NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots the ball over Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks during the third quarter in Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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It’s been a rough three days, folks. I just had to listen to this song like a hundred times [warning: foul language] and have long conversations with my cats about the unfairness of life [they’re excellent listeners]. I’ve had to limit my PTR time, since every time I go onto the site, I see fans trying to tear each other apart and saying that everyone should be fired, and wondering how mad they would have been if the Spurs didn’t even make it to the NBA Finals1. It’s just really hard to get to the edge of success and then slip on a banana peel and fall down the mountain. A wise man once said, “I refuse to carry the burden of hiding my emotions.” And that’s the trick, feel it, let it motivate you, but don’t let it overwhelm you. That’s where the Spurs are in tonight’s game, they have to acknowledge their historic collapse in Game 3, but also have to move forward by playing with poise for 48 minutes. I think this series has shown that the Spurs have more talent in the starting lineup, but the veteran focus of the Knicks can take advantage of every mistake. They know how to exploit the way the game is being called by the refs and Coach Mike Brown knows how to work the officials.
You have to give credit to the Knicks for what they did on Wednesday night as they fought all the way to the end, but you also have to recognize the the Spurs should have won the game. If the Silver and Black can make better decisions, they still have a chance to win tonight’s game, and if they win tonight, then they just have to win one more, and then win one more again. This team can do it if they play up to their abilities, and maybe have a few bounces go their way. THIS ISN’T OVER, DAMMIT!!
Luke Kornet is questionable tonight with an undisclosed illness, and while the team hasn’t played well whenever Wembanyama has to rest, he does have to rest sometimes, because his fatigue late in Game 4 was a big factor in the Knicks comeback surge. If Luke can’t go, you might see a lot of small ball with Carter Bryant, and a lot of Hack-a-Robinson when Wemby sits. Devin Vassell could have a breakout game with the home-ish2 crowd. Things could get ugly tonight, but if it ends in a win for the Silver and Black, it’ll be beautiful. GO SPURS GO!!
Answer: they probably wouldn’t be mad at all.
It’s been reported that about half of the tickets for this game were sold to fans from the New York metro area. That’s going to make for a very interesting atmosphere.
Game Prediction:
Chants of “refs you suck” erupt whenever a foul is called against either team, because both Spurs and Knicks fans hate refs, and there’s a bunch of both in the arena.
San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks, NBA Finals, Game 5 June 13, 2026 | 7:30 PM CT Streaming: ESPN TV: ABC Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
The left-hander certainly appeared to be as he made his first official start of the season in Saturday afternoon’s middle-game of a huge weekend set with the Braves.
While he ended up taking the loss, Manaea was able to keep the high-powered NL East leaders in check, completing six innings of work for the first time since the 2024 playoffs.
The lone damage against him came off the bat of righty-hitting outfielder Eli White.
White struck against Manaea for an RBI double to open the scoring in the top of the second, then lifted his third homer of the season to increase the advantage just two innings later.
Other than that, the 34-year-old southpaw was in complete control the rest of the way, allowing just those two runs on four hits while striking out six and issuing no free passes.
Most importantly, his velocity was up a few ticks from his season-average, again.
“That was huge,” Carlos Mendoza said. “That’s the guy we’re going to need -- for him to go out there and give us a chance today, he was very solid today against a pretty good lineup over there.
“He used all of his pitches, competed in the strike zone, got swing-and-misses, and had a good pitch mix -- that’s the guy we saw a lot in 2024 -- big picture, that’s the guy we need moving forward.”
After a brutal start to the season that saw him relegated to an inning-eating low-leverage role out of the bullpen, Manaea has now pitched to a solid 3.33 ERA over his last eight appearances.
He’s given up just three homers and has struck out (28) four times as many batters as he’s walked (7) over that span, fighting his way back into a regular spot in the Mets' starting rotation.
“I feel good,” Manaea said. “I'm excited with where I’m at and just want to keep this train rolling.”
“He continues to earn the opportunity,” Mendoza added. “To go out there and have that type of outing today, he just puts himself in a way better position, and he’s going to only make us better moving forward."
Hart was one of five players on the 2018 Canadian national junior team who faced trial in 2025 on a sexual assault charge and were found not guilty by a judge in London, Ontario. Justice Maria Carroccia said she didn't find the accuser's testimony in the 2018 case credible and the prosecution didn't prove its case.
"It's just noise," Hart said of the chants. "Both atmospheres, both buildings have been really loud and a lot of fun to play in. Yeah, just noise."
Hart will make his 22nd start of the playoffs in Game 6. After a stellar first three rounds, he has allowed four goals in every game of the championship series.
"I haven't been at my best in this series," he said. "I'll be better next game and ready to go."
He added: "They've gotten some lucky bounces and there's a few plays where I've got to make more saves but at the end of the day, I prepare the same way just like every other game and I'll be ready to go."
Hart skipped Saturday's optional practice and did some work with goalie coach Sean Burke on a different rink.
He says he feels good after playing every minute of the playoffs.
"As as goaltender, you want to play every game and you want to be ready to go," he said. "I've got a routine that I do and I follow it."
Coach John Tortorella, who knows Hart from their days in Philadelphia, has backed the goalie. When he was asked after the Game 5 loss whether he considered switching to Adin Hill, he said that "could be the stupidest question I've heard."
Tortorella said he has confidence in Hart.
"I know him," he said. "I know there's a better game in him. I've seen it throughout the playoffs. I think he's a very good goalie. We've got to do a better job around him, too."
Jun 13, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) throws the ball against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
Shohei Ohtani is back; he homered to open the scoring in what turned out to be a 7-1 Dodgers win, and yet he takes a backseat in the storyline of this game as Yoshinobu Yamamoto toyed with perfection—not allowing a single baserunner through the first 7.2 innings—carrying a no-hit bid into the ninth inning before Tristan Peters took care of it with a solo shot. Dating back to his previous performance against the Angels, Yamamoto went as far as retiring an absurd 45 straight batters, and for the second straight appearance, tossed eight innings of one-run ball, allowing a combined three hits.
Forget recording a hit; even lifting the ball in the air was a massive challenge for the White Sox, who, through the first seven innings, recorded only a pair of flyouts. Specifically for this game, Yamamoto found himself with a little extra zip on the fastball with an average velocity 1.2 MPH higher than his season average, and he took advantage of it. The Dodgers’ starter defaulted to his four-seamer far more regularly than he has in 2026, and the success behind his performance evidently justified that choice. Although it should be noted that Peters’ home run in the ninth came on a poorly located fastball with not enough zip to miss his bat, as the Dodgers starter was already over 100 pitches at that point.
Shortly before that home run, though, the perfect game bid ended in brutal fashion—there were two outs at the bottom of the eighth when the White Sox would put their first man on via an error. Chase Meldroth hit what was by all accounts a routine grounder to short, and Mookie Betts couldn’t collect it cleanly, allowing the White Sox’ second baseman to reach base. Going back to the events in Baltimore a year ago, Yamamoto is establishing similarities with Dave Stieb as a bit of a no-no specialist, well before eventually recording one.
For the Dodgers offense, much like it was the case against the Angels, once again they rewarded Yamamoto’s outstanding performance with a slugfest that left no doubts about the winner of this game. As stated at the top, the scoring began early when Ohtani knocked one out of the yard to lead off the game.
Lacking in the power department on what are the inhuman standards he has set for himself, Ohtani briefly tied Max Muncy for second place in homers on the team with 14. However, it was Muncy’s day to shine, hitting not one but two long balls, one in the first and one in the eighth. In doing so, Muncy overtook Andy Pages for the team lead in homers, with 16, and became the main driving force behind this seven-run effort on the road.
What’s even more impressive is that had the Dodgers supplemented their power output with a bit more quality with runners in scoring position—finishing the game 1 for 11 in such instances—they could’ve easily gotten into the double digits. In the end, they didn’t need much with Yamamoto dismantling the White Sox lineup, leaving the game to a standing ovation after recording the first out in the ninth.
Emmett Sheehan and the veteran Erick Feede will be the protagonists in an early Sunday matchup for West Coast viewers as the Dodgers and White Sox will meet for the final time in Chicago this season, first pitch at 11:10 a.m. PT.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 13: Nicky Lopez #33 of the Texas Rangers scores off a single hit by Wyatt Langford #36 (not pictured) in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on June 13, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Boston Red Sox scored six runs.
The Rangers had four opportunities with the bases loaded today and went 0-for-4. The Red Sox had one opportunity with the bases loaded after two infield dribble hits and a walk and went 1-for-1 with the eventual winning hit.
The Rangers have gone 1-for-10 with the bases loaded on this road trip, which they now need a win tomorrow to avoid being a losing road trip after clinching their first losing series of June with today’s loss.
Player of the Game: Jacob deGrom allowed two runs on six hits in six innings while walking zero and striking out five Red Sox batters. He was pretty good.
After the Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, deGrom’s big sin today was pitching to Wilyer Abreu with a runner in scoring position after Boston had tied the game at one apiece which, if you’ve ever seen Wilyer Abreu hit against the Rangers, that meant the game did not stay tied.
A bigger sin, though, was being a member of the Texas Rangers when the lineup backing him went 1-for-9 with RISP. That hit did not even score a run.
Up Next: The Rangers and Red Sox close out this series with RHP Nathan Eovaldi set to pitch for Texas against LHP Connelly Early for Boston.
The Sunday evening first pitch in the series finale from Fenway Park is scheduled for 6:20 pm CDT time and will be back on Peacock.
When Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are sitting in the middle of their prime years, it's only natural to wonder whether the answer lies in another blockbuster. Morgan Riely's name gets tossed around. We've all heard Jason Robertson's grumblings. Every unhappy star around the league eventually finds themselves wearing orange and blue on social media.
Reality tends to be less glamorous.
Winning teams aren't always built by buying high.
Quite often, they're built by identifying good players before everyone else remembers how good they are.
Florida didn't acquire Sam Reinhart after his 57-goal season.
Vegas didn't trade for Jack Eichel after he became a Conn Smythe candidate.
Colorado landed Devon Toews before the rest of the league realized just how valuable he was.
The best swings aren't always the biggest ones.
Sometimes they're the smartest.
Which raises an interesting question for Stan Bowman.
Instead of chasing stars whose value has never been higher, what if Edmonton spent this summer looking for players who come with talent, upside and a few question marks attached?
Players whose current teams might be wondering if they're worth the trouble.
Players whose best hockey may still be ahead of them.
Take Owen Tippett.
Philadelphia's rebuild hasn't exactly gone according to plan, and while Tippett remains one of the fastest and most dangerous shooters in the league, consistency has never quite followed. There are stretches where he looks like a future 40-goal scorer, followed by stretches where he disappears for weeks.
It also sounds like the kind of player Connor McDavid has made a career out of elevating.
JJ Peterka falls into a similar category.
Buffalo's inability to turn talent into Cups has become one of the NHL's greatest jokes, and while Peterka's offensive gifts are obvious, there have been whispers for years that a change might benefit both the player and the organization.
But if the Sabres eventually decide that the fit isn't perfect, Edmonton should be among the first teams calling.
Then there's Mason McTavish.
Admittedly, this one requires a little imagination.
Anaheim would have to do something strange. The Ducks would need to convince themselves that their young centre isn't a long-term fit, something that seems unlikely today.
Nobody thought Matthew Tkachuk would leave Calgary.
Nobody expected Jack Eichel to become available.
And if Anaheim ever gets weird, Stan Bowman should be listening, because power forwards who score, hit and play with an edge aren't exactly growing on trees.
Dawson Mercer might be the most realistic name on the list.
New Jersey has money committed everywhere and several difficult decisions looming. Mercer's numbers haven't exploded, but his versatility and work ethic would fit beautifully on a contender.
Very few teams want to pay the price that comes with one.
The Oilers know that reality better than most.
They don't possess endless cap space. Their prospect pool has been thinned out. A shocking first-round exit to Anaheim has increased the pressure, but it hasn't magically created the assets required to win every bidding war.
Jun 13, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) catches the ball at first base for a out against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
Nationals 8, Mariners 3
Day baseball nap: Colt Emerson, .17 WPA
Day baseball nap, on the cap: Luis Castillo, -.37 WPA
Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto retired the first 23 hitters before an error in a 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. (Matt Marton / Associated Press)
A White Sox hat waved in the air. Fans clad in Chicago’s black pinstripes and Dodger blue alike rose to their feet.
Rooting interests didn’t matter as they watched Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto embrace his teammates on the mound. The brilliant performance they’d just witnessed deserved to be celebrated.
In the Dodgers’ 7-1 win against the White Sox on Saturday, Yamamoto carried a perfect game into the eighth inning until Mookie Betts booted a grounder at short, and a no-hit bid into the ninth before Chicago’s Tristan Peters homered to end it.
Perhaps even more astounding, dating to Yamamoto’s previous start against the Angels, he retired 45 straight batters, one shy of the major league record set by Yusmeiro Petit in 2014.
In an eventful game, which included Shohei Ohtani returning to the lineup to homer in his first at-bat, a two-homer performance from Max Muncy and a team bounce-back after getting blown out the night before, Yamamoto’s performance on the mound stole the show.
“I do feel a little bit [of regret], because I went into the ninth inning and I was not able to achieve a no-hitter,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “But how I was pitching, I was pretty satisfied.”
It marked the second time in about nine months that Yamamoto fell just short of his first major league no-hitter. Last September, he was one out away in Baltimore when he surrendered a solo homer to Jackson Holliday.
“Every time he takes the mound we feel he’s got a pretty good chance to do something special,” pitching coach Mark Prior said.
That feeling only grew stronger as Yamamoto cruised through seven innings. The only thing that slowed his roll was the mound itself. Yamamoto asked for the grounds crew to fix it in the sixth. And then he kept rolling.
“He can attack the plate on both sides from ball-to-strike better than anybody I’ve ever seen,” Prior said. “He has that ability to do that when he’s on. And that makes it tough on hitters. You don’t know if the ball is coming at them, from the right side or the left side, and going in. He did a lot of really good things to keep guys off balance.”
Yamamoto also had help from a steady defense behind him for much of the game.
The sixth inning included two highlight plays. Peters hit a sharp ground ball up the line, and first baseman Freddie Freeman made a sliding stop, tossing the ball to Yamamoto at the bag to get the out. Then left fielder Alex Call ran into the retaining wall in foul territory to catch Edgar Quero’s fly ball for the final out of the inning.
The hardest contact against Yamamoto came the third time through the lineup. In the seventh inning, he pumped a heater to the top rail against Miguel Vargas, who stayed on top of the pitch to send a line drive to left field — and right to Call.
In the eighth, Yamamoto fell behind Colson Montgomery 3-and-1. But Yamamoto worked back to a full count. Montgomery then scorched a line drive up the first base line — into Freeman’s glove.
Yamamoto’s perfect game ended two batters later.
“I’m not making any excuses,” Betts said. “I should have made the play.”
It looked like Yamamoto had tied the record for consecutive batters retired when he got Chicago’s Chase Meidroth to chase a slider and hit a routine grounder to Betts.
Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing slaps hands with Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the ninth inning Saturday against the White Sox. (Zoe Davis / Getty Images)
But the last hop was higher than Betts expected. The ball ricocheted off him to his left, where second baseman Santiago Espinal made a last-ditch effort to salvage the play but couldn’t pick up the ball cleanly.
“I thought I got him, but that was kind of an irregular bounce,” Yamamoto said. “So it was just what it is. I didn’t really think much.”
An inning later, the no-hit bid was next to fall.
Peters led led off the ninth, and on a 1-and-0 count, Yamamoto put a high fastball over the plate. Peters turned on it and drove it into the stands in right, craning to see it stay to the left of the foul pole.
“I was a little heated in the ninth inning,” catcher Dalton Rushing said. “Jumped on a pitch that was really decently executed.”
Yamamoto stayed in for one more batter, inducing Quero to fly out, before handing the ball to manager Dave Roberts.
Yamamoto wasn’t the only one feeling mixed emotions on the mound as he embraced Rushing, tapped Muncy on the back in a side hug and bumped fists with the rest of the infielders.
“I was still frustrated,” Rushing said. “He’s such a great teammate, he’s one of my good friends. You can talk to him just about anything, and he’s just a good dude. So you want to see good things happen to guys like that.”
Rushing made a prediction: “I know we’re going to have more opportunities with Yoshi like that, and I’m looking forward to it.”
After coming so close to a no-hitter twice, maybe the third time will be the one Yamamoto completes.
CHICAGO — Earlier this season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he believed Yoshinobu Yamamoto would throw a no-hitter this year.
Deep into Saturday’s game at Rate Field against the White Sox, it seemed like that prediction might not be bold enough.
On a mild Chicago afternoon, in which the Dodgers’ understated staff ace nearly topped his World Series MVP-winning form from last October, Yamamoto carried a perfect-game bid all the way into the bottom of the eighth inning and a no-hitter into the ninth.
That close, the Japanese right-hander was to making history.
Instead, in the Dodgers’ eventual 7-1 win, both achievements were lost on a pair of stunning moments.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto lost his perfect game in the eighth and no-hitter in the ninth. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With two outs in the eighth — and Yamamoto also one out away from matching an MLB record of 46 consecutive batters retired in a row, going back to the seven-plus perfect innings he threw at the end of a start against the Angels last week — White Sox infielder Chase Meidroth hit a seemingly routine chopper to shortstop.
Standing there, ready to make the play, was 2025 Gold Glove finalist Mookie Betts.
The last hop, however, looked bigger than he expected, sending the ball booting off the heel of his mitt for a perfecto-snapping error.
“Just a routine ground ball that I missed,” Betts said afterward. “Not making any excuses.”
Yamamoto temporarily recovered, retiring the side in the next at-bat to keep the no-hitter intact.
Back in the dugout, he was also one of several Dodgers players to pick the downtrodden Betts up with a pat on his back.
“It took a tough hop, even from my view,” catcher Dalton Rushing said. “That’s a tough ball to make a play on. And at the end of the day, it didn’t lose him a no-hitter, so we weren’t beating him up about it. But obviously, Mookie being the competitor, the athlete that he is, he was pretty hard on himself about it.”
Thus came the ninth, with a sold-out crowd rising to its feet in anticipation as Yamamoto returned to the mound.
Two pitches later, though, White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters — a rookie left-handed hitter with only two home runs previously this year — squared up a fastball that Yamamato left over the middle and hooked it inside the right-field foul pole for a home run.
It was the second time in the last two years that Yamamoto — who would get one more out before finishing an 8 ⅓-inning, 109-pitch, seven-strikeout gem — had lost a no-no on a ninth-inning long ball.
“I do feel a little bit regrettable, because I went into the ninth inning and I was not able to achieve a no-hitter,” he said through an interpreter afterward. “But how I was pitching, I was pretty satisfied.”
Yamamoto lost his no-hitter on a White Sox home run in the bottom of the ninth. AP Photo/Matt Marton
What it means
Just like in Baltimore last September, when Yamamoto was one out from a no-hitter before Jackson Holliday hit a home run that triggered a stunning Orioles comeback, the Dodgers’ ace had looked untouchable right up until Peters’ blast sailed past the foul pole.
“He’s surgical with all his pitches,” pitching coach Mark Prior said. “I think from a hitter’s perspective it’s gotta be really hard to zero in on a specific pitch or a specific location.”
Indeed, Yamamoto mixed and matched with his six-pitch arsenal. He got two strikeouts each with his fastball (which played up a tick at 97 mph), splitter (which only got one whiff but kept White Sox hitters off balance) and cutter (a chance-of-pace weapon that keyed his success in last year’s playoffs).
The home run to Peters wasn’t perfectly located. But at 97 mph, Rushing noted, “that’s usually a pretty good pitch.”
At least, unlike last year’s other close call in Baltimore, the Dodgers had no trouble holding on to win this time.
“I know we’re gonna have more opportunities with Yoshi like that,” said Rushing, who admitted some frustration at how close his batterymate came. “And I’m looking forward to it.”
Who’s hot
One key in Yamamoto’s outing: He was pitching with a big lead.
The Dodgers’ offense scored three times in the first, on home runs from Shohei Ohtani (who returned to the lineup after battling knee inflammation the past couple days) and Max Muncy. They stretched it to 5-0 by the sixth. And then in the eighth, Muncy added more insurance with his second two-run blast of the day, giving him a team-high 16 home runs this season.
Who’s not
Miguel Rojas exited the game in the seventh inning after hopping awkwardly out of the way of an inside pitch. His status was not immediately clear postgame, with manager Dave Roberts departing before speaking to reporters to travel to his daughter’s college graduation on Sunday. Bench coach Danny Lehmann will fill in for him in the series finale.
Up next
The Dodgers will go for a series win Sunday to punctuate this road trip, with Emmet Sheehan (3-3, 4.70 ERA) slated to face right-hander Erick Fedde (1-5, 4.69 ERA).
The Montreal Canadiens are going to be a team to watch this off-season. After making it to the Eastern Conference Final this year, the Canadiens should be looking to add to their roster.
The Canadiens have a few roster needs heading into the off-season. One of them is a top-four right-shot defenseman.
The trade market has an interesting potential option to consider in Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring.
Kesseling has been the subject of trade rumors since the end of the season. This is because the big right-shot defenseman has become the odd man out on the Sabres' blueline. This was made clear when the Sabres only played him in one playoff game this spring.
Kesselring was also never able to get things together this season with the Sabres, too. He only played in 34 regular-season games this year for the Sabres, where he had just two assists. While it was a tough year, he is a prime bounce-back candidate, and a defenseman who the Canadiens should consider taking a flier on.
Kesselring has shown in the past that he can be an impactful top-four defenseman when playing at his best. Just back in 2024-25 with Utah, the 6-foot-5 blueliner set career highs with seven goals, 22 assists, and 29 points in 82 games. He also had five goals and 21 points in 65 games for the Arizona Coyotes during the 203-24 season. With this, it is certainly fair to wonder if he could bounce back if given a fresh start on a team like the Canadiens.
Kesselring's age also adds to his appeal, as he is entering his prime years at 26 years old. With this, he could be a good fit on a Canadiens club that is on the rise if he bounced back.
It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens make a push for Kesselring this summer. He could be a good player for them to take a chance on if he is made available by the Sabres.
On a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon at Citi Field, the Mets bats were ice cold as they lost to the Braves, 3-1 the final.
Sean Manaea put together his best start in quite some time, but the Mets offense never really got going against a very strong Braves pitching staff.
The Mets record now sits at 31-39, a handful of games out of an NL Wild Card place.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The Braves opened the scoring in the second inning when Eli White laced a two-out double, bringing home Matt Olson all the way from first base. Despite the fact that White moved up to third base, Sean Manaea stranded him there by getting Ha-Seong Kim to pop out and end the inning with the score 1-0 in Atlanta's favor.
-- Vidal Bruján made his first appearance for the Mets since May 31st against the Miami Marlins, and it was a bit of a revenge game for the shortstop, as he was designated for assignment by the Braves this past offseason.
-- Carson Benge turned a strikeout looking into a walk in the third inning with a successful challenge of the umpire's call. He was left stranded after Bo Bichette's hard hit line drive to left field was caught.
-- Eli White got the better of Manaea once again in the fourth inning, this time clobbering a solo shot over the left-field fence to double Atlanta's lead (and his RBI tally for the day).
-- Juan Soto opened the fourth inning with a single, but Mark Vientos grounded into a double play and Marcus Semien ended the inning with another groundout.
-- In the sixth inning, Carson Benge got on his horse and flashed the leather with a running, leaping catch on the warning track, hanging on as he crashed into the center-field wall to rob Ozzie Albies of an extra-base hit. An inning later, Benge took away a bloop hit to shallow center off the bat of Austin Riley with a spectacular diving catch.
-- Bo Bichette continued his hot streak at the plate with a multi-hit game, notching New York's first extra-base hit of the day in the sixth inning with a one-out double. In something of an early hook, Braves manager Walt Weiss decided to pull Pérez despite the fact that he had thrown just 71 pitches and had been pitching very well.
-- Mark Vientos put the Mets on the board with a two-out single off of lefty Dylan Lee, bringing Bichette home and cutting Atlanta's lead to 2-1. Pérez was tagged with the earned run, meaning his final line read one run, four hits, and one walk allowed through 5.1 innings. He struck out four batters.
-- For the first time since September of 2024 (Game 3 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies), Manaea pitched for six full innings. He allowed four hits and two runs, both earned, across 84 pitches. He struck out six Braves batters and walked none. His command was excellent all afternoon, tunneling his sweeper and four-seam fastball very well, and his velocity was a noticeable tick up across the board.
-- 20-year-old highly touted Braves prospect Didier Fuentes struck out the side in the eighth inning, sitting down Mets hitters Francisco Alvarez, pinch-hitting Jared Young, and MJ Melendez in order.
-- Austin Warren relieved Manaea in the seventh inning, and after Braves right fielder Eli White doubled yet again, Warren bounced back to strand him, retiring former Met Dominic Smith and Ha-Seong Kim.
-- Manager Carlos Mendoza trusted Warren to handle the eighth inning as well. However, after striking out two Braves batters, the righty reliever hung a slider slider to lefty slugger Michael Harris II who promptly hammered a solo homer to right field, making it 3-1 Braves. He finished the inning without allowing any further damage to the scoreboard.
-Daniel Duarte sat down the side in the top of the ninth for the Mets.
-- Juan Soto led off the bottom of the ninth with a double. Initially, it looked like a home run, but the umpires determined that the ball never left the ballpark and sent Soto back to second base after a lengthy review. Braves closer Raisel Iglesias shut the door, striking out Vientos, walking Semien, but then getting Alvarez to ground into a double play.
Game MVP: Eli White
White was 3-for-4 with two RBI, a solo homer and two doubles. Typically not known for his bat, the speedy outfielder had an outstanding day at the plate for the Braves.
Highlights:
Juan Soto's long fly ball, initially ruled a home run on the field, is overturned to a double pic.twitter.com/IugJ8fZzbZ
The Mets have one more win this season than last when trailing after eight innings, but that isn’t saying much.
Last year’s number was 0-70 in such instances. It was 1-31 this season entering Saturday, and even with the middle of the Mets lineup front and center for the team’s final at-bat, that wasn’t about to change.
Juan Soto doubled leading off the ninth against Raisel Iglesias, but the Mets were still left empty-handed in a 3-1 loss to the Braves at Citi Field.
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Soto’s shot to left field was originally ruled a home run but changed to a double after replay officials determined the ball caromed back into play off the top of the left-field fence and wasn’t touched by a fan.
Francisco Alvarez’s double-play grounder ended it, after Mark Vientos struck out and Marcus Semien walked.
“Nowadays you have two elite guys throwing the eighth and ninth so it’s never easy,” Soto said. “It’s no excuse for us to keep losing after trailing after eight, but it’s not easy.”
The Mets received a solid performance from Sean Manaea, in his first start this season. The left-hander, who has been used in various relief roles, pitched a season-high six innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts. He threw 84 pitches.
Eli White’s RBI double in the second delivered the game’s first run. Manaea allowed a leadoff single to Matt Olson before White’s shot (he took third on the throw) brought in the run. Manaea recovered to get the next two outs without an additional run scoring.
New York Mets pitcher Austin Warren (44) gives up a solo home run to Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (23) during the eighth inning on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
White cleared the left-field fence with two outs in the fourth to extend the Mets’ deficit to 2-0. The homer was the third Manaea allowed in his last three appearances. But Manaea was finished allowing runs for the day.
Manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that Manaea may have shed the training wheels and will be allowed to continue as a starter.
“He continues to earn that opportunity and for him to go out there and have that type of outing, it puts himself in a way better position and he’s going to only make us better,” Mendoza said.
The Mets lost on a game-ending double play with two runners on base in the ninth inning. Robert Sabo for NY PostAtlanta Braves center fielder Eli White (36) advances to third base on his RBI double during the second inning. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Vientos stroked an RBI single in the sixth that brought in the Mets’ only run. Bo Bichette doubled and Vientos delivered after Soto was retired by reliever Dylan Lee. Vientos snapped an 0-for-17 skid with the hit.
The scuffling Vientos began the day hitless in June with strikeouts in six of his 12 at-bats. Vientos’ chase rate of 37.5 percent for this season — placing him in MLB’s 13th percentile — is a strong indicator of where he needs improvement.
Vientos was asked before the game if he’s received any words of encouragement from the Mets’ field staff.
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“I don’t think we’re at a level where people need to boost your spirits,” Vientos said. “This is either perform, or don’t. I don’t think any type of ‘go get them’ out there is going to fix anything. It’s just either you do it or you don’t.”
Austin Warren allowed a solo homer to Michael Harris II in the eighth that gave the Braves a 3-1 lead. It was a third straight appearance in which Warren allowed at least one run. The right-hander surrendered a go-ahead, two-run homer in San Diego on the Mets’ last road trip and followed that with a shaky inning (two earned runs allowed) against the Cardinals as an opener.
The Mets still can earn a series victory and .500 homestand with a win on Sunday, but a 31-39 team needs much more than the ability to tread water.
“We have been having a lot of tough times with the injuries, so I feel we have been good,” Soto said. “We have been having the rookies play great baseball, we have the guys playing good games, so it’s really cool to see.”
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 11: Carolina Hurricanes Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour cheers on his players in the locker room after winning Game Five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 4-2 at Lenovo Center on June 11, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Rod Brind’Amour isn’t the type to take credit, but it’s time that he gets some.
A lot can be said for why the Carolina Hurricanes currently hold a 3-2 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights, and are now just one game from winning the franchise’s second ever Stanley Cup — the first in 20 years. But there might not be a bigger reason than the one behind the benches, where Brind’Amour has seemingly coached the best series of his career and gave the Canes a big advantage.
The Hurricanes’ 4-2 win on Thursday night over the Knights wasn’t just the result of the power play finding its rhythm, Carolina’s stars finally joining the party or having the right man in net — it was a display of coaching ingenuity on one side against a fleet of desperate coaching decisions on the other.
Heading into the locker room after the second period of Game 3, the Hurricanes found themselves down 4-0 after a four-goal period onslaught from the Knights, which included Mitch Marner scoring the fastest hat-trick in Stanley Cup Final history.
Up until that point, the Canes had probably been outplayed for six of the eight periods in the series. The easy thing would’ve been to roll over. Instead, whatever Brind’Amour said during the intermission must have worked. His adjustments certainly did. Brind’Amour pulled Frederik Andersen — who had been arguably the best goaltender in the playoffs — in exchange for Brandon Bussi, who had never played in a playoff game. He switched the lines that the Canes had run for most of the season and all the playoffs, choosing to adapt on the fly.
As a result, Carolina stormed back to tie the game. After a crazy bounce in double overtime gave the Knights the win, there was little panic from the Canes after such an emotional defeat.
Leading up to Game 4, all the talk was about who the Canes would start in net. While it seemed as if Bussi should be the answer, there were questions surrounding whether giving a goaltender his first start in a pivotal, must-win game of the Stanley Cup Finals was the right move. Some even questioned Brind’Amour’s stubbornness and whether he would even be open to starting Bussi. But Brind’Amour didn’t flinch. He went all in and gave Bussi the nod in goal.
And for the first time all series, it felt as if Carolina finally controlled the majority of the game. Bussi went on to make 18 saves, including ones that Andersen hadn’t consistently made during the series. On top of the successful goalie change, the newly minted line of Ehlers-Staal-Jarvis ended up scoring the game winning goal.
In Game 5, the adjustments were even more apparent. Bussi once again played well while the different line combinations worked. Jordan Martinook, who was moved up to play with Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho — who have both struggled recently — played a pivotal role in Aho’s first even strength, non-empty net goal since the second game of the playoffs.
Maybe more eye opening has been the difference in coaching between Brind’Amour and John Tortorella. With Carter Hart struggling this entire series in net for the Knights, Tortorella has refused to take him out, unlike how the Canes pulled Andersen.
When Carolina opted to switch their lines, Tortorella chose to do the same. And unlike when Brind’Amour did it, the move has backfired on Vegas. Switching up Marner’s line that had been elite all postseason, as well as messing up the Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev connection, has failed.
No one’s talked about it, but the biggest advantage that the Carolina Hurricanes have had during the Stanley Cup has been coaching. Brind’Amour has simply outcoached Tortorella.
From a numbers standpoint, the Canes have also slightly adjusted their style of hockey. It’s been less about throwing every puck on net and more about generating high quality chances — something that is crucial when facing a goaltender like Hart, who was on the top of his game entering the finals.
In the first three playoff series, Carolina averaged 33.7 shots and 3.2 goals per game. This series, the shots are down almost six to 28 per game, but the goals have increased to 4.2.
Of the 21 total playoff series coached under Brind’Amour, this is the fourth lowest in terms of shots per game. Yet, it’s the second highest scoring series in goals per game.
It’s clear that the Canes had to adjust how they faced this Vegas team, which they did courtesy of Brind’Amour. Those adjustments have worked and have been a major reason as to why the Canes are leading the series.
If coaches were eligible for the Conn Smythe, Brind’Amour would have an argument.
For all the critics that have spouted for years that Brind’Amour’s man-to-man defensive system paired with an overly aggressive forecheck can’t win it all, close your eyes. For all those that have believed, hold on. It’s happening.
Jun 13, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Daniel Schneemann (10) is congratulated by teammates for his two-run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the third inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
The Tigers’ ace returned to the mound looking healthy, but a little rusty as well. The lineup stranded a bunch of runners, and then largely went to sleep in the middle innings as the Guardians took the game 3-1, clinching a series victory on Sunday.
Tarik Skubal returned the mound just five weeks after hitting the injury list for a nanoscope procedure to take a bone chip out of his elbow. It’s a remarkable story, but it will still take some time to see if Skubal can get back to fully dominant Tarik Skubal form.
The Tigers staked him to a little lead before he even got into the game. Gleyber Torres swung at Joey Cantillo’s first pitch and smoked it off the right field wall for a double as right fielder Chase DeLauter crashed into the wall. Kevin McGonigle was first pitch swinging too, and pulled a broken bat ground out to move Torres to third. A pretty ugly Matt Vierling AB followed with a ground out to third that couldn’t score the run, but Dillon Dingler smoked a single into right field for a 1-0 lead. Riley Greene followed with a single to move Dingler to third, but Jahmai Jones grounded out on a nice play from Jose Ramirez to send us to the bottom half.
The first pitch Skubal threw was a 97.9 mph sinker that Angel Martinez fouled cruelly off the top of his foot. It took a bit to shake that one off. The next pitch saw him chop one to Torkelson for the first out. Jose Ramirez flew out to Riley Greene. Chase DeLauter did a nice job taking a 100 mph heater and lining it to left field, particularly as his side was still killing him, and the Guardians decided to pull him from the game. Daniel Schneemann pinch-ran for him. Skubal punched out Rhys Hoskins, and apart from feeling for his changeup, the Tigers’ ace looked great.
Cantillo carved up Torkelson and Wenceel Pérez in the second. Hao-Yu Lee, just back up from Toledo, flared a single into left field to turn the lineup over. Cantillo was wild with his fastball, but he was spotting curveballs, changeups, and cutters just fine, and got Torres to ground out to end the frame.
In his second inning of work, Skubal showed some effects of the off time. He gave up a one out single to Travis Bazzana, and then hit Stuart Fairchild. The duo pulled off a double steal, and Dingler fired high to Lee at third and down the left field line, scoring Bazzana. Austin Hedges chopped one high to third, but Lee leapt and snared it, firing home to cut down Fairchild. That was a heck of a play. Skubal punched out Bryan Rocchio to end the inning in a tie game.
Steven Kwan took over for Martinez in left to start the third inning, as the latter was still dealing with the effects of fouling a pitch off his foot in the first inning.
McGonigle opened the third with a line drive single to right center field. Vierling pulled a grounder through the left side for a single of his own. Dingler swung through a changeup for the first out. Greene flew out to right field, with McGonigle tagging and taking third. Jones remained a study in futility, chasing curveballs down and striking out to strand two.
Ramirez flicked a dying quail into right field and hustled it into a one-out double in the bottom of the third. Schneemann got an 0-2 heater on the inner edge and launched it to right field for a two-run shot. 3-1 Guardians. Skubal punched out Hoskins and David Fry, but his pitch count was already over 55.
The Tigers went in order in the fourth, and Skubal walked Bazzana to open the bottom half. Fairchild dropped a bunt to Skubal’s left, but Spencer Torkelson charged it, and once Skubal made the play Torres had to come too far to cover first and everyone was safe. Hedges dropped down a bunt to Lee at third, who fired to first for the out. Rocchio grounded sharply to third, but Lee picked it and again fired home to cut down Bazzana. That’s two runs saved by Lee already in this one. Rocchio stole second with Skubal not paying him much attention. Kwan flew out to center to end the inning. Still 3-1 Guardians.
The Tigers made three quick outs on contact in the fifth, making it nine straight retired by Cantillo after allowing six hits early on. Skubal racked up two easy outs in the bottom half, but as he hit 80 pitches, his outing was over. The 0-2 fastball to Schneemann was a mistake, at least in the location it ended up, but otherwise Skubal looked healthy and his velocity was better than before the injury. There was a little rust present in terms of command, but overall pretty impressived that he’s back to full strength. Kyle Finnegan came on to retire Rhys Hoskins to end the inning.
So, with Cade Smith lurking at the end of the line, the Tigers had three innings to make something happen.
RHP Colin Holderman took over from Cantillo in the sixth, and for some reason, Jose Ramirez came out of the game with Kyle Manzardo taking over at third and Kwan moving to center field. That put Rhys Hoskins in left field, and Dillon Dingler greeted Holderman with a drive off the wall in left that Hoskins completely lost. The ball bounced away from him as Dingler raced around to third. An unproductive out from Riley Greene followed as he struck out swinging wildly at three straight curveballs down. Kerry Carpenter hit for Jahmai Jones and took an 0-2 breaking ball off the foot. Torkelson couldn’t make contact, as he chased a breaking ball a foot out of the zone. Great work. Colt Keith hit for Pérez, and it really felt like the game was going to come down to this at-bat. Keith drilled one deep to center, but Kwan caught it at the warning track, and again the Tigers couldn’t score a run from third.
Finnegan got the first two outs in the bottom half, with James Outman taking over in center field in Keith’s spot with Pérez out of the game. Fairchild paddled a single up the middle, and Hedges pulled a 1-0 fastball for a single over Lee into left field. Bryan Rocchio was up, and Chris Fetter came out for a meeting about how to handle him. The plan worked, as he grounded out to Torres.
Hunter Gaddis took over for the Guardians in the seventh. Torres drew a one out walk, but McGonigle offered at a high slider and popped out. That left it to Vierling, who lined one softy to Bazzana to end the inning.
Tyler Holton took over for the Tigers with a set of lefties coming up and the Guardians bench largely exhausted by injuries. He got Kwan on a shallow fly ball, but Manzardo singled. Schneemann grounded one to Torkelson, who fired to second, and since Schneemann didn’t bother to run it out, McGonigle fired it back to first for an inning ending double play.
Tim Herrin struck out Dingler and Greene to start the eighth. Kerry Carpenter handled Herrin’s breaking stuff better, lining a single to right and taking second when it got away from Fairchild. Steven Vogt wasn’t going to let Herrin face Torkelson, and turned to closer Cade Smith to slam the door with a four-out save. Smith quickly got ahead 0-2, and then Torkelson got a mistake fastball that was supposed to be above the zone, but he just fouled that one off and ultimately struck out.
Kenley Jansen took over in the bottom of the eighth to get his feet wet after two weeks on the injured list. He popped up Hoskins for the first out, then froze Fry with a 95.1 mph cut fastball. Bazzana whiffed on a good slider, and it was last call for the Tigers in this one.
The Tigers were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position in this one, stranding 9 different runners.
Outman worked a full count against Smith, and then appeared to take a called strike three. However, he challenged it and was correct. The Tigers had a leadoff walk. Would magic follow? Well, not from Zach McKinstry, who struck out on 98 mph on the outer edge. Torres got a few gift calls with the Guardians having already blown their challenges. He eventually spanked a single through the right side, and now things were getting interesting as Kevin McGonigle dug in and I begged for a first pitch heater down the middle.
Smith missed with a cutter away first pitch, though McGonigle had to challenge to get the call correct. The rookie fouled off a pair of fastballs and worked the count full, and fouled off a few more heaters as Smith’s pitch count hit 30. Ultimately, McGonigle hit a slow chopper and Rocchio just threw him out. So, runners at second and third, two outs, and Matt Vierling up. He grounded out to third on the first pitch. Game over.
It won’t get any easier tomorrow, as Casey Mize returns from the IL to duel a tough starter in Gavin Williams at 1:40 p.m. ET.
A Knicks superfan on Long Island is celebrating the team’s historic NBA Finals run with a lavish, 10,000 LED light display that cost $5,000 and took 40 hours to install.
James Hentschel, who is known for his elaborate light displays outside his Deer Park home, has had the Knicks-themed blaze of blue and orange up since Game 1.
“If they win tonight, it’s not coming down for at least a week or two. If they don’t, it stays on until they win,” Hentschel, 48, told The Post on Saturday
Knicks superfan James Hentschel decked out his Long Island home for the NBA Finals. Courtesy James Hentschel
The contractor purchased the Govee curtain lights last year, and painstakingly installed them in the back and front of his house.
The lights are connected to an app, which enables him to change the scenes year-round for every celebration from Halloween and Christmas to the Fourth of July and his children’s birthday.
On Sunday, he will also be adding a light display for the UFC Freedom 250, which is being held on the South Lawn of the White House.
The lavish setup cost $5,000 and took 40 hours to install. Courtesy James Hentschel
Hentschel, who also commemorated the Knicks’ playoff run last year outside his house, said neighbors near and far drive by to marvel at the decorations.
“Cars just stop, take pictures, stop, take pictures … and videos,” he said.
His wife isn’t as excited about being in the limelight.
“She tolerates it, I would say. It’s not her favorite thing. But it occupies me and keeps me happy.”
