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Sandy Alcantara stands in the way of Spencer Strider, series win

ATLANTA, GA - MAY 15: Spencer Strider #99 of the Atlanta Braves stands on the field during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park on May 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Back in 2022-2023, the pitching matchup in tonight’s Braves-Marlins series finale would’ve been heralded far and wide. Things are a little different these days, but that doesn’t mean that either team will have an easy path to a victory. The Braves can no longer lose this series after yesterday’s victory, but they can indeed still win it, and that’s what they’ll try to do as Spencer Strider faces off against Sandy Alcantara in Miami.

From 2021-2023, Alcantara was not just a workhorse, but a dominant hurler. He pitched 619 frames across 93 starts in that span, going from 4.3 fWAR in 2021 to 5.9 in 2022, before wearing down into something worse but still above-average in 2023 (3.0 fWAR). Part of that wearing down was his elbow ligament making a sad face late in 2023, as he missed most of September of that season, and all of 2024, with Tommy John Surgery and the associated recovery. Alcantara’s 2025 comeback campaign was a mixed bag at best — the righty had a career 78/90/94 line through 2023 (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-), including a 73/82/85 line during the ‘21-’23 span mentioned. He stumbled around to a 126/103/101 line last year, giving the Marlins durability (31 starts) but less in the way of length (“just” 174 2/3 innings) or effectiveness.

In 2026, things are better for him in some ways, but not others. He’s once again pitching more deeply into games — 63 2/3 innings in ten starts — on the order of what he managed in 2021 and 2023 (but not 2022, where he averaged over seven frames per outing in his Cy Young-winning campaign). His ERA- and FIP- look better, both at 86… but his xFIP- is at 102. He’s running a career-low strikeout rate of just 16.9 percent at the moment, but riding high due to a teeny-tiny HR/FB.

He’s also been somewhat inconsistent in decently-long stretches. He had three nice outings to start 2026, including a complete game shutout of the White Sox, but then gave up four homers (the only four homers hit off him so far this year) in two starts, part of a bigger six-start stretch where he had a very blah 150/119/123 line. But, he then bounced back to dismantle the playing-very-good-ball Rays last Saturday, with a 6/0 K/BB ratio in what was arguably his best start since coming back from surgery, and perhaps his best start since winning the Cy Young Award back in 2022.

The Braves and Alcantara have a ton of history, as he’s made 16 starts against them in his career. His aggregate line includes a 3.99 FIP and 4.38 xFIP in 100 2/3 innings versus the Braves, which is notably worse than his performance overall. Even last year, facing a moribund team while perhaps still recovering himself, Alcantara’s performance wasn’t dominant: one good start, one okay start, and one where the Braves, diminished as they were, roughed him up.

On the flip side, the Braves will have Spencer Strider vying to suppress the Miami attack in the way that Chris Sale was able to on Wednesday. Strider’s three starts so far this season have also been a mixed bag: a struggle in his season debut at Coors Field, an evisceration of the Dodgers in Los Angeles, and then, most recently, a meh start against the Red Sox with a 4/3 K/BB ratio where he lasted 5 1/3 innings. On the season, Strider’s line is an appropriately-silly-for-three starts 60/90/101. I guess that makes this a pretty fitting matchup with Alcantara, as a battle of starters-that-are-currently-fortunate-to-have-a-low-HR/FB and who were once dominant, but are now working their way back to something more than mid-rotation candidates.

Strider has five career outings against the Marlins, though two were relief appearances in 2022. He completely obliterated them in two separate starts in 2023, and had a weirdly meh outing where he nonetheless went seven frames against them last season. There wasn’t much doubt about this, but Strider’s effectiveness in this one is going to be based on his own mechanics rather than any shared history.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Thursday, May 21, 6:40 p.m. EDT

Location: loanDepot (Stupid Capitalization) Park, Miami, FL

TV: BravesVision

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

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What kind of starting pitcher could the Cubs acquire… right now?

The Cubs, as you know, have had multiple pitching injuries.

That list got a bit longer Wednesday when Edward Cabrera left the game with a blister. Fortunately, that’s not usually a serious injury. Maybe he misses a start, maybe not.

The Cubs are not alone in having many rotation starters injured. Look at the Blue Jays, for example — and Toronto has had a rough time of it, currently sitting tied for third place in the AL East, 11.5 games out of first place at 22-27. At least the Cubs are still well over .500 at 29-21.

In the comments in the recap to Wednesday’s debacle, BCB reader D98 reminded everyone that the Brewers acquired a starting pitcher early in the season last year (April 7, to be exact) who turned out to be pretty good.

That guy was Quinn Priester, who in 20 games for the Pirates (14 starts) in 2023-24, had posted a 6.46 ERA, 1.585 WHIP and allowed 19 home runs in 94.2 innings. He’d been so bad that the Pirates traded him to the Red Sox for Nick Yorke, a bench player who currently has a .555 OPS in 27 games for Pittsburgh. The Red Sox gave up on Priester after one start and sent him to Milwaukee for two minor leaguers, neither of whom has played above Double-A.

Priester — who was a former No. 1 draft pick — turned out to be really good in Milwaukee, posting a 3.32 ERA, 1.239 WHIP and 13 wins in 29 games (24 starts). He’s currently on the IL, rehabbing from thoracic outlet syndrome issues.

It’s my thought that no one could have possibly known Priester would be that good when he was acquired. In fact, after his first five Brewers appearances he had a 5.79 ERA, which included getting absolutely pounded by the Cubs in this game.

Obviously, he turned things around and was a key piece for Milwaukee, including in the postseason.

So now I’m asking you: Can you identify someone like this, under the radar, who the Cubs might be able to acquire now? Any pitcher with any sort of reputation (Freddy Peralta, for example) isn’t going to be available in mid-May.

And don’t say “Well, I don’t have access to the Cubs’ internal scouting reports.” That’s pretty obvious.

I’m asking you to speculate, think about guys who might turn it around if given a chance, who the Cubs could get right now for a couple of prospects similar to the ones the Brewers sent to Boston for Priester.

Basically, here’s a discussion topic for an off day. Have at it.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Series Preview # 17 : Diamondbacks vs Rockies

Nolan Arenado reacts to an RBI double. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It may seem obvious that the Diamondbacks are better than the Rockies.  Up front, my expectation is for the Diamondbacks to win this four-game series against the Rockies.  Nevertheless, let’s compare the teams.  Top-level comparisons follow.

The 3-game Series at Coors.  In the previous two seasons, these teams split their games at Coors, but the Diamondbacks won more games at Chase (where this series is played, as you know).  So, after Kelly’s complete game win, I was hoping the Diamondbacks would sweep the Rockies at Coors (which would open the door for a rare sweep of a four game series at Chase).  Instead, the Diamondbacks won the series with 2 wins and 1 loss.

Offense.This season through 16 May, the Diamondbacks had more runs scored per game (4.37 vs 4.20), despite the Rockies batters having more games at Coors. The Diamondbacks OPS+ was only slightly better than the Rockies (94 vs 91)  Both were below average, which surprised me. 

Runners Left On Base. In games through 16 May, despite an increased runners left on base in May, the Diamondbacks had the second lowest runners left on base of 6.18 per game (The Padres were lowest with 6.09 per game).  The Rockies were higher (6.59 per game). 

Defense. In games through 16 May, the Diamondbacks defense is on a much higher level than the Rockies defense (9 vs negative 3 outs above average (OAA), and 17 vs 9 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS).

Bullpens. This season through 16 May, the bullpens are nearly equal in shutdown performances by the bullpen (49 vs 47).  Very slight edge to the Diamondbacks.

Starting Pitcher Matchups. An extremely amazing streak was that from 5 to 15 May, the Diamondbacks rotation had quality starts in 8 of their 10 games. For this series, the matchups are advantage Diamondbacks.

Saturday’s Game Could Be Interesting

In Saturday’s game, two batters have favorable matchups with starting pitchers.

  • Mickey Moniak (Rockies) has 2 homers and 5 RBIs in 12 PAs against Zac Gallen. Recently (13 May) he was a single short of hitting for the cycle!  He was the first overall draft pick in 2016.
  • Nolan Arenado (D-backs, former Rocky) has 2 homers and 3 RBIs in 28 PAs against Jose Quintana.  Recently (15 May), he hit a double and walked four times (that’s 100% on base)!  He won a silver-slugger five times, won a gold-glove ten times, and won a platinum glove six times.

Pitching Matchups.

Thursday, 6:40 PM MST. Eduardo Rodriguez will face TBD. On 20 May, the Rockies selected the contract of AAA long reliever Keegan Thompson. Perhaps he will start the game or the game will be a bullpen game.

Friday, 6:40 PM MST. Michael Soroka will face Tomoyuki Sugano.

Saturday, 7:10 PM MST. Zac Gallen will face Michael Lorenzen.

Sunday, 1:00 PM MST. Ryne Nelson will face Jose Quintana.

My view is that these matchups favor the Diamondbacks.

Four comparisons of starting pitchers, who will probably not face each other in this series (but in my mind might have faced each other).

Eduardo Rodriguez vs Tomoyuki Sugano.  Looking at earned runs and innings pitched, these two pitchers are similar because this season each was pulled from three games when they still had a shot at a quality start.  This season, Rodriguez has more quality starts (4 vs 2).  

Michael Soroka vs Michael Lozenzen. Looking at their last four games, they each had a clunker of 7 or 8 earned runs. Nevertheless, Soroka had a better ERA in the four games (4.64 vs 8.55).

Zac Gallen vs Jose Quintana. In their last four games, they each have one quality start. The difference is that Quintana had a better ERA in those four games (3.37 vs 7.08).

Ryne Nelson vs Tanner Gordon. Looking at only their last four games, Nelson had the better ERA (2.73 vs 6.06). On the other hand, Gordon had higher strikeouts per batter faced (24.6% vs 21.3%). Although Gordon may strikeout more batters, I’m expecting Nelson to allow less earned runs.

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Austin Reaves rehabbed oblique injury with Dodgers medical staff

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 11: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round Two Game Four on May 11, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

It was a pleasant surprise to the Lakers that Austin Reaves was able to return earlier than expected from his oblique strain.

Thanks to his efforts to get back, Reaves helped the Lakers eliminate the Rockets and then played in the second round against the Thunder.

We don’t have all the details on how hard Reaves worked to return or what that entailed, but we did get more information thanks to a piece written by Yaron Weitzman for Yahoo Sports.

Apparently, Reaves’ rehab included working with the Dodgers.

Bolstering the performance staff appears to be Friedman’s and Zaidi’s other priority. “We’re working in collaboration with some of the Dodgers folks to bring in a biomechanics lab,” Pelinka told reporters. Until then, players may have to get used to working with the baseball group at Dodger Stadium. That, according to two league sources, is what the Lakers told Austin Reaves to do while he was rehabbing from an oblique injury during the playoffs.

With Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi having worked with the Dodgers for years and now serving as advisors to the Lakers, it’s no surprise they came up with this temporary solution.

As Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka has mentioned, the upgrades for the Lakers are coming this summer. Still, until then, they’ll have to get creative with solutions and it seems this was a good way to do that.

While it may seem odd that an NBA team is using MLB facilities, according to people with knowledge of those conditions, that’s not necessarily a bad thing when it’s the Dodgers.

“They’re known for taking care of players and being able to get the most out of them,” the MLB executive says. “The giant contracts obviously play a big role, but the way Andrew and his department are able to help players get the best out of themselves has become a major recruiting tool.”

Part of getting the best out of a player is to make sure they can be their best. The partnership and synergy between the Lakers and Dodgers have certainly helped in this instance. It got Reaves to return and gave the Lakers the best chance against OKC.

With a big payday coming for Reaves, he’s already seen firsthand all the efforts and new avenues the Lakers have to make sure he has everything he needs. And with both parties seemingly wanting this partnership to continue, Reaves has even more evidence that this is the place for him.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

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Enter Golden Knights Goalie Carter Hart's Name Into The Conn Smythe Conversation

After registering an assist in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, and increasing his NHL-leading point total for the postseason, Mitch Marner continues to make his case as a Conn Smythe candidate.

Marner's assist on Pavel Dorofeyev's second-period goal, which gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 2-0 lead at the time, upped the forward's postseason tally to 19 points.

And as the Golden Knights stole home ice with their 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche, and moved seven wins away from their second Stanley Cup title in four years, Marner continued to solidify his chances.

That said, after limiting the Avalanche to two goals in an arena where they averaged 4.4 goals in their previous five home playoff games, Knights goaltender Carter Hart has entered the conversation.

At BetMGM sports book, Marner is currently +650 to win the Conn Smythe award, with teammates Pavel Dorofeyev (+1600) and Jack Eichel (+2000) next in line.

Hart, though, might be pure value right now, sitting at +3000, meaning a $100 wager would return $3,000 if Hart were to win the award.

After the Knights were arguably outplayed for much of the first period Wednesday night, it was Hart who kept them in the game until Dylan Coghlan and Dorofeyev gave them a 2-0 lead late in the second period.

"We know they’re a team that likes to put pucks to the net and ... we did a good job of getting in lanes and sacrificing the body and just battling to find pucks," Hart said. "I thought we came out really good in the first period. We know this is a hard building to play in, and it was huge for us to just get rolling and just to start off the right way and then just build off that."

Through Wednesday, Hart leads all postseason netminders with nine wins. And among all goalies who have played in at least four games during the playoffs, he ranks fourth with a save percentage of .920 and sixth with a 2.35 goals-against average.

It shouldn't come as any surprise that he's been one of the best Knights on the ice nearly every playoff game, as he returned from an injury and closed the regular season with a 6-0-0 run behind a .930 save percentage while allowing 1.7 goals per game.

He's held opponents to two or fewer goals in eight of his 13 playoff games, and in two of the four games that four pucks got past him, his team won by identical scores of 5-4 in overtime.

"Carter Hart is a hell of a goalie," coach John Tortorella said. "He was great in Philly for me. We’ve got two good ones here. Adin Hill has kind of been put off to the side a little bit, but that’s a guy who just won a Stanley Cup a couple of years ago.

"I just think (Hart) has grown so strong mentally. I don’t think much bothers him. He is just zeroed in, and he’s going to have to be because we have a little bit of work to do here."

PHOTO CAPTION

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) makes a save during the second period against the Colorado Avalanche in game one of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena.

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Masai Ujiri doesn't sound interested in trading Kyrie Irving but other teams reportedly 'monitoring'

Masai Ujiri made one thing clear in his press conference on Wednesday: The Dallas Mavericks are focused on building a long-term contender around Cooper Flagg, not trying to shortcut the process and win now.

“Every decision we are going to make here is going to be future-based,” Ujiri said. “We have a 19-year-old generational player on our roster, and we have to think that way. We’re not going to make decisions based on winning today. I don’t think that would make sense for the organization.”

Does that mean the Mavericks are open to trading Kyrie Irving, the 34-year-old, nine-time All-Star point guard? He's kind of a win-now player who is under contract for two years and $81.9 million over the next two seasons (the second one a player option).

"There's multiple contenders around the NBA that are very much monitoring what happens with Kyrie Irving in Dallas," ESPN’s Shams Charania said on the Pat McAfee Show.

Ujiri, for his part, did not sound like someone eager to trade Irving — and did a little name drop in stating why.

“Kevin Durant once told me, ‘There is only one Kyrie walking around in the world,‘” Ujiri said. “I think we have to figure out how Kyrie fits with our program. I have had those conversations with Kyrie. I think Kyrie will fit.”

Monitor might be the right word here. Irving is coming off missing an entire season recovering from a torn ACL. As great as his Hall of Fame resume may be, teams will want to see him play a little before paying what would be a steep price to land him. Ujiri and whoever ends up coaching the team will want to see how things look, as well.

However, Irving is not the long-term answer at the point in Dallas, and if at the February trade deadline, some team in desperate need of help at the one came through with a big enough offer, Ujiri would have to consider it.

For now, don't expect a trade, but don't be shocked if a year from now the conversation is very different.

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Collin Murray-Boyles just won the Raptors’ first award of the year

The forward has joined the All-Rookie club
Apr 3, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) dunks during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

With the Raptors’ offseason begun in full force, the franchise has seen its rookie receive the team’s first major individual award of the 2025-26 season. Collin Murray-Boyles has been named to the All-Rookie Second Team, the first Toronto player to receive the award since Scottie Barnes in 2022.

It has been a stellar season for Murray-Boyles that has not been totally reflected in his box scores. The former South Carolina Gamecock finished the campaign with 8.5 blocks, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, as well as a block and a steal a piece. Murray-Boyles proved that when given the minutes, he could affect the game at both ends of the floor. Predominantly coming off the bench in the regular season, as well as some high profile starts at centre, the rookie demonstrated excellent defensive chops, stellar rebounding, and flashes of genuine scoring abilities.

The playoffs are where Collin really shined, looking like the best player in Toronto’s rotation of big men at only 6’7. Averaging 14, 6.4, and 2.4, Murray Boyles had 5 stocks in a crucial game 6, and played a big part in anchoring Toronto throughout the series. Early playoff reps can mean so much for a young player’s development, and have further proved that the forward is a piece worth building around for the Raptors. But, Murray-Boyles seems to have enjoyed himself all the while. “It just makes me smile all the time, just being able to be a part of this,” he said about playoff basketball on the Raptors.

With Jakob Poeltl out for stretches throughout the year, Murray-Boyles’ defensive abilities as a small-ball centre earned him comparisons to his teammate, Scottie Barnes, as well as Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors. It seems he might land somewhere outside of that range, more of a defensive specialist who can pass, rather than a point forward, though the young player’s game certainly has the time to evolve. Improving his free throw shooting would make him even more of a threat in the post, where his ability to pump fake and score close to the basket gives him some of the most dominant looking moments on the hardwood.

Murray-Boyles’ received the fewest amount of votes of any player selected to the All-Rookie team, with only 66 votes compared to the player ahead of him, Ace Bailey, who received 107. He was the only All-Rookie on a playoff team to not make the First Team, which in part can be chalked up to him coming off the bench for a Toronto roster with much forward depth, while many of his other classmates found themselves in starting jobs on depleted rosters.

Looking to the future, Collin Murray-Boyles has the potential to become an All-Defensive mainstay, as well as a cornerstone of an ascendant Toronto Raptors squad. He’s come a long way since being drafted ninth overall, swearing quietly out of shock as he was called to join his current team. He has come into the league as a developed player, and as the years go on, additional coats of polish should see him transcend his place now and become a premier two-way threat Raptors fans should be glad to have on their team.

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GameThread: Tigers vs. Guardians, 1:10 p.m.

May 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Matt Vierling (8) makes a sliding to catch against the Cleveland Guardians in the ninth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Detroit Tigers (20-30) vs. Cleveland Guardians (29-22)

Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: Covering the Corner
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Casey Mize (2-2, 2.43 ERA) vs. LHP Joey Cantillo (3-1, 3.40 ERA)

PlayerGIPK%BB%GB%FIPfWAR
Mize737.026.57.537.92.681.2
Cantillo1050.121.411.443.14.370.5

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Highlights: Castle’s scoring was a bright spot against Thunder in Game 2

May 20, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) defends during the second quarter during game two of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Coming off a dramatic double overtime win in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs looked to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. De’Aaron Fox missed his second straight game with a high ankle sprain, so the Spurs were once again without one of their all-stars. After a back-and-forth first quarter ended in a stalemate, the Spurs struggled offensively in the second. They were outscored 31-20 in the quarter and entered halftime with a double-digit deficit. The Spurs quickly erased their deficit and tied the game early in the third thanks to defensive stops and timely threes. However, OKC ramped up the pressure on defense and forced more turnovers. The result was an eight-point deficit for the Spurs heading into the fourth. Also, Dylan Harper injured his leg and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Despite Harper’s injury, the Spurs managed to keep pace with OKC and even managed to get within five points with just over a minute left. Unfortunately, Stephon Castle committed his ninth turnover of the game, and OKC closed it out. The Spurs ultimately lost 122-113.

Stephon Castle dropped 25 points (10-17 FG), eight assists, five rebounds, and a steal. Steph was cooking in the first half, scoring-wise; however, those same turnovers from Game 1 came back to bite him in Game 2. It seemed like for every dime that Steph was dishing out, he would also get a turnover to counter it. Already playing without Fox, OKC pressures him intensely whenever he is the main ball handler. Now add Harper’s injury, OKC is even more relentless. Steph now holds the record for most turnovers in the conference finals in the first two games with 20. For as many highlight plays Steph continues to make, he has to take better care of the ball. If Fox and/or Harper can play Game 3 and beyond, it would do wonders for Steph.

2-way player! Steph gets the steal on one end and drops it off for the Luke Kornet deuce!

HOW? Steph throws up a crazy floater from the top of the key for two!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME! Steph drives in and completely posterizes Hartenstein for the dunk of the year!

Patience and toughness. Steph drives in, takes his time, and finishes at the rim over Ajay Mitchell!

HB FOR 3! Steph dishes out a dime to an open Harrison Barnes for the corner three!

Defense to offense! After Wemby breaks up the alley-oop attempt, Keldon Johnson feeds Steph for the fastbreak three!

Returning the favor! Steph finds an open KJ in the corner for the transition three!

Victor Wembanyama dropped a double-double: 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, four blocks, and a steal. After a generational performance in Game 1, Wemby still managed to stay active on the glass and was active on defense. He had several early rests due to fatigue from Game 1, but still played the entire fourth quarter. OKC switched up their defense on him by having Isaiah Hartenstein guard him instead of smaller players. Hartenstein covered him the same way Timberwolves players were guarding him last series: holding and being physical to the point where the referees do not see it. His paint defense is so valuable; every time he is benched, OKC makes it a mission to attack the paint. His endurance will be tested throughout the rest of this series, as the DPOY will look to continue to give his team an unguardable edge.

W3MBY! Wemby drains one of his two three-pointers early in the first quarter!

Putback with the left! Wemby rebounds his own missed shot by contorting his left arm at the bucket!

Too much space! Wemby drains the pull-up deep three to tie the game!

NASTY PUTBACK! Wemby rebounds another one of his shots for a tip-in slam!

He can do this all day! Another missed shot, another rebound+ tip-in!

Devin Vassell dropped 22 points (6-12 3PT), four rebounds, an assist, and a block. Dev hit several key shots in much-needed momentum swings. He stepped up to the plate on both ends of the floor, especially making up for lost points after Harper’s injury. He will need to keep his hot shooting pace for the next couple of games in front of a raucous Frost Bank Center crowd, especially if Fox and/or Harper are out.

Corner specialist! Dev knocks down the open corner three after a blistering pass from Wemby!

Why not let it fly? Dev sinks the fastbreak transition three!

Despite the turnovers, the injuries, and battling through more physical contact, the Spurs still managed to keep this a close game down the stretch. Mitch Johnson and the coaching staff will have to look through film and work on correcting the mistakes while they wait to see the status of Fox and Harper for Games 3 and 4. Even if Harper is projected to miss time, a Fox return for Game 3 gives the Spurs a chance to clean up the turnovers and give them a scoring edge they have been missing in the first two games. If neither plays, Steph is going to have to tuck the ball away and play at a slower pace to keep the turnovers as low as possible. Despite the injury concerns, the silver and black can still make this series a competitive one, but as stated before, a return of either helps the Spurs’ chances of winning the series by a larger margin.

Finally, here are the full game highlights.

Game 3 of the WCF shifts to the Frost Bank Center this Friday at 7:30 P.M. (CST) on NBC/Peacock.

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Shohei Ohtani hits leadoff homer, lowers ERA to 0.73 in another 2-way gem for victorious Dodgers

SAN DIEGO — Shohei Ohtani returned to his full two-way form for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the results were formidable.

While pitching and hitting in the same game for the first time in four weeks, Ohtani homered on the first pitch of the night and then threw five innings of three-hit ball in Los Angeles’ 4-0 victory over the San Diego Padres.

After launching his eighth homer of the season and then lowering his ERA to a minuscule 0.73, Ohtani took satisfaction in doing it all even on a night when he didn’t feel sharp on the mound.

But in a series-clinching victory over the rival Padres, Ohtani still did enough in both areas to carry the back-to-back World Series champions yet again.

Ohtani said through his interpreter that he had “a lot of uncertainty coming into this outing, because the feel wasn’t great. And so the results were good, but as you saw, the process wasn’t that great. ... I have a pretty high standard in terms of performance, so it didn’t really match.”

Two-way superstardom is a burden unique to Ohtani, and he hasn’t been shouldering it as effortlessly as usual this season. While his pitching numbers are stellar — his ERA is now the lowest in the majors among pitchers with at least 25 innings of work — he fell into a slump at the plate in April and struggled into May, with his power production particularly languishing.

“Like we all know, he wants to win that Cy Young, and he wants to help us win games, and he wants to be a really productive offensive player,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “At this point in time, he’s doing all of the above.”

While Ohtani has snapped out of his slump at the plate with 13 hits over the past seven games, he hadn’t produced offensively this season in games in which he was also pitching, so Roberts kept the bat out of his hands in his past three mound starts.

The four-time MVP wasn’t thought to be particularly happy about the decision, and Roberts only had his pitcher back in the lineup at Petco Park because the Dodgers had an off day following.

Ohtani showed his approval of the return by immediately driving Randy Vásquez’s high fastball 398 feet to center field for his eighth homer of the season and his 27th career leadoff homer.

“I think that he’s very mindful of everything that’s said about him, and at times he uses that as motivation to prove people wrong, that he can do something,” Roberts said. “I think that he likes to contribute, and I know that he’s heard about (his struggles) on days that he pitches or days after he pitches. So for him to homer in that first at-bat, I think he was like, `OK, I’ve contributed on the offensive side.’ And then he took some good at-bats tonight.”

Ohtani is the only player in major league history to hit a game-opening homer as a pitcher, and he has now done it twice. The first time was in one of the greatest single-game performances in baseball history — his three-homers-and-a-pitching-victory classic in the clinching Game 4 of last fall’s National League Championship Series against Milwaukee.

This time, Ohtani the pitcher gave thanks to Ohtani the hitter for the early lead.

“The goal as a pitcher is not to give up the first run, so I was glad I was able to not do that,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “I was glad we were able to score first.”

And that was all the run support he needed: Ohtani has allowed just four earned runs in 49 innings this season, holding his opponents scoreless in five of his eight starts.

His pitching performance in San Diego wasn’t smooth, but it was effective.

Although he retired the Padres’ first nine batters, Ohtani needed 52 pitches to do it, and he eventually made his shortest mound start of the season — the first with fewer than six innings of work — along with just 88 pitches, one more than his season low. Roberts gave him a short leash because Ohtani was also in the lineup.

“It’s just another case in point that it’s good for us to be mindful of the workload and just not take that for granted,” Roberts said. “But again, he’s pretty special.”

Ohtani had to escape jams in his final two innings, but he pulled it off.

After San Diego loaded the bases with one out in the fifth on two singles and a walk, Ohtani got Fernando Tatis Jr. to ground into a double play on his final pitch.

The superstar loved it, visibly roaring while exuding a joy he rarely expresses as a hitter.

“I loved the results, but I had walked the guy before, and that wasn’t quite exactly what I wanted to do there, so just the results were good,” Ohtani said.

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Thursday Bantering: Jays Notes

May 20, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage (39) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It is nice to get a one-run win for a change. They are 5-10 in one run games. I expect that to level off some.

There is a bunch of little bits of Jays news:

  • Braydon Fisher gets the ‘start’ today, playing the opener for Spencer Miles. Maybe they can get four innings from Miles? Fisher has gone two innings once this season. But, it is likely the bullpen is going to have to cover 5ish innings. And we have been testing those arms a lot lately. That’s what I don’t like about bullpen days, there isn’t much room for taking a guy out quick if he ‘doesn’t have it that day’.
  • They are saying that Jesus Sanchez got winded last night on that diving non-catch. It was very awkward, but then it seems most of his plays in the outfield are awkward. He’s on a nice little run, hitting .429 over his last dozen games. A bit more power would be ok, but we’ll take what we can get.
  • John Schneider called Andrés Giménez’s 11-pitch at-bat was the at-bat of the season. And he has done very well with RISP .371/.385/.600. With bases empty .181/.200/.289. Some one should tell him there are always runners on base. I remember that Ryan Goins had a season like that and I said something like ‘if you can hit like that, why not do it all the time.’ I mean Goins had a career as a utility infielder. If he could flip a switch and be ‘Babe Ruth’ why not do that? Who doesn’t want to be rich? I think he blocked me on twitter soon after that. Which is fair.
  • Trey Yesavage struck Aaron Judge out three times yesterday. Watching Trey pitch yesterday, you get the feeling he’s going to win a Cy Young at some point. Having him and Dylan Cease at the top of the rotation for the few years should be fun.
  • How many times do you get to see two starting pitchers who are at the top of their game face each other. I remember Dave Stieb and Jack Morris. Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett? Well, Burnett wasn’t at the top of his game the time they faced each other.
  • Apparently, Cam Schlittle said the Jays ‘will BABIP the **** out of you’. He hasn’t watched them at all this season.
  • The Jays are still just 2 games back of a Wild Card spot which seems amazing. And more surprising, there are only three times to pass to get to it. The AL has been terrible this season, so far. But, really the Jays are going to have to get to .500 before we can seriously think about that. They are 5 games under .500 at the moment.

I had thought the strike zone was pretty big last night, but I was wrong, Sorry Brock.

Non-Jays, but wouldn’t this have been amazing:

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Football Daily | Villa face their toughest test … recovering from their parade in time to face City

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With the Arsenal Fun Boat having finally docked at its destination on Tuesday after a 22-year voyage, attention on Wednesday turned to Aston Villa’s Crazy Train as its passengers alighted in Istanbul. Having passed away last summer, Ozzy Osbourne, whose famous anthem serves as Villa’s walk-on music, was not present to see his team lift Bigger Vase but the ease with which they strolled to victory would certainly have met with his approval. In spanking three goals without reply past Freiberg, Unai Emery’s side ended a trophy drought that stretched back 30 years and for their Spanish manager it marked a fifth success in the competition with three different teams. It is a state of affairs rendered all the more remarkable by the weird quirk that each of them has ‘villa’ in their names.

Regarding songs to play during VAR decisions (Football Daily letters passim) how about Rise by Public Image Ltd, featuring the oft repeated line: ‘I could be wrong I could be right’?” – Adrian Bradshaw.

Why stop with VAR music to fill dead spots in games? Imagine, the next time a player goes down, hearing that memorable opening line from Johnny Cash, “I hear the trainer coming!” What? Oh” – John Nielsen-Gammon.

A doff of the cap to the great Unai Emery, who won the Uefa Emery League yet again last night but also achieved a rare, unprecedented double this season as he also got promotion to Primera Federación, the third tier of Spanish football, in April with Real Union, which he has been the owner of since 2021 (his father and grandfather used to play for them)” – Noble Francis

Re Steve McClaren and his new role at Rotherham (Football Daily passim, full email edition), do you think he thought it was Rotterdam and he got confused by the accent?” – Dan J Levy.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

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Tre Johnson and Will Riley do not make the NBA All-Rookie Team

Mar 2, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) shoots the ball over Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson (12) and Wizards guard Will Riley (27) in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Yesterday, the NBA released the 2025-26 All-Rookie Teams. As the team with the worst record last season, the Washington Wizards relied heavily on young rosters. However, that didn’t translate into any players making the first or second teams.

That’s unfortunate, especially considering that both Tre Johnson and Will Riley averaged double figures in scoring. Johnson received 19 second team votes and 5 second team votes.

Despite their omission from the Rookie team, this does not mean that Johnson and Riley aren’t poised to be long term contributors for Washington. Let’s call it motivation for the next year.

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Xhekaj Out As Canadiens Start Eastern Conference Final?

The Montreal Canadiens did not have a morning skate today ahead of their 8:00 PM game against the Carolina Hurricanes. However, as is often the case, the healthy scratches took to the ice after the Canes’ practice. TVA Sports’ Felix Seguin was at the arena and reported that there was a new face in that healthy scratch squad: Arber Xhekaj. The gritty defenseman skated alongside Jacob Fowler, Samuel Montembeault, Patrik Laine, Brendan Gallagher, and Joe Veleno.

That seems to indicate that Xhekaj, who played just 1:52 in Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres, will make way for Jayden Struble tonight as the Habs kick off their third-round duel against the Hurricanes, as we suggested in our pre-game article. The Canes don’t play as physically as the Sabres do, so the move makes sense. That’s not to say the Canadiens shouldn’t bring some physicality themselves. Expect Josh Anderson, Samuel Bolduc, Kaiden Guhle and Struble to be ready to make the game uncomfortable for the opponents with some big hits.

Canadiens Bracing For A Big Storm
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Canadiens: The Battle Could Be Won In Net

Furthermore, against a rested Carolina team, Martin St-Louis will no doubt want to spread the workload among his defensemen better. Not that Xhekaj cannot play, but Struble has proven to be a viable option alongside Lane Hutson in the past. Given how much ice time the sophomore defenseman will have, it makes sense to have another blueliner he’s used to play with in the lineup.

That doesn’t mean we won’t see Xhekaj in this third round; if there are some extracurricular activities, he’ll be ready to jump back in if called upon. Because of Noah Dobson’s injury, Xhekaj and Struble have both seen a fair amount of action in these playoffs. The former was dressed for all but one of the games (Game 7 against the Lightning), and the latter was dressed for the entirety of the first-round but was sidelined in the second round.

As for the other reservists, Joe Veleno had played six games, Brendan Gallagher three (all in the first-round), and Patrik Laine wasn’t called upon, just like Samuel Montembeault.

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LeBron James reveals timeline for retirement decision ahead of crucial Lakers offseason

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks to the media during a press conference after the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
LeBron James plans on making his retirement decision after an upcoming family vacation.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James expressed uncertainty about his NBA future in the immediate aftermath of his unprecedented 23rd NBA season.

And he maintained that feeling in a recent discussion about his playing career.

During the latest episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast, which he co-hosts with NBA legend Steve Nash, James reiterated that he needs time to think about what he’ll do entering an offseason where he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.

LeBron James plans on making his retirement decision after an upcoming family vacation. Getty Images

“I’m still in the moment of just taking my time,” James said. “I haven’t even really thought about it too much. Obviously, I understand that I’m a free agent and I can control my own destiny — being here with [the Lakers] for a foreseeable future or if it’s going somewhere else.

“But like, I haven’t even really even got to that point. I haven’t even taken my family vacation yet, which is going to happen after Memorial Day. That’s kind of the thing at the forefront of my mind. But, I think at some point in June, late June, as July rolls around, free agency starts to get going and as July rolls around and maybe into August, we start to kind of get a feel of what my future may look like.”

James reiterated his family will be a priority in his decision. He and his wife, Savannah, have three kids: Lakers guard Bronny, 21; Arizona Wildcats guard Bryce, 18; and Zhuri, 12.

“It’s very important,” he said. “I mean, 1A and 1B, is [what] do I feel comfortable doing with my career? But also with my family, how do they feel about whatever decision that I’m able to come up with and make? And that’s a joint decision as well. It’s 1A and 1B. I don’t think one is higher than the other.”

James is coming off a two-year, $101.4 million contract with the Lakers that included a $52.6 million salary for 2025–26.

The options James will mull over are retirement, or play a record-extending 24th NBA season either after re-signing with the Lakers or signing with another team.

“If it’s continuing to play the game that I love, which I know I can still give so much to the game and play at a high level, or if it’s not,” James said, “but I have not gotten to that point yet. When I get there, it’d be fun to kind of see what the future could hold. Either if it’s, like I said, in another NBA arena for another year or not.”

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During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show”, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania mentioned that James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, told him that virtually “every” contender has called Paul about James since the Lakers’ season ended.

James reaffirmed if he does return for a 24th season, it’ll be with a franchise where winning is the priority.

“Winning is most important,” James said. “Because you want to be excited about going to work every day. And being around a group of guys that feel the same way, and try not to take steps backwards. Understanding the season is a marathon, or whatever the case may be. But those building blocks throughout the course of the season is what matters when you get to the sprint, which is now, the postseason.

“I’m not going anywhere it’s a start over at Year 24. I’m done with that.”

James is coming off averaging 20.9 points (51.5% shooting, 31.7% on 3-pointers), 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 60 regular season games (career-low 33.2 minutes).

He upped his averages to 23.2 points (45.9% shooting, 32.7% on 3-pointers), 7.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds in the Lakers’ 10 playoff games (38.4 minutes) before they were swept by the Thunder in the second round.

James missed the first 14 regular season games because of sciatica he started dealing with last summer. He also entered the 2025 offseason dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee that he suffered in the season-ending Game 5 loss to the Timberwolves in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

“I had a couple of bumps and bruises to end the season, but I think we can both agree that an offseason without rehab is a success after a long season,” James said to Nash. “I’ll take it.”