the plate, only for Rutschman’s tag to catch him a fraction of a second late.

Akin then walked the bases loaded before giving up a two-run single to Keibert Ruiz to give Washington an 8-3 lead. Andrew Kittredge then entered trying to put out the fire, but only added fuel to the flames. In a perfect metaphor for Baltimore afternoon, Kittredge almost struck out Young only for strike three to be overturned on an ABS challenge. The very next pitch, Young blasted a hanging slider to left for a three-run homer and an 11-3 lead. House would then add long ball in the 8th, blasting a two-run shot off reliever Josh Walker.

The Orioles found themselves down early thanks to another shaky outing from starter Chris Bassitt. The 12-year vet came into Saturday’s start vs. the Nationals having never allowed an earned run against the Orioles’ southern neighbors in 21 career innings. However, like we’ve seen too many times this season, Bassitt was undone by a bad 2nd inning.

Bassitt breezed through the 1st inning, setting down the top of the Nats’ order on just nine pitches. However, the 37-year-old righty came into his outing vs. Washington with an 11.25 2nd-inning ERA, and that number only got worse after the second frame in DC. Abrams led off the bottom of the 2nd with a double on a ball hit down the first base line before kicking off a corner in foul territory. Nasim Nuñez then worked a one-out walk to give the Nationals two runners on. Bassitt then left an 0-1 cutter up and over the plate to Ruiz, who blasted it just over the fence and into the right field bullpen for a three-run homer.

Former All-Stars Abrams and Wood would then combine to grow the Nationals’ lead in the 3rd. The towering Wood just missed a home run to start the inning, flicking a 105 mph double off the top of the left field wall for a lead-off double. Bassitt almost got out of the jam after getting a pop-up and a groundout from Luis García Jr. and José Tena. However, Abrams would tag the veteran right again, lining a 1-2 sinker into the left-center gap for a double that pushed the lead to 4-0.

Bassitt would rebound to keep Washington scoreless across his final two frames. In the 4th, the O’s starter finally posted another 1-2-3 inning after a pair of fly outs to left and a 3-1 groundout. It then looked like the righty’s afternoon was going to get really ugly after he loaded the bases with no outs in the 5th. Bassitt showed his veteran savy, however, punching out Tena before getting Abrams to pop up and Lile to ground out to strand all three runners.

The 2nd inning long ball still doomed it to being another example of Bad Bassitt that Birdland has seen far too often. Bassitt came into Saturday with four starts of one or zero earned runs, and four starts of 4+ earned runs. After finishing with a final line of 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB and 4 K on Saturday, Bad Bassitt has taken the lead in his weird Jekyll and Hyde impersonation.

Early on, the Orioles continued to squander prime running scoring opportunities. In the 1st, Taylor Ward reached on a single slashed to right center. Pete Alonso then moved him into scoring position on a hard-hit, two-out single up the middle. Samuel Basallo had a chance to give the O’s an early lead, and got ahead 3-1, but ended up striking out on a 3-2 curveball.

The 2nd saw a similarly promising rally die from a lack of clutch hitting. Leody Taveras started the ill-fated rally with a one-out single and then stole second to get into scoring position. Coby Mayo looked to break the 0-0 deadlock, sending a laser-beam single to left. However, the 107-mph base hit was hit so hard that Taveras had to hold at third. Nine-hitter Jeremiah Jackson then grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to strand Taveras and erase another run-scoring opportunity.


The win snaps a 15-game losing streak for the Nationals in games where a win would give them a .500 record. The last such win for Washington came on May 14th, 2024.

The loss drops the O’s to a 1-4 record in their last five games in DC, and 1-7 against the Nationals over the last two seasons. Baltimore will try to get back in the win column tomorrow, with Brandon Young taking the mound for a 1:35pm ET start.

Clay Holmes headed for long IL stint as Mets try to figure out rotation plan

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Clay Holmes is going to the IL with a fractured fibula, Image 2 shows Zach Thornton (21) of the New York Mets delivers a pitch during a spring training game against the Miami Marlins on March 09, 2026 at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida
Holmes

The Mets expect Clay Holmes will return to pitch this season, but the team needs to fill plenty of starts until then. 

Without providing a firm timeline Saturday, manager Carlos Mendoza indicated the veteran right-hander will need at least six weeks for his fractured right fibula to heal before potentially beginning a full spring training buildup that would allow him to return in the second half. 

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“He’s going to be down for quite a bit, but definitely we’ll see him,” Mendoza said Saturday before the Mets faced the Yankees at Citi Field. 

Holmes sustained the injury Friday night, taking Spencer Jones’ 111.1-mph line drive off his leg in the fourth inning of the Mets’ 5-2 loss to begin the Subway Series.

Holmes remained in the game to finish the fourth inning and pitch into the fifth before finally succumbing to the discomfort. 

Mendoza said he learned from the trainer in the seventh inning that Holmes had sustained the fracture. 

Clay Holmes is going to the IL with a fractured fibula. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

“We felt it,” Mendoza said. “[Friday] night was tough. We have been hit a lot this year with a lot of our superstars, with a lot of key players, but this one felt different. Today walking around the clubhouse and understanding that we lost a big part of our team and they understand the responsibility.” 

Holmes, who was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday, owns a 2.39 ERA in nine starts this season.

He became the second member of the Mets rotation that began the season (Kodai Senga is the other) to land on the IL. 

The Mets recalled reliever Joey Gerber to fill Holmes’ roster spot, but will need a starter for Wednesday in Washington.

Options include Zach Thornton, Jack Wenninger and Jonah Tong at Triple-A Syracuse.



Internally, the Mets could stretch out Tobias Myers, who has emerged as a valuable bullpen piece. 

Mendoza confirmed Myers is a consideration, adding that it would be difficult to remove him from the bullpen because of his versatility, whether pitching in long relief, as an opener or in a save situation.

Zach Thornton (21) of the New York Mets delivers a pitch during
a spring training game against the Miami Marlins on March 9,
2026 at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The right-hander earned his first major league save in Arizona on the Mets’ last road trip. 

The lefty Thornton impressed Mets officials during spring training and has pitched to a 3.16 ERA in seven starts for Syracuse.

In his most recent start, Thornton pitched six shutout innings Friday and aligns perfectly to start in Holmes’ spot. 

Senga, who has been sidelined for the last three weeks with lumbar spine inflammation, is set to begin throwing live batting practice in Port St. Lucie, according to Mendoza.

Sean Manaea, who has been banished to the bullpen in a mop-up role, is also part of that conversation. 

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The Mets will not only miss Holmes’ right arm, but the presence he brings to the clubhouse as a veteran leader. 

“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” Mendoza said when asked to elaborate on why losing Holmes felt different than other injuries that have hit the Mets. “Not only the injury, but what Clay means to this team, not only on the field but off the field, the competitor, the person, the human, what it means to that clubhouse and what it means to the team and the rotation. That is why [Friday] felt different.”

Ben Rice forming historic 1-2 punch with Aaron Judge to help Yankees fill their Juan Soto void

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Yankees players Ben Rice (22) and Aaron Judge (99) celebrate a home run as a Mets catcher watches from the side, Image 2 shows New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto #22 watches his solo home run during the 7th inning
Ben Rice has helped the Yankees fill their Juan Soto void in the lineup.

It will be a while before we see another duo like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto in the same lineup, as they were with the Yankees two years ago.

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Memories of that one-two punch rushed back Friday when the two sluggers embraced on the field during the Subway Series opener at Citi Field.

But what Judge is doing with his current left-handed teammate also has been special.

With Judge and Ben Rice seemingly going deep on a daily basis, they entered Saturday as only the second pair of teammates in franchise history to have hit at least 14 home runs in the Yankees’ first 45 games of a season.

The first?

Ben Rice (22) and Aaron Judge are pictured during the Yankees’ May 16 win against the Mets. Jason Szenes for the NY Post

Not Judge and Soto.

Instead, it was Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in their famous 1961 season, when both threatened Babe Ruth’s home run record and Maris broke it.

The only other duo to have done it in the majors since 2008 was George Springer and Alex Bregman with the Astros in 2019, as they combined for 31 home runs.

They’ve done plenty of damage recently, as Rice entered Saturday with 10 home runs in his previous 23 games, while Judge had 13 in his last 31 appearances.

As Aaron Boone noted Friday, Soto remains “one of the game’s best hitters.”

Increasingly, though, it appears Rice may belong there with him.

Juan Soto hits a home run during the Mets’ May 14 game against the Tigers. Charles Wenzelberg

The lefty-swinging Rice entered Saturday with an OPS of 1.092 versus left-handed pitching, nearly as lethal as the 1.109 OPS he posted against righties.

That’s quite a leap from the .752 mark against lefties from a year ago, as well as his still-impressive .860 against right-handers.

As Boone said Friday, Rice’s season thus far has been “awesome.”

“There have been really great at-bats [and] consistent at-bats from the start of the season,’’ the manager said. “He’s hitting for power [and] controlling the strike zone. He’s hit left- and right-handed pitching. He’s been one of the best hitters in the sport six or seven weeks in.”

The numbers back it up, with Rice leading the majors with a 1.104 OPS and a slugging percentage of .686, as well as the fourth-best on-base percentage (.418).

Rice is also hitting the ball harder than he did a year ago.



He also wears the same No. 22 that Soto wore in The Bronx and still wears for the Mets.

On Friday, it was Rice — and Judge — who started the key three-run rally with two outs in the top of the third against former teammate Clay Holmes.

Rice, after losing an ABS challenge that put him down in the count, pulled a single to right before Judge followed with a base hit to the opposite field.

Cody Bellinger then came through in the cleanup spot and made the Mets pay with a run-scoring double, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. drove in two more with another double to right.

Nobody on the roster has more hits or RBIs on the season than Rice and Judge.

While they have a long way to go to match the shared production of Judge and Soto two seasons ago, Judge and Rice are off to a promising start.

Rockies 4, Diamondbacks 2: Colorado bounces back in a game of small ball at Coors Field

DENVER, CO - May 16: Colorado Rockies pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) pitches in the first inning during a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 16, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Colorado Rockies notched a close win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in a bit of an odd game where the final score doesn’t quite reflect how many runners got on in a game where both teams combined for 21 hits.

Pitchers and the defense were ultimately able to work out of trouble. Tomoyuki Sugano 菅野 智之d set the tone, the offense chipped away at Eduardo Rodriguez, and the bullpen closed things out.

Heavy traffic on the basepaths early

It was a small ball battle through the first few innings. Both teams found ways to get runners on and move them around, sometimes in wonky ways.

Sugano was able to withstand some early pressure from Arizona. Ketel Marte started things off immediately with a leadoff single to right field. Fortunately for the Rockies, Marte took off to second on a broken bat line drive from Corbin Carroll and got doubled up. After the double play, Sugano gave up another single to Geraldo Perdomo who then stole second, but Sugano ultimately worked out of the inning without any damage.

After going missing Friday, the Rockies offense came alive. The team matched the four hits they posted through all of last night in just the first inning. Better yet, baserunners were converted to runs.

Willi Castro, batting leadoff to take advantage of his strong numbers against Rodriguez, singled to center field before being moved to third on a Brenton Doyle ground rule double. TJ Rumfield singled to bring Castro home. Then, Mickey Moniak added to his team-leading 27 RBI, scoring Doyle with a bloop single out to left center.

In the second inning, Arizona cut into the lead on a weird one. After a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. double and a Jose Fernandez single put runners on first and third, the Diamondbacks went for a rare double steal. Fernandez made it safely to second and Gurriel beat the throw to steal home, notching a run.

The Rockies were able to get the run back in the bottom of the inning. Kyle Karros doubled and Jake McCarthy tried to copy that feat, but was thrown out trying for two. Nevertheless, Karros was able to speed around to home, making it a 3-1 game.

Calmer middle innings (mostly)

With all of that early traffic, both starters found themselves high in their pitch count with over 60 pitches each by the third inning. They pushed through and were able to settle things down for the next few innings.

Despite more guys finding their way on via a walk, a hit by pitch, and a single, both teams posted a scoreless third. Hunter Goodman had a fantastic defensive play to help make that happen, throwing Carroll out on an attempted steal of second. Both teams were kept in check in the fourth as well, each posting a 1-2-3 inning.

A pair of doubles from Marte and Carroll in the fifth inning got the Serpientes back on the board again, bringing the game to 3-2. Following that, the Rockies turned to the bullpen in the top of the sixth. Juan Mejia replaced Sugano, who ended his day with 5.0 innings pitched, seven hits, two earned runs, and a single strikeout.

Arizona tried to get a little more out of Rodriguez and let him start the sixth. After getting Moniak to fly out, Rodriguez was pulled for Taylor Clark. He left after 5.1 innings pitched, giving up nine hits, three earned runs, and six strikeouts.

Holding your breath with the bullpen

Mejia got off to a strong start in relief, forcing two grounders and a fly out for a quick sixth inning. Clark did the same, getting Ezequiel Tovar to pop out and Sterlin Thompson to ground out after coming in for Rodriguez.

The seventh inning was a different story for Mejia. After getting James McCann to ground out, he walked Ryan Waldschmidt and, later, Carroll. With runners on first and second with two outs, the Rockies went back to the bullpen and brought in Jaden Hill to get the last out. Hill threw a wild pitch, which moved the tying run up to third. Thankfully, Hill stayed strong and got Gurriel to ground out.

The Diamondbacks’ bullpen faced pressure from a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the inning, but escaped as well. Following a Karros groundout, McCarthy singled and stole second. He couldn’t do anything with it though, getting doubled up after a bad baserunning read on a Castro pop out to shallow right.

Aaand… exhale!

Hill pitched a wonderful eighth inning, which set things up nicely for the Rockies as things fell apart for Arizona with a rough bottom of the inning from reliever Brandyn Garcia. Garcia gave up a single, followed that up with a wild pitch and a walk, and then another single to load the bases. Moniak took one for the team, getting plunked in the ribs to take first, pushing Doyle home. Colorado took a 4-2 lead into the ninth.

Antonio Senzatela entered to close out the game and, while it didn’t come easy, he did just that. Perdomo had a great at-bat, fouling off several balls to stay alive with runners on first and second. Senza got the better of him after 10 pitches, with a deep fly ball to end the game with a win.

Final thoughts

Sugano earned the win, moving to 4-3 and bringing his ERA down to 4.02 in the process. He also notched the 150th victory of his professional career. In a postgame interview, he noted that he’s happy about it but is already focused on trying to earn his 151st win for the team.

Skipper Warren Schaeffer celebrated 150 a little more: “Isn’t that great? He’s just such the ultimate professional on a daily basis, whether he’s pitching or not… You can just tell he’s been doing it at a high-level for a long time… It’s a great milestone, well deserved.”

Antonio Senzatela was credited with his third save of the year.

Rodriguez took the loss, his first of the season, bringing him to 4-1. Schaeffer praised the team’s quick start and their ability to get to Rodriguez: “We needed that. We’ve been talking about starting things early in the game… and we did a nice job with that today.”

Up Next

The Rockies and DBacks will conclude the three game series with a Sunday afternoon rubber match.

In a battle of the Michaels, Michael Soroka is scheduled to start for Arizona while Michael Lorenzen will take the mound for the Rockies. Soroka is 5-2 in eight starts with a 3.53 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts. Lorenzen has the opposite record, going 2-5 in nine starts with a 6.55 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts.

First pitch is set for 1:10 pm.


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