Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson knocked a two-run ground rule double against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Athletics continued their interleague series with the Braves today at Truist Park in Atlanta. Making his first official start of the season for the A’s was 30-year-old righty Aaron Civale. He was 4-9 with a 4.85 ERA last season for three MLB ball clubs. Civale matched up against 28-year-old lefty José Suarez for the Braves. Suarez just pitched in nineteen innings for the Braves last season, going 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA.
After a quiet top of the first inning, the Braves got on the board first when reigning National League R-O-Y Drake Baldwin knocked his third homer of the year to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the second, Brent Rooker led off with a single but was erased on a double play ball by Soderstrom. Max Muncy walked and advanced to second on a balk and scored on a single by Andy Ibáñez. Lawrence Butler and Denzel Clarke each walked and Jacob Wislon hit a ground rule double to drive in two.
Max Muncy doubled to lead off the fourth inning. Andy Ibáñez drove in his second run of the game with a base hit. Headed to the bottom of the fourth, the A’s led 4-1.
Shea Langeliers knocked his fourth homer of the year against the team that drafted him to bring the score to 5-1 for the A’s.
In the bottom of the sixth, Hogan Harris replaced Aaron Civale. Civale’s final line:
5.0 innings, two earned runs, four hits and one walk. He struck out three.
Harris flirted with disaster walking the first two Braves of the inning but buckled down and escaped unharmed.
Denzel Clarke ripped a single into right centerfield, and then Jacob Wilson shocked the stadium with a bunt single down the first base line. Shea Langeliers ground into a double play, erasing Wilson but moving Clarke to third with two outs. Kurtz flied out to left field to end the threat.
Justin Sterner replaced Harris in the bottom of the seventh, he walked Dominic Smith and then Mauricio Dubón reached on a throwing error by Max Muncy. That brought up Ronald Acuña Jr. who struck out swinging.
Scott Barlow replaced Sterner in the eighth. This was his third appearance in the kelly-green and gold. He tossed a 1-2-3 inning to get the A’s to the ninth.
Mark Leiter Jr. was brought in to shut the Braves down in the ninth. It would be his first save opportunity of the year. He didn’t make it easy on himself, but in the end, he struck out former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and got Drake Baldwin to pop out to end the game. The A’s first victory of the season came at the expense of the Atlanta Braves, 5-2.
The A’s go for the series win tomorrow at 9:15 AM PDT.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Chase DeLauter #24 and Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians embrace after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on March 30, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s see if Jose can get back on track tonight, huh?
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 28: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball as Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers plays defense during the game on January 28, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
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Dealing with a busted bracket?
The Sweet 16 is almost here – who’s still alive? We’re reviewing the week that was in the first week of the NCAA tournament and turning our focus to remaining teams. How bad (or good!) is your bracket? Join us in the SB Nation March Madness Feed and let’s talk about who’s most likely to make a run to glory.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter at Chase Center on March 27, 2026 in San Francisco, 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. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before Draymond Green was the defensive anchor of a dynasty, he was a scouting report outlier.
The 2012 draft profile reads like a eulogy for a young player trying to find his way into the league “Lacks the ideal size to play power forward. Lacks the quickness to play on the wing. Does not have a go-to move in the post.” The kindest thing the scout could offer was that his intangibles “might allow him to succeed as a role player in the NBA.” Thirty-five players went off the board before him.
That document is now a collector’s item of catastrophic misjudgment.
With Draymond sitting just 10 rebounds away from tying Larry Smith’s 6440 boards for third on the Warriors’ all-time rebounding list, it’s worth stopping and actually saying that out loud. Third in franchise history is CRAZY.
Good Lord willing, soon Green will only be behind Nate Thurmond at 12,771 and Wilt Chamberlain at 10,768. Wilt freakin’ Chamberlain, who once averaged 27 rebounds per game for an entire season. Green, the tweener from Saginaw who wasn’t supposed to guard small forwards or power forwards at the next level, is 11 pulls from the glass away from passing Larry Smith and sitting alone behind two of the most physically dominant players the sport has ever produced.
The beautiful irony is that Draymond got there by being exactly what the scouts said he wasn’t. Not through length nor vertical pop. He did it through positioning, anticipation, timing, and a refusal to let a basketball hit the floor without a fight. Every rebound feels like a closing argument against every front office that thought he had no true position, no clean fit, and no obvious future. You can’t measure his tremendous work ethic, superb positioning after the shot is released, and feel for the game that only got sharper once the stakes got higher.
Skip Bayless says Draymond Green is a first-ballot hall of fame player
“This is the crazy thing about this man. He has averaged for his career 9 points 7 rebounds and 6 assist. And he is a first-ballot hall of famer. So think about that but has that ever. I’m not blowing smoke… pic.twitter.com/rSKY7m2Uai
And that is what made him so indispensable. Draymond didn’t just complement the dynasty, he was the unlock mechanism. The Splash Brothers needed someone who could defend every position, push the break, organize the chaos, and make the next read before the defense knew the question. He is the connective tissue, the player who took all the hard, unglamorous work and turned it into structural advantage. The Warriors don’t win four titles without Stephen Curry bending the geometry of the sport. They also don’t win them without Draymond Green solving the puzzle of how to build around that kind of genius.
Wait, speaking of Curry…wait Unanimous sits eighth on this same list at 4,957 rebounds?!
In case anyone needed a reminder, the greatest point guard in basketball history has been quietly pulling down boards for over a decade and a half while we were all watching him break our brains from 35 feet. The man shows up everywhere in the Warriors record book and still somehow manages to surprise you.
But this particular moment belongs to Draymond. Ten rebounds from tying history, eleven from owning it outright. The scouting report said he does several things well but nothing great.
MIAMI (AP) — Griffin Conine hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, and the Miami Marlins scored four runs in the fourth in a 9-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.
The Marlins, who were hitless in the first three innings, got their first hit in the fourth when Xavier Edwards singled off starter Erick Fedde (0-1). Agustín Ramírez doubled, then Liam Hicks sent them both home with a hit deep down the first baseline. Hicks leads MLB with eight RBIs this season.
Center fielder Luisangel Acuña committed two errors moments apart on throws to home. The first came on Owen Caissie’s single that drove in Hicks, and then on Heriberto Hernández’s single that sent Caissie home and gave Miami a 4-2 lead.
Fedde threw 80 pitches over five innings, earned four strikeouts, three runs and a walk.
With Hernández on third, Graham Pauley bunted. Relief pitcher Bryan Hudson overthrew the throw to home, giving the Marlins their fifth run. Conine and Hicks scored on sacrifice flies in the seventh and eighth.
Munetaka Murakami singled to drive in Edgar Quero, and Andrew Benintendi hit a line drive to right field to bring Acuña home and give the White Sox a 2-0 lead in the second.
Anthony Bender (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings with a strikeout and a walk. Marlins starter Janson Junk allowed two runs and five hits with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
Up next
Chicago's Sandy Alcantara (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts against Shane Smith (0-1, 16.20) in the series finale Wednesday.
For the second consecutive year, the Los Angeles Lakers will finish the regular season atop the Pacific Division.
The Lakers (49-26) clinched a playoff spot and the division title before their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night even tipped off, thanks to the Phoenix Suns' 115-111 loss to the Orlando Magic earlier.
While the Lakers have historically dominated the Pacific with 26 titles since the division was established in 1970-71, their current run of two straight since the arrival of head coach JJ Redick snapped a dry spell that began after their NBA championship run in 2019-20.
The red-hot Lakers — winners of 11 of their last 17 — currently sit as the third seed in the West after Monday, one game ahead of the fourth-place Denver Nuggets and three games ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets. And with their postseason spot now in hand, LA could have a chance to cement their claim at the third spot with wins over the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Suns and Utah Jazz.
Los Angeles, CA - March 30: Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) smiles while standing next to teammate Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) as they receive Silver Slugger awards prior to the start of a MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on Monday, March 30, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 31: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrates his solo home with Brandon Nimmo #24 in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 31, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Bill Streicher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles were forced to turn to their bullpen early Tuesday night, which ended in disaster as the Rangers scored seven runs against the pen to down the O’s 8-5.
After starter Zach Eflin left with two outs in the 4th, the Orioles’ pen began a rollercoaster ride that had way more downs than ups. Lefty Grant Wolfram kicked off the 5th by allowing an opposite-field single to Brandon Nimmo. Outfielder Wyatt Langford then turned on a sinker left over the plate, lacing it into the left-center gap. After the ball wedged under the outfield wall padding, Langford ended up on third and Nimmo raced home to score, giving Texas a 2-1 lead.
In a left-on-left matchup against Corey Seager, the two-time World Series MVP slashed a Wolfram sinker into center, with the single just evading the sliding catch attempt of Colton Cowser, allowing Langford to scamper home. The left-handed reliever would avoid any other damage that inning, but his efforts set the unfortunate tone for the bullpen.
The Baltimore bats did their best to try to keep the Orioles in the game. Trailing 1-0 in the 4th, Pete Alonso launched his first home run as an Oriole, turning on the fastball of former teammate Jacob deGrom and depositing the baseball in the Orioles’ bullpen.
Down 3-1 in the 5th, the offense again came through, using a two-out rally to tie the game at three. Blaze Alexander kicked off the rally by flipping a deGrom slider into right field for a single. Taylor Ward then extended the inning by hitting a high chop to deep shortstop for an infield.
After homering on Monday night, Gunnar Henderson came through with another big hit to tie the game. The star shortstop attacked a fastball up and away, sending a towering fly over the head of Langford in left, ricocheting off the wall for a two-run double that tied things at three.
Those efforts proved futile as the relievers couldn’t keep the Rangers off the scoreboard. With the game tied 3-3, Yennier Cano entered in the 6th. The former All-Star gave up a one-out double to Evan Carter, who then moved to third on a groundout. Cano looked to end the threat unscathed against Nimmo, but the Texas leadoff man smacked a broken-bat single into center field to give the Rangers a 4-3 lead.
Things only got worse when Yaramil Hiraldo entered in the 7th. The already much-maligned Hiraldo didn’t help his popularity in Birdland when he gave up a leadoff walk to Seager and a flair single to Jake Burger. His popularity cratered three batters later when he gave up a two-out, three-run homer to Texas catcher Danny Jansen. The longball finally crushed the Orioles’ hopes Tuesday, putting them down 7-3.
Popular rookie Anthony Nunes pitched the last two innings, picking up two strikeouts but allowing his first run in the majors on a solo HR off the bat of Seager. Across four relievers, the bullpen combined line of 5.1 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 1 BB and 4 K.
A desperate, 9th-inning comeback attempt fell short but made the scoreline look more acceptable. Against the oldest active MLB reliever, Chris Martin, Tyler O’Neill started the inning with an HBP and moved to second on a Colton Cowser Single. After two quick outs from Jeremiah Jackson and Alexander, Ward doubled into the left-center gap to clear the bases and give the O’s some consolation runs. With the tying run on deck in the form of Pete Alonso, Gunnar Henderson grounded out to second to seal the loss.
Adding injury to insult was the injury to the O’s No.5 starter, Eflin. Making his first start of 2026, the 31-year-old right-hander looked really sharp early in the game. After giving up a flyout to the warning track to lead off the 1st, Eflin punched out Wyatt Langford on a sinker at the knees and struck out Corey Seager on an excellent changeup away.
Normally known as a control guy who pitches to contact, Eflin had swing-and-miss stuff throughout the first three innings. He started out the 2nd by striking out Jake Burger on a changeup down and away before getting the second out on a perfectly thrown back-foot sweeper.
After working out of a two-on, two-out jam in the 2nd, Eflin gave up his only run of the evening in the 3rd. Against Rangers No.9 Ezequiel Durán, an 0-1 sweeper caught too much of the plate, and the Texas infielder launched the ball over the left field wall for a solo HR. The blemish didn’t bother Eflin, however, as he bounced back by punching out Brandon Nimmo on a sinker on the inside corner. He then punctuated the 3rd with a backwards K of Burger, dropping a CB right over the outside corner.
The veteran right-hander started off the 4th with his seventh punchout of the night, getting Joc Pederson to swing through a 3-2 changeup away. From there, things started to go downhill for Eflin. With two outs, Jansen hooked a ground ball down the left field line for a double. Eflin then walked Carter to give the Rangers a two-on, two-out opportunity.
The Orioles righty threw one pitch to Duran, a curveball that didn’t come close to the zone, and then signaled for the trainer to take him out of the game. After Grant Wolfram came in and finished the inning, Eflin’s line closed at 3.2 IP on 74 pitches, with 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB and 7 K. Later in Tuesday night’s broadcast, Kevin Brown reported that Eflin left with “right elbow discomfort.”
Despite the frustration that comes with the loss, it was a great day at the plate for some of the newest Orioles. Alonso had the home run and a single off fellow former Met deGrom. The ninth-inning double from Ward was his fourth base knock of the game, giving him the first four-hit game of his MLB career.
Ace Trevor Rogers will return to the mound tomorrow to try and salvage the final game of the series against the Rangers. First pitch is scheduled for 12:35pm ET.
It was a fun night in Sunrise for the Florida Panthers and their fans as the Cats continue counting down on their regular season.
Florida put on one of their best offensive performances seen by their fans in what probably felt like a while, taking down the Ottawa Senators 6-3 Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena.
The Panthers got off to a fast start thanks to a miscommunication between Senators defenseman Jordan Spence and goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Almost immediately after the game’s opening faceoff, the puck was shot into Ottawa’s zone and it bounced off the boards in the corner and came back toward the slot.
The two Senators appeared to think the other was going to play the puck, and instead it went through them and right to a cutting Noah Gregor, who one-timed the puck past the out of position Ullmark just eight seconds into the game
Less than a minute later, Mackie Samoskevich finished off a pretty passing play that saw the puck go from Sam Bennett to Matthew Tkachuk to Seth Jones before finding its way back down to Mackie for a quick goal at the side of the net.
Just 66 seconds into the game and Florida found itself with a 2-0 lead.
Florida wasn’t done there.
About midway through the period, Carter Verhaeghe picked up a Jones rebound at the side of the net and wired the puck through Ullmark to make it 3-0 Cats just 9:09 into the game.
After about a five-minute break, the Panthers got back to the offense.
Goals by Verhaeghe and A.J. Greer just 34 seconds apart gave Florida an eye-popping 5-0 lead on Ottawa with 5:24 still left on the first period clock.
As one might expect, the Senators came out after the first intermission appearing to have had a fire lit under their backsides.
After keeping Florida hemmed in their zone from the start, Drake Batherson scored right off an offensive zone draw, beating Daniil Tarasov over the glove, exactly 100 seconds into the second period.
The goal didn’t spark a Senators comeback attempt, though.
Later in the period, Matthew Tkachuk got in on the fun, taking a nice pass from Sam Bennett and beating James Reimer to make it 6-1 Florida with 7:19 left in the middle frame. It was Tkachuk’s fourth point on the evening.
Spence then decided it was time to make up for his opening-shift blunder, picking up the game’s next goal on a shot that deflected off Verhaeghe on its way past Tarasov, cutting Florida’s lead back down to four with under five minutes to go until the intermission.
Michael Amadio picked up the game’s next goal, one-timing a pass from Ridly Greig past a sliding Tarasov at the 4:29 mark of the third period to cut further into the Cats’ lead.
Ottawa spent a large chunk of the third period on the power play after Noah Gregor was handed a match penalty for a hit to the head of Carter Yakemchuk, who needed help to the locker room by a couple of his teammates.
Despite spending five straight minutes up a man, including a lengthy two-man advantage in the middle of the power play, the Senators failed to get one past Tarasov and the Panthers.
Photo caption: Mar 31, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) scores a goal past Ottawa Senators goaltender James Reimer (47) during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)
Mar 31, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoots against Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) during the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images
The Phoenix Suns lost to the Orlando Magic 115-111 on Tuesday. Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points, but Collin Gillespie was the only other Suns starter to score in double digits. The Suns struggled to shoot from both the field and from three. While the Magic had 25 turnovers, the Suns had 20. The team’s two-game losing streak has been snapped.
Phoenix trailed for the majority of the contest, not taking their first lead until early in the fourth quarter. However, on the second night of a back-to-back, the Suns’ offense went cold down the stretch, going more than five minutes without hitting a field goal late. To start and end the game, Phoenix had trouble executing offensively.
Now 42-34 on the year, it’s looking more and more likely the Suns will be in the play-in. The question is will be it as the 8th or 7th seed. Their lead over the Clippers is now just 2.5 games.
Game Flow
First Half
It was a tepid start for the Suns. Technical fouls were flying for both teams and the Suns had just two made field goals in the first 5;35 of the game. Orlando was up 20-8 about halfway through the first. Phoenix was able to cut the lead down to single digits, going on an 8-0 run to end the quarter. It was 28-21 Orlando after the first quarter.
The Magic pushed the lead back to double digits early in the second with a 5-0 run. Phoenix started to creep back around the midway point of the quarter. Jordan Goodwin had an impactful four-point play that cut the deficit to five.
Want to know how Dillon brooks is back? He picked up four fouls in the first half and had to be subbed out less midway through the second because of his foul troubles.
When the Suns cut the lead down to a one-possession score, Orlando responded with a 9-0 run. For the rest of the half, Orlando had a sizable lead Phoenix just couldn’t crack too deeply into. At the half, the Suns trailed the Magic 70-56.
Second Half
To start the third quarter, Phoenix quickly cut their second half lead in half and more some. An 11-2 run prompted an early Orlando timeout, and the Suns pushed the game into a one-score contest at 80-77. Jordan Goodwin was flying all over the court. With Brooks in foul trouble, Goodwin anchored Phoenix’s defense.
The Orlando lead hovered around five points. Phoenix struggled to retake the lead. When Phoenix cut it to two with less than two minutes left in the third, Desmond Bane hit a straightaway triple. It was the perfect depiction of how the final six minutes of the third went until the end. A quick 8-0 run by the Suns to end the third tied the game up at 94 heading into the fourth.
Phoenix’s first lead of the game came early in the fourth quarter, with a Rasheer Fleming slam. The game went back and forth. Neither team was able to build more than a possession lead. Both offenses started to slow down their paces. Grayson Allen started to find a bit of a rhythm after a rough start to the game.
Down 109-107 with 4:08 left, Jordan Ott and company called a timeout. Both team’s offenses remained static and couldn’t generate baskets or good looks. Down the stretch, Phoenix’s offense especially struggled. They went over five minutes without making a field goal which ended up being their kryptonite and ending their two-game win streak.
Up Next
The Suns will face the Hornets on Thursday for their third game in four nights and their third game of their four-game road trip. Phoenix beat Charlotte 111-99 last month back in Arizona.
Mar 31, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Jose Suarez (54) throws against the Athletics in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Looking for another series win, the Braves had Jose Suarez on the mound facing the A’s and Aaron Civale.
Things started nicely for Atlanta and for Suarez, as Jose struck out two of the 3 A’s he faced in the first. Drake Baldwin continued his torrid hitting to start the season with a first inning homer to right center, giving Atlanta a 1-0 lead. Olson notched an opposite field single, but that was the extent of the offensive output in the first.
Baldwin's third homer of the season came off the bat at 105.4 mph. That is the fifth ball he has hit 100 mph or harder this year. Yandy Diaz entered today leading MLB with 9 balls hit 100-plus mph. Michael Harris II was one of 14 MLB players with at least six such exit velos. pic.twitter.com/chpbRPy9xD
Jose allowed some traffic in the second, as he allowed a leadoff single and induced a double play before a walk, a balk, and a single allowed the A’s to level the game up at 1 run. Suarez continued to struggle, issuing two more walks to load the bases with two outs. A ground rule double brought home two more runs for the A’s, as Suarez was lucky it bounced over the fence, sparing a third run from scoring on the play. Suarez was able to limit the damage with a strikeout of former Braves’ prospect Shea Langeliers, but that second inning is exactly the fear when starting a guy like Suarez, even as it didn’t involve any homers.
After three groundouts from Atlanta in the home second, Suarez came back with another two strikeouts and another scoreless inning. The A’s offense broke through again in the fourth with a double and a single to go up 4-1. Suarez got two more outs to finish his second time through the Athletics’ order before Weiss wisely pulled the plug before allowing him to face the top of the order again. Joel Payamps was the first pitcher out of the bullpen and extinguished the threat in a couple pitches. Suarez issued more walks than you would want in a 3.2 inning outing, but he did also miss more bats than you would expect for his profile, accumulating 6 strikeouts and 9 whiffs. After another hapless inning on offense against Civale, Payamps came out and left a sweeper center and up in the zone to Langeliers who yanked it just inside of the left field foul pole for a solo homer, putting Atlanta in a 5-1 hole. Payamps then struck out Kurtz and Rooker before he was pulled for Martin Perez. Perez finished the inning with a strikeout of Tyler Soderstrom.
The Braves clawed a run back with singles from Dominic Smith and Mauricio Dubon and a sac fly from Ronald Acuna. Perez worked a clean sixth on three contact outs. Back to back walks from Austin and Yaz presented an opportunity for Atlanta in the sixth with one out, but righty Ozzie and Michael Harris were unable to convert the opportunity. A line drive single and a bunt single spelled trouble for Martin Perez in the seventh, but a double play and a flyout got him out of the inning.
A walk and an error put two runners on with no outs in the bottom of the seventh for the top of the Atlanta order. Ronald struck out, as he continues to scuffle to start the season, at least in terms of results. Baldwin hit a ball well but it turned into an out and Matt Olson struck out ending the threat and keeping the score at 5-2 going into the eighth. Perez worked another scoreless inning on three contact outs, making for a very efficient 4.1 inning outing with no runs, 6 whiffs, and 3 strikeouts.
The Braves didn’t lie down without a fight in the bottom of the ninth, as singles from Harris and Dubon put the tying run at the plate with one out and Ronald Acuna at the plate as well as Drake Baldwin on deck. Ronald had a pretty brutal at-bat to strike out, handing the keys to the game over to Drake, who got under one and popped up to second base, ending the game.
Join us again for a getaway game at 12:15 PM ET with Chris Sale on the mound to decide the series.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 31: Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after scoring a goal in the first period during the game against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pregame
The Penguins welcome Evgeni Malkin back from a four-game absence with a hand injury, but they have a scratch so late it doesn’t make the lineup card. Bryan Rust does NOT play tonight after taking warmup, his lower body injury keeps him out so Avery Hayes is in the game in place with the top lines all scrambled around at the last moment.
Great start for the Penguins, who are able to keep the momentum from last night’s seven-straight goals to close the game against the Islanders going for a while longer. Pittsburgh strikes 4:19 in, Sidney Crosby wins a puck off the wall and centers for Rickard Rakell. Rakell patiently waits and holds, traffic builds in front of the net and Rakell shoots back against the grain to the top corner. 1-0 Pens.
That's 20 goals this season for Raks, who has points in 13 of his last 14 games (9G-9A) 💪 pic.twitter.com/GqmENk9s5T
It’s Anthony Mantha time a few minutes later after a scramble happens right at the goal in front of John Gibson. Mantha is able to collect himself, pull the puck out of the mayhem far enough to lift it back over the dogpile. 2-0 Pens, and Mantha is now a 30-goal scorer in the NHL.
Looks like Jacob Bernard-Docker is trying to give his team a lift by talking Connor Dewar into a fight, which is pretty admirable since it doesn’t look like Bernard-Docker actually knows how to fight. Or maybe he bit off more than he could chew and just hung on for dear life as Dewar sent some glancing blows off him before wrestling him down.
Pittsburgh gets the first power play of the game when Elmer Soderblom gets high-sticked by a former teammate, a most unusual power play occurs where neither team changes any players, it’s all zone time for the Pens and a few looks off the stick of Erik Karlsson, but no goals.
Undeterred, the Pens score shortly after the power play. Egor Chinakhov kinda pulls up on the rush and fires a shot that glances off the defenseman and make the puck change directions to end up going short-side on Gibson. He was already leaning the other way. 3-0 Pens.
Dominant performance, shots are 14-5 PIT. Had Gibson not made a few nice saves there could have been even more damage done than the 3-0 score after 20.
Second period
The Red Wings put Cam Talbot in the net for the start of the second period.
Detroit gets their first power play of the game after Mantha gets himself in trouble on the forecheck for holding/hooking the defender and gets on the board five seconds into it. The Red Wings win the faceoff, Patrick Kane fires a low shot to create a rebound and Dylan Larkin is able to punch in the rebound. 3-1.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 1, 2026
The Pens find an answer, Connor Clifton steps in front of a slow clearing attempt and sends a shot back. Justin Brazeau is there to get a small deflection on it near the front of the net. 4-1 game.
Detroit gets a few chances late but can’t shrink the score again in the second period. Sam Girard and Lucas Raymond get too chippy with each other after a whistle in a scrum and we get 4v4 hockey as a result.
Shots in the second are 9-8 Red Wings, the Pens aren’t going full throttle but they’re still engaged enough to maintain.
Third period
Larkin gets called for a tripping minor to grant Pittsburgh a 4v3 power play for a limited amount of time.
In the second night of the b-2-b and up big in this one, the Pens are drifting off now. The Red Wings hit a crossbar really hard, it barely stays out.
Total coast mode for the Pens at this point, Detroit’s able to get into the zone, work it around, Pittsburgh keeps them mostly to the outside and then chips the puck out for the process to repeat. Stuart Skinner earns his supper with some saves, the clock keeps heading to the end.
The Pens get one more goal for the road with 7:51 remaining. Ryan Shea shoots from the point with two players posted up near the goal. Noel Acciari is the closest to the rebound and he fights off no less than Mo Seider to win a battle to punch the puck in. 5-1.
Detroit gets caught with six players on the ice. The top power play gets to work a little stress-free practice, they snap the puck around but don’t score.
Both teams come together and exchange pushes and shoves after the final whistle, won’t change the score at this point. Pens secure the victory.
Some thoughts
Sidney Crosby entered the night two points behind Steve Yzerman for 7th place all-time on the NHL scoring list. Yzerman, GM and legend of the Red Wings, shame Crosby could only tack on one point to inch closer but not tie or pass on this night. Given the bigger picture, hardly a note anyone ought be concerned with.
Anything and everything was going the Pens way early. Bryan Rust a very last minute scratch? No worries, just kinda make some last minute changes as you go, it all works out. Rakell and Mantha will score anyways.
Those two are just scorching hot right now. Rakell now has seven goals in the last five games. Mantha, per Bob Grove, scored three goals over the course of six shots. Always a thing of beauty when really good players start performing at clincal levels.
A lot has been made (well, OK, maybe more accurately a little) about Blake Lizotte’s absence from the penalty kill. It’s true the PK has been bad without him. Would it be any better with him? Perhaps but that’s a hypothetical that could have any answer you’d want to imagine. Statistically though, there’s a good case to be made it wouldn’t have mattered on the first DRW PPG: Lizotte has only won 43.6% of his 126 PK faceoffs this season. Noel Acciari (the player who took the faceoff and lost it) had won 50.6% of his 189 PK draws. So probability-wise, it’s not like Lizotte would have been likely to prevent the exact same result on that play. (That example aside, it certainly is a big loss and harmful to the PK and team in general to not have Lizotte available).
Crosby had four hits on the nights officially and these were not getting credit for little bumps, a couple were big hits. One sent Andrew Copp crashing down off his feet. The intensity is definitely ramped up.
Five shots on goal and eight total attempts for Malkin. Looked pretty good in his return considering his hand was banged up.
The more I’ve seen of Soderblom, the more I’m liking it. He’s an active player and certainly makes the most of his opportunities to stand out in limited moments. His size alone can kinda make him a novelty in ways but beyond that you can see why the Penguins wanted him. He’s still just scratching the surface of the type of player he could be and seemingly *^this close^* to breaking through and being a force out there. Maybe that eludes him to fully reach his potential but it’s a worthy project to take on and see what could happen. (Can’t hurt the cause that a similarly-sized and skilled prototype in Brazeau had his major breakout this season). Threw this note in any case and stray Detroit people were checking this out of curiosity to see how Soderblom is fitting in. Slightly more impressed than anticipated.
More surprising occurrence to happen for a second night in a row: chasing the opponent’s goalie or seeing actual, legit hockey fights? Sign of the times that it’s a reasonable question. Really raises the entertainment factor on a game, if you’re cheering for the Penguins, anyways, fights and making the opponent put in their backup goalie are always good fun.
This game might have been more interesting had Alex Debrincat’s aim been true on two shots that both nailed the crossbar. The Penguins put it in coast for a good bit of this game. Luckily they survived without having to try and turn the competitiveness all the way back on.
Two more points is huge for the playoff picture, the out of town scores mostly look helpful, though all are incomplete and potentially subject to change. Columbus is tied with Carolina at press time. The Flyers longshot hopes are even on further life support courtesy of losing an unfinished game as of now to Washington. The Islanders are trailing the Sabres. The beauty of winning for the Pens is the out of town scores don’t matter as much, at this part of the year is the biggest factor is one more precious game ticks away for all parties. The runway getting shorter is one of the most important parts of them all.
Line ‘em up and knock ‘em down for the Pens right now. These last two games were long pegged as some of the most crucial and the response for two convincing wins is very encouraging. The race to the finish line isn’t quite over yet and the Pens still do have three games in a four day stretch that begins anew on Thursday night on the road in Tampa.
Andrew Painter’s Phillies debut may have come a few years later than originally anticipated, but he made sure it was worth the wait. The 22-year-old right hander tallied 8 strikeouts through 5.1 innings while being charged with one run on four hits and a walk. Painter flashed an impressive arsenal of pitches and poise beyond his years as he acted as a de facto stopper for the Phillies’ three game losing streak. Kyle Schwarber and Adolis Garcia both homered to make sure the rookie’s efforts weren’t wasted.
Brush of greatness
Painter got his career off to a fast start, picking up his first career strikeout on the first hitter he faced in James Wood with a beautifully executed curveball. That started a clean inning in the first on just 11 pitches, with first pitch strikes thrown to all three batters. His fastball velocity sat around 97-98 MPH in his first inning of work.
Painter started the second allowing a pair of singles to Daylen Lile and Jorbit Vivas, but quickly settled back in to retire the next three hitters in order to escape any damage, needing only 14 pitches total. He began the third with his second strikeout, utilizing another devastating curveball in the dirt to get Nasim Nuñez swinging. After a groundout by Wood, Painter notched his third punchout after a called third strike on a changeup was confirmed against Luis García Jr. This was already the Nats’ second failed challenge, as catcher Keibert Ruiz challenged a ball called to Alec Bohm in the second that was upheld, meaning Washington was already out of challenges by the end of the third inning.
Bohm helped Painter out to begin the fourth with a sliding catch in foul territory near the rail for the first out. But Painter’s defense then failed him on the next batter, as Lile hit a high pop up into shallow center that was not seen by any of Trea Turner, Bryson Stott, or Justin Crawford, allowing the ball to fall in and Lile to advance to second. But the young righty showed poise beyond his years, as Painter struck out the next two hitters to erase the mistake, getting Vivas on a changeup to end an eight pitch at bat and Ruiz on a slider.
Painter collected strikeout number six to begin the fifth with a slider to José Tena before Joey Wiemer worked a walk on five pitches. But once again, Painter was able to settle down and strikeout the next two hitters, getting Nuñez again on a changeup and Wood on a high 97 MPH fastball.
Painter emerged for the sixth and got Garcia Jr. to pop up before allowing a single to Abrams, ending his night. Abrams later came around to score after Painter left, but he finished strong on an impressive debut. He commanded all of his pitches, getting whiffs on his curveball, slider, changeup, and fastball. He did not get rattled when things went wrong and, most notably, got ahead of hitters and held his velocity through 84 pitches while averaging 96.7 MPH.
Kyle Schwarber launched his second homer of the season off of the second deck in the third to give his rookie starter an early lead and take some of the edge off of the Phillies offense.
Adolis Garcia added his first homer of the season in the fourth after barely missing one in the second. Garcia has hit the ball hard so far this season but has mostly found gloves. This time he muscled a sinker just over the right field wall for an opposite field home run that gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead.
The Phillies then loaded the bases with one out in the fifth on singles from Justin Crawford and Trea Turner and a walk to Schwarber. That brought Bryce Harper to the plate who hit a bouncing ground ball to first that was mishandled for an error by Nationals’ first baseman García Jr., allowing Harper to be safe at first and Crawford to score from third to push the lead to 3-0. But that was all the Phillies would get, as Bohm then grounded into an inning ending double play on the second pitch he saw.
Preserving the win
Tanner Banks allowed a run in the sixth in relief of Painter when a single by Lile went to the outfield where Garcia came up firing, but the ball skipped past Bohm into the dugout, allowing Abrams to score. Washington added another run off of Banks in the seventh when a ball hit by Wood deflected off of Banks and past Harper for a double, scoring Nuñez who previously singled. But Banks was able to escape further damage and finished 1.2 IP with three hits, one run, and two strikeouts. Brad Keller walked one in the eighth but that was it, while Jhoan Duran allowed an infield single and a stolen base before a sharp line drive was caught near the warning track by Brandon Marsh to seal the win.
Tomorrow’s matchup
The Phillies will go for their first series win of the young season when they send Cristopher Sánchez (1-0, 0.00) to the mound against Cade Cavalli (0-0, 4.91) of the Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 30: Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper #3 runs down Washington Nationals infielder Jorbit Vivas #84 during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals on March 30th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Nationals showed all of the heart and desire, but just did not do enough offensively to get over the line in Philly. While the Nats lost 3-2 tonight, they played well and hung in there despite not having a great offensive performance. It went right down to the wire with James Wood’s line drive being just within Brandon Marsh’s reach to end the game.
Final: Phillies 3, Nats 2. The Nationals' opener strategy worked for the most part, but the lineup couldn't muster much of anything against Andrew Painter in his MLB debut. James Wood drilled a ball to deep left with 2 out in the ninth, but Brandon Marsh just tracked it down.
Unlike last night, the Nats did not have their A game. Andrew Painter was having his way with the Nats lineup in his MLB debut and Zack Littell looked like a guy who signed midway through Spring Training. However, the Nats hung in there and made the Phillies work for their win.
Not rolling over when things don’t go well early is something I love to see from the Nats. While the game never got out of hand, the Phillies always felt in control. However, the Nats were always hanging around and made a valiant comeback attempt.
The Nats actually started this game with an opener. While the concept of an opener has been around for a while now, it is not something the Nats have deployed often. With Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper at the top of the Phillies lineup, Blake Butera wanted a lefty to deal with them in the first inning. That is why he turned to PJ Poulin, who fired off a 1-2-3 inning on just nine pitches. He also made a nice defensive play.
After that, the Nats new signing Zack Littell came into the game. He had an up and down outing. His velocity was up from where it had been in the spring, but his execution was still not perfect. He gave up a pair of solo homers to Kyle Schwarber and Adolis Garcia. It was not a flashy performance by any means, but Littell did go 5 innings while allowing three runs. That is a decent showing for the Nats new right hander.
However, with the Nats offense struggling to hit for impact, those three runs were all the Phillies needed. Andrew Painter made his MLB debut and showed why he is seen as a top prospect. His heater sat at 97 MPH and he mixed in a few secondary pitches as well. Painter looked like a guy who will be pitching in the big leagues for a long time.
The one guy who did see Painter well was Daylen Lile. For the day, he went three for four and did not get out against Painter. Lile is such a pure hitter and is continuing what he did in September of last year. Right now, he is mostly hitting singles, but those extra base hits are coming. Lile is the best hitter on the team.
Overall, I loved the spirit and tenacity the Nats played with, even in a losing effort. Tonight was a loss that you could accept because you could see the team fight to the bitter end. There are some nights where the Nats just don’t have the talent to get over the line yet. This team does not have a Kyle Schwarber type slugger who can swat homers at will. Maybe James Wood gets there one day, but he is not there yet.
You can question the talent on the roster, but one thing you cannot question about this team right now is their compete level. I can see them fighting out there, which is not something you could say often last year, especially down the stretch. It is nice to watch a fun team. Hopefully they can repeat what they did in Chicago and win the first and third games of the series.
Mar 31, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran (20) celebrates with Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford (36) after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored eight runs while the Baltimore Orioles scored five runs.
Jacob deGrom’s few days delay to his 2026 season was going well despite his former New York Mets teammate Pete Alonso seemingly having his number. For his first four innings, deGrom looked like his vintage self aside from a couple of hits from the Polar Bear, including a solo home run.
Staked to a 3-1 lead in the middle innings, deGrom ran into unexpected issues with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. With the ability to qualify for a victory appearing an afterthought, the O’s rallied and knocked out Texas’ co-ace.
Baltimore’s No. 9 hitter reached via a single, and an infield single one batter later brought up Baltimore’s most dangerous hitter. Gunnar Henderson delivered a two-run double on a ball that left fielder Wyatt Langford seemed to misplay and that ended deGrom’s night with the game tied 3-3.
All in all, deGrom finished his evening going 4 2/3 innings allowing six hits, three runs, while striking out seven and walking none. Not the worst outing, but not one deGrom will likely recall at his Hall of Fame speech.
And luckily for the veteran legend, the Rangers bats were up to the task of having his back. With runs scored in five of the nine separate innings, Texas collected 13 hits and scored a season-best eight runs.
Meanwhile the bullpen was also held up their end of the bargain post-deGrom with Cole Winn, Jakob Junis, and Robert Garcia each enjoying scoreless outings before Chris Martin labored a bit to get through the ninth inning, allowing a couple of runs after Texas had pretty much turned it into a blowout.
With a pair of wins in Baltimore, the Rangers have earned themselves no worse than two series wins on the road to begin the year and will go for a sweep of the O’s tomorrow.
Player of the Game: The three hitters at the top of the order had two hits apiece with Corey Seager launching a solo home run in the ninth to cap off the scoring for Texas, Wyatt Langford smacking a triple that ignited the early scoring, and Brandon Nimmo collecting the eventual game-winning RBI single after Baltimore had come back to tie things in the middle innings.
But the guy tonight was catcher Danny Jansen to add to the cache of new acquisitions who have contributed to victories early this season. Jansen went 3-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI with those runs coming off the biggest hit of the night when Jansen turned a tight one-run game into an eventual easy win with a two-out, three run home run.
Consider the momentum shifted.
Up Next: The Rangers will attempt an early season sweep in tomorrow’s finale with RHP Nathan Eovaldi named Tuesday’s starter. The Orioles, meanwhile, will also go with their Opening Day starter with LHP Trevor Rogers making his second start of the year.
They’re starting the April Fools finale from Camden Yards in the ante meridiem local time with first pitch set for 11:35 am CDT and you can watch it on the Rangers Sports Network.
