Chayka now had a gift fall into his lap a day later as the team tries to get back to the playoffs quickly after the end of its nine-year run.
The Maple Leafs won the draft lottery and the right to pick No. 1 overall for the first time since selecting Auston Matthews in 2016.
The San Jose Sharks won the second drawing and will choose second.
Here are the winners and losers of Tuesday's NHL draft lottery:
WINNERS
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs can choose between Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg in June. Both have the talent to make a quick impact on the franchise and help with the scoring. And adding someone of that caliber to the team could help sway Auston Matthews' decision when he's eligible for a contract extension on July 1, 2027.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks showed massive improvement in 2024 No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini's second season. They finished four points out of a playoff spot and now will add Stenberg or McKenna to a young team that already has Celebrini, Will Smith and Michael Misa.
Draft lottery show presentation
Last year's show was dull and reminded people why it's done offstage. But there were different touches this year. Having New York Islanders No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer and Matt Martin's kids explain how the lottery works was cute. They also didn't show each ball being loaded into the chute, as they did last year. They cut to commercial and showed it as an inset. Overall, the production values were better.
The Canucks never have chosen No. 1 overall and they won't again. Not only that, the NHL's worst team in 2025-26 dropped to third place. They'll get a very good prospect but not as good as McKenna or Stenberg.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blachawks, the league's second-worst team, could have had Stenberg or McKenna to play alongside Connor Bedard and Anton Frondell. But they drop to the fourth pick.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins acquired the Maple Leafs' 2026 No. 1 pick in the Brandon Carlo trade. The pick was top-five protected, so Boston won't get it in what is considered a deep 2026 draft. Instead, the first-round pick transfers to a future year and is unprotected.
Athletics pitcher Luis Severino gave up just one run in the loss to the Phillies. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Athletics were back in the City of Brotherly Love today to start a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizen Bank Park. Luis Severino took the mound for the A’s this afternoon against Cristopher Sánchez for Philadelphia.
Severino worked his way in and out of trouble in the first two innings but escaped both without giving up a run. But the leadoff hitter in the third, Bryce Harper, homered for the eighth time this season to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.
Headed into the bottom of the fifth, Sánchez has held the A’s to one hit, no walks and has logged five K’s. Scott Barlow replaced Luis Severino in the bottom of the sixth. Severino’s final line was 5.0 innings, one earned run on seven hits and two walks. He struck out three. In the top of the seventh, Thomas and Gelof led off with back-to-back base hits. But with two outs, Darell Hernaiz struck out swinging to end the threat. Mark Leiter Jr. replaced Scott Barlow in the seventh. Trea Turner led off with a double to left field and after a Harper walk, Adolis García drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center. Brandon Marsh singled to right, to drive Harper to third with two outs. J.T. Realmuto doubled to left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, scoring Harper and Marsh, and chasing Leiter Jr. Tyler Ferguson replaced Leiter, and on his second pitch, Bryson Stott homered to deep right center. That brought the score to 6-0. Ferguson continued to show why he belongs in the minors, giving up another run in the seventh after a double by Justin Crawford and a single by Turner, making it 7-0. But the Phillies weren’t done in the bottom of the eighth, when Harper hit his second homer of the game to clear the bases and make it 9-0.
That was all for Sánchez who was totally dominant tossing eight scoreless innings, giving up three hits and one walk while striking out ten. Jhoan Duran replaced him and quickly loaded the bases in the top of the ninth. Wynns struck out for the second out of the inning leaving it up to Hernaiz to get the A’s on the board. He walked to drive in Colby Thomas for what would be the only run of the night for the A’s.
During the Tigers’ 10-3 loss to the Red Sox on Tuesday night at Comerica Park, Detroit starter Framber Valdez was ejected after plunking Boston shortstop Trevor Story, which led to both benches emptying out to enter the fray.
With the Tigers down 8-2 in the top of the fourth inning, Valdez, in a span of three pitches, surrendered back-to-back solo home runs to Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu.
The lefty wasted no time with the next hitter, Story, coming up and in and drilling the infielder square in the numbers.
Framber Valdez throws a pitch in the first inning of the Tigers’ 10-3 loss to the Red Sox on May 5, 2026 at Comerica Park. Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Home plate umpire Adam Beck almost immediately got in front of an incensed Story, but that didn’t stop the rest of the Red Sox bench from leaving the confines of the dugout, including Contreras, who was among the first of Boston contingent coming onto the field.
The Tigers then poured onto the field, but cooler heads appeared to prevail, as little happened along the first base line as the players converged.
Before long, Valdez got the heave-ho, the only player with an ejection over the incident.
Red Sox interim skipper Chad Tracy believed the hit by pitch was intentional. Valdez said it was not.
“Yes, I do think [it was intentional],” Tracy said, according to the Boston Herald. “I thought it was weak, and I thought everybody saw it. Their side, our side, I think everybody saw it. And yeah, it was weak.”
Framber Valdez hit Trevor Story after giving up back-to-back homers, causing the benches to clear.
“It was not intentional. It was not on purpose. It might look like that, but it wasn’t,” Valdez said through an interpreter, according to multiple reports. “I consider [the ejection] completely unfair given that, first of all, they should have given me a warning. And of course if it was on purpose, then I do it a second time or a third time, of course, I’m getting ejected.”
However, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch admitted Tuesday’s night’s incident did not feel great.
“We play a really good brand of baseball here,” he said afterward, per the Detroit News. “That didn’t feel like it…I know when you go out and you are in those confrontations, you usually feel like you are in your right. It didn’t feel good being out there.”
Valdez, who joined Detroit on a three-year, $115 million contract this offseason, came into the evening with a solid 3.35 ERA but saw that number balloon to 4.57 after allowing seven earned runs — with three more unearned runs in the mix — over just three innings.
Home plate umpire Adam Beck restrains Trevor Story after the Red Sox shortstopwas hit by a pitch by Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez (not pictured) in the fourth inning at Comerica Park. Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
The southpaw arguably became Detroit’s de facto ace this week when it was revealed Monday that two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal would need surgery on his throwing elbow to remove loose bodies.
Valdez’s first crack at headlining the rotation, however, was one to forget.
May 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Matt Vierling (8) celebrates in the dugout as he gets showered with sunflower seeds after hitting a lead-off home run against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
The Tigers find themselves in a precarious position early in the season. They’ve lost two starters as Casey Mize and now Tarik Skubal are out of commission, and they just dropped the first game of the series to one of the most struggling teams in the AL. They needed to start winning, if only to prove to themselves that they still had it in them, but more importantly to keep themselves atop of the division or close enough, for it to count when they start getting some pitching help back later in the month. In the second game of the series against the Red Sox, the Tigers were leaning on Framber Valdez, while the Red Sox went the Opener routine, starting lefty specialist Jovani Moran.
In the first, with two outs, Wilyer Abreu singled. Abreu then stole second. Trevor Story reached thanks to a fielding error by the freshly returned Zach McKinstry, pushing Abreu to third. Then Story stole second as well. A Ceddanne Rafaela homer was the worst-case scenario, and was precisely what happened, pushing the Sox to an early 3-0 lead. Valdez managed to get the final out of the inning, but it was quite the deficit to start the game with. Heading into the home half, Matt Vierling took one back, hitting a leadoff home run.
With one out, Jahmai Jones hit a single on the first pitch he saw. Why wait? After a second out, Riley Greene worked his way to a walk. A Wenceel Perez single then got Jones home. Spencer Torkelson was walked as well, but the Tigers ended up having to settle for just the two runs. But at least it was now only a one-run game, and the team had really tested the upper limits of what an Opener could do.
With one out in the top of the second, Connor Wong got a free bag for getting hit in the shoelaces with an 0-2 breaking ball. After the second out, it turned out to be Dillon Dingler saving the inning as he made an ABS challenge call on a called ball for it to be overturned as strike three, ending the inning. Brayan Bello came in for the Red Sox in the bottom of the inning and got the Tigers out in order.
Willson Contreras took a leadoff walk, then with one out, Story came through again, with a single that bumped Contreras to third. Rafaela then singled to bring Contreras home. An Andruw Monasterio single scored Story. The Sox weren’t done yet, though. Caleb Durbin singled, scoring Rafaela. Connor Wong singled, scored Monasterio. The Tigers challenged the safe call of Durbin sliding into third, but there wasn’t a definitive angle to overturn the call and it was upheld. Nothing was particularly hard hit, but everything was finding the grass. Thoughts of Rick Porcello vs. the Angels came to mind (IYKYK). Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded into a force out for the second out of the inning, but it also allowed Durbin to score. Jarren Duran was the final out of the inning, but it was safe to say the damage was done. The Red Sox now led 8-2. In the home half, the Tigers managed a two-out single from Riley Greene, but they left him stranded.
Things continued to decline in the fourth. Contreras started things out with a homer to left on a first pitch sinker. Then right on his heels was an Abreu homer to right. Following those, Valdez hit Trevor Story directly in the back with a sinker. Now… Framber Valdez has obviously not been pitching well all game. It could have been an accident, but under the circumstances Trevor Story sure didn’t think so, and the benches cleared. As the dust started to settle with no warnings issued, Valdez was suddenly tossed from the game.
Brenan Hanifee came in from the pen to replace Valdez. Rafaela then hit into a double play, and then got the final out of the inning. In the home half, the Tigers went 1-2-3.
Caleb Durbin singled to start the fifth, but three outs followed, letting Hanifee and the Tigers breathe a little sigh of relief. Matt Vierling continued to be The Man in this game, starting the home half with a single, but he was then eliminated in a force out off the bat of Kevin McGonigle. Kerry Carpenter then singled. Dillon Dingler singled right on his heels, bringing McGongile home. They’d only get the one run, but one is better than none.
In the sixth, Wilyer Abreu got a one-out walk. He was then eliminated in a force-out off the bat of Trevor Story. Rafaela then singled right into center. A Monasterio groundout ended the inning, though, with no harm done. In the home half, the Tigers once again went three-up, three-down.
Burch Smith came out of the Tigers’ pen in the seventh and he got the Red Sox out in order. In the home half, Kevin McGonigle got a one-out walk and then stole second base, but Kerry Carpenter hit into a double play to end the inning.
In the eighth, Abreu continued to be a pest with a two-out single, but the Red Sox weren’t able to do anything with the base runner. The Tigers made no real effort to get any runs back in the bottom of the inning as they went 1-2-3 and the game headed to the ninth.
Enmanuel De Jesus was the Tigers’ choice for the ninth and he was the man for the job, getting the Red Sox out in order. The Tigers headed into the home half with a big gap to overcome. The Red Sox finally dipped back into their bullpen, turning things over to Alec Gamboa who was making his major league debut. And he got his first 1-2-3 inning, as the Tigers fell and fell hard against the Sox. Better luck tomorrow.
Brandon Nimmo believes only a certain player can thrive in New York. Others, he believes, just don’t work out.
The Rangers outfielder and ex-Met — in town to face the Yankees on Tuesday night in The Bronx to start a three-game series — fielded questions in the third-base dugout about his Queens exit and discussed some of the intangibles he believes make a good ballplayer in New York City.
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“[Agent Scott] Boras and I talked about it, and we talked about it with [Mets owner] Steve [Cohen], and we talked about it with [Mets president of baseball operations] David [Stearns],” Nimmo told reporters. “There is this factor that I’m not sure you can measure it until somebody gets in New York, but there is a factor of people who seem to be comfortable here and succeed here. And some guys it doesn’t translate as well. I think it’s like one of those things, like chemistry, that’s harder to measure but it’s 100 percent a real thing.”
Nimmo didn’t specify anyone during his days in Queens or on the current iteration of the Mets that fits the latter, struggling player descriptor, but the Amazin’s have been one of the worst teams in baseball this season with a 13-22 record, in large part due to new pieces that have struggled out of the gate.
Marcus Semien, who came from Texas in the trade that sent Nimmo to the Rangers, has hit .208 with a 52 OPS+, which is 48 points under league average. Fellow newcomer Bo Bichette has also struggled at this dish with a .236/.273/.313 slash line.
TBrandon Nimmo receives congratulations from teammates after scoring a run against the Tigers at Comerica Park earlier in the season. Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Nimmo played his first 10 big league seasons in New York and said he now has a different perspective. He said things are “easier” and more “laid back” in Texas. He also reiterated, as he told The Post’s Joel Sherman in February, that he believes the trade was made for baseball reasons and not anything to do about any rumored Mets chemistry issues.
“There is a certain type of player and type of person that it takes in order to be in New York and I understand that better now,” Nimmo said.
Nimmo has been a revelation for Texas with a .300 average and an .836 OPS. He told The Post’s Greg Joyce last week he believes that the reeling Mets — who have now won two games in a row — can right the ship.
Brandon Nimmo reacts after he scores on his two-run homer during the third inning of the Mets’ win over the Padres at Citi Field on Friday, Sept. 18, 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
On Tuesday, he said he hopes his old club can have better fortunes the rest of the way, but his ultimate priorities are elsewhere now.
“I want them to do well,” Nimmo added. “I’ve played here before when things aren’t going well, and it’s not fun. I wish the best for them, but also I’m trying to take care of things here and make sure we’re trying to play good baseball here.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 23: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park on April 23, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants play game two of this three-game home series against the San Diego Padres tonight from Oracle Park, and they’re looking to take the series win after a 3-2 victory on Monday.
Taking the mound for the Giants is their ace, righty Logan Webb, who is making his eighth start of the season. The 29-year old is off to an uncharacteristically slow start, as he’s 2-3 with a 4.30 ERA, a 3.46 FIP, and 38 strikeouts to 15 walks in 44 innings. He was awesome in his last game, though, holding the Philadelphia Phillies to just one run in seven innings.
For the Padres, it’s old foe Walker Buehler, who is back in the NL West. The 31-year old right-hander, who was an All-Star with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 and 2021, is 1-2 in six starts this year, with a 5.40 ERA, a 3.42 FIP, and 24 strikeouts against 12 walks in 25 innings of work. In his last start, Buehler allowed two runs in 4.2 innings against the Chicago Cubs.
SEATTLE, WA - MAY 04: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Monday, May 4, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Connor Jalbert/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Don’t lose the series, Braves! Also, Michael Harris II in left field!
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has fined Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown $50,000 for public criticism of game officials following Boston's first-round exit from the playoffs.
The fine was announced by NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations James Jones on Tuesday night, two days after Brown said in a livestream he hosts that game officials “clearly had an agenda” to call fouls against him for "pushing off" when he drove toward the basket while handling the ball.
“There’s some referees that need to be investigated,” Brown said on the livestream Sunday, a day after the Celtics' 109-100 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.
“Every good basketball player does this. What are y’all talking about? They clearly had an agenda,” Brown said.
Brown was previously fined $35,000 in January after a two-minute postgame rant about the officiating following Boston's loss to San Antonio.
The lottery is over, and the Kraken will have the 7th overall pick in the 226 NHL Entry Draft. There was only a 7.5% chance of the number one pick falling to Seattle, but the hope was there, nonetheless.
Pick one will go to the Toronto Mile Leafs and pick two to the San Jose Sharks. After those first two picks, the other teams fall in line in their reverse standings order. Finishing the season dead last in the standings means the Vancouver Canucks will slot in for the 3rd pick, then Chicago, the New York Rangers, Calgary, and final the Kraken.
The first 16 picks are as follows:
Toronto Maple Leafs
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
Chicago Blackhawks
New York Rangers
Calgary Flames
Seattle Kraken
Winnipeg Jets
Florida Panthers
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
Columbus Blue Jackets
St. Louis Blues (via Detroit Red Wings0
Washington Capitals
The Remaining sixteen teams will be ranked based on their performance in the playoffs.
PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 17: A general view of Chase Field during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
PIRATES
DIAMONDBACKS
Oneil Cruz – CF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Nick Gonzales – 2B
Ketel Marte – 2B
Bryan Reynolds – RF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Ryan O’Hearn – 1B
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Marcell Ozuna – DH
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Konnor Griffin – SS
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Jake Mangum – LF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Joey Bart – C
Gabriel Moreno – C
Jared Triolo – 3B
Alek Thomas – CF
Bubba Chandler – RHP
E. Rodriguez – LHP
After a rough road-trip, the D-backs return to Chase Field to take on the Pirates. They’re in fourth-place in the NL Central, while Arizona sits third in the NL West. So we’re better than them, right? RIGHT? Of course, it’s not quite that simple. The Central currently has every team two games or more above .500, and possesses five of the best eight records in the National League. The third-place Diamondbacks would be clear last with that record in the Central – as would the Marlins, currently second in the NL East. And don’t even get me started on the AL Central, where the division leading Tigers and Guardians are only at .500.
The harsh reality is, the D-backs haven’t won a series so far against a team currently in possession of a winning record. Their record there is just 4-11: the Diamondbacks split series against the Braves and Padres, lost to the Brewers, and were swept by the Dodgers and Cubs. The closest was the sweep of the Tigers who, as mentioned above, are 18-18. It’s interesting that, after the first month, what was supposed to be a brutal schedule has ended up being perfectly balanced. They have played 15 games against winning teams, 15 games against losing teams (9-6 there for Arizona) and three against the .500 Tigers.
Tonight, start for the D-backs is Eduardo Rodriguez, the only member of the Arizona rotation with an ERA+ better than a hundred. On the other hand, the only current member of the Arizona bullpen with an ERA+ below a hundred is.. former starter, Brandon Pfaadt. Of course, there are few former relievers who haven’t covered themselves in glory. Every ex-member of the bullpen has an ERA of 7.71 or greater, along with James McCann. Hopefully E-Rod can deliver a W on Cinco de Mayo. Over the last thirteen games, D-backs’ starters have a 1-7 record, Eduardo getting the only win, on April 22 against the White Sox
Apr 13, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (68) reacts following a strikeout to end the top of the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Cal Raleigh is back.
Raleigh returns to the Mariners lineup at designated hitter on Tuesday. He’s missed the last three games with “general soreness” in his core, or side, or something. The team hasn’t been too forthcoming with specifics on the injury, and it doesn’t really matter now, because Raleigh is back. He is still limited to DH, at least for now, meaning the Mariners have to start Mitch Garver behind the plate against a righty, while Dominic Canzone rides the bench. But having Raleigh back at all is an encouraging sign, and hopefully he’ll be back behind the plate again soon.
On the mound for the Mariners tonight is George Kirby, who’s had an odd start to the 2026 season. He’s walking more batters than ever, striking out fewer batters than ever, but also 56.5% ground ball rate — the fifth best in baseball. His 2.84 xERA is top 10 in baseball, so it seems to be working for him. But I’m interested to see how that approach matches up with one of the most potent lineups in baseball.
Bryce Elder gets the start for the Braves. For more on Elder, Jake Mailhot has you covered in our series preview.
For further pregame reading, Eric Sanford responds to your takes on the most impressive early season performances.
Lineups:
Tonight’s game information:
Game time: 6:40 PT
TV: Mariners TV, with Aaron Goldsmith and Dave Valle, with Angie Mentink as the field analyst
Radio: Seattle Sports 710 AM, with Rick Rizzs and Aaron Goldsmith
Turns out smack-talking officials on Twitch comes with a cost.
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown learned this the hard way.
The NBA announced Tuesday, May 5 that Brown has been fined $50,000 for comments he made during a Twitch livestream Sunday, May 3, one day after the Celtics fell in Game 7 of the first round of the NBA playoffs.
NBA executive vice president, head of basketball operations James Jones announced the fine in a statement.
Brown expressed his displeasure about several specific plays from Boston’s 109-100 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and insinuated that he was being officiated differently from his competitors.
“They clearly had an agenda, maybe because I spoke so critically of them in the regular season,” Brown said during the livestream. “I actually spoke to some refs, and they told me there’s an agenda going on each game, every time Jaylen puts his arm up, just call it.”
Brown said that it was a simple basketball play that several other players do.
“Philly took advantage of that and the officiating and it cost us to some degree,” he added.
During the livestream, Brown even replayed film of the plays in question and also called out 76ers center Joel Embiid by name, accusing him of embellishing contact to get to the line.
“Flopping has ruined our league,” Brown said. “Joel Embiid is a great player. One of the best bigs in basketball history. Flops. He knows it.”
The first-round elimination was Boston’s earliest exit in the postseason since 2021.
It's still early so there's nothing to get overly excited about. But give credit where credit is due. The A's might not be in Oakland anymore, but they have ballers with them.
Shea Langeliers, 28, one of the team's many young bright stars, was placed on the paternity list, the team announced Monday, May 4. Langeliers is tied for eighth in home runs with 10, currently more than Shohei Ohtani (6), Cal Raleigh (7), Bryce Harper (8) and Pete Alonso (6).
Last year's AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz has hit five home runs. Carlos Cortes and Tyler Soderstrom are tied with four, while Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler have three apiece. Max Muncy and Jacob Wilson have two homers each.
As a team, the A's entered play on Tuesday, May 5 ranking within the top 15 of nearly every offensive category including batting average, hits, runs and walks.
Will Leitch writes: "Nick Kurtz’s walk streak ended at 20 games on Saturday against the Guardians, but the funny thing about a walk streak ending is that you can do a whole bunch of other good stuff when you are not walking: Kurtz went 2-for-5 with an RBI. He has also reached base in 28 straight games, which, after all, is the point."
The Athletic: T-14th out of 30 (with Toronto Blue Jays)
Zack Meisel writes: "The A’s offense was supposed to hum, so it’s tempting to choose Aaron Civale, who posted a 3.23 ERA in his first six starts to stabilize the rotation and keep the club afloat in the AL West. But Langeliers has blossomed into one of the league’s most underrated players. Through April, he recorded a .974 OPS and was tied for the league lead in hits. He logged a 1.018 OPS in the second half last year, and in case you needed further proof, it appears that surge was no fluke."
Matt Snyder writes: "Man, the three true outcomes are strong with Nick Kurtz, aren't they? He's up to 50 strikeouts with 34 walks and five home runs. That means 58.1% of his plate appearances result in no ball in the field of play. (I promise next week won't be another Kurtz comment)."
D.J. short writes: "We all know about Shea Langeliers’ prodigious power, but did you know that he’s tied for the major league lead with 45 hits? The A’s backstop slugged two homers on Saturday (his wife Raegan’s birthday) and he became a dad on Sunday after his wife gave birth to a baby boy. Are you ready for Langeliers with dad strength?"
Kerry Miller writes: "If the A's are going to continue to hang around as a postseason candidate, they need to figure out how to pitch in West Sacramento. Heading into Sunday, they had a 6.35 ERA and .875 OPS against at home compared to 3.14 and .650, respectively, on the road. But Aaron Civale did give them a quality start (against his former team) on Sunday to keep that record above .500. Civale also went five shutout innings in Tuesday's home start against Kansas City."
Buster Olney writes: "Nick Kurtz's camp turned down a big contract offer in the offseason, and when he got off to a slow start, evaluators wondered if that decision was initially weighing on him. But no matter the reason, he is getting back to being one of the big damage hitters in the AL, patiently waiting out opposing pitchers and capitalizing when he gets pitches to hit. Kurtz has drawn walks in 18 straight games, with five homers."
Miguel Vargas is slashing .313/.377/.642 with a 1.014 OPS and four homers in the last two weeks. | (Rhona Wise/Imagn Images)
After a convincing shutout win behind Davis Martin to open up the series in Los Angeles, the White Sox have a chance to bring their record to .500 with another W tonight. The overall vibe with this team, who is playing like they have nothing to lose and everything to gain, has been contagious across the organization and fan base. It’s been a while since the South Siders have reminded us how much fun the game of baseball can be, and the energy that has been injected into the dugout is a perfect encapsulation of that.
Making his fifth start of the season (seventh appearance), Erick Fedde will make his second consecutive start against the Angels following a strong seven-inning performance last week. There is something about the South Side of Chicago that brings out a different side of Fedde, because he’s been excellent this year and has outperformed expectations to be just an “innings eater” for the second time now with the Sox. In 33 1/3 frames, the righty has posted a 3.24 ERA alongside an efficient 1.050 WHIP. FanGraphs also has him at a 3.32 xERA, suggesting he’s not simply benefiting from “good luck,” and that his elevated 4.94 FIP may be misleading, as Fedde has managed contact better than expected. In 2025, his hard-hit percentage against opponents was in the 31st percentile (AKA blue on Statcast), and he has improved that by 100% thus far in 2026, into the 62nd percentile and further into the red. Does he have Cy Young-type stuff? No. Is he helpful while we develop these younger arms in the minors? Yes, yes, he is.
While Fedde won’t have the benefit of Munetaka Murakami on offense today, as he takes a rest day, he’ll depend on the youth core to score some runs. Chase Meidroth has shifted back into the leadoff spot with Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery following him up as the power punch in Tuesday’s lineup. Joining the starting nine for the first time since being signed to a one-year deal on Monday to help fill in some of the outfield holes, Randall Grichuk is making his debut start with the White Sox, playing right field and batting fourth. Grichuk is deeper into his career, but is an experienced outfielder with above-average power potential. He hasn’t put up the best numbers this year (.194/.212/.323 in 33 plate appearances with the Yankees), but has a career .761 OPS and has so far had a successful 12-year career in MLB.
Likely wishing not to be terrorized on the mound as his teammate José Soriano was, lefthander Sam Aldegheri is making his first start of the season for the Angels. He’s bounced up and down from the minors this year, and so far, he’s tossed just 1 2/3 innings this season. Aldegheri allowed two hits, including a home run, and struck out two and walked one in his first game. In 28⅓ career innings, he’s posted a 6.35 ERA and an unsightly 2.047 WHIP. Aldegheri’s career 14.2% walk rate certainly hasn’t helped his case, which makes this an even more unfortunate day for Murakami to be taking a day off, but as a team, the South Siders hold a 10.3 BB%, so maybe they’ll still be able to take advantage.
The Los Angeles offense was quiet last night, but there are still a few batters that pose a threat, including Mike Trout, Jorge Soler, and Vaughn Grissom. Both Trout and Grissom have previously homered off Fedde and have the highest OPS on the team.
Tonight’s game is another late one, with first pitch taking place at 8:38 p.m. CT, which is very specific. Tune in to CHSN tonight or listen to the radio broadcast on ESPN Chicago AM 1000. If nothing else, perhaps a Mune pinch-hit bomb? The journey to .500 is back on.
