Lakers: Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Jake Laravia, Lebron James, Deandre Ayton
The playoffs start tonight for the Rockets, playing the Lakers. As you might have heard the Lakers are without Luka “Whiny Euro Boi” Doncic, and Austin “Headwhip” Reaves. You might not have heard that the Rockets might be without Kevin Durant, who has a bruised knee.
The Rockets really should roll over a Lakers team without Doncic and Reaves, but this is why they play the games.
DENVER — Jamal Murray scored 30 points, going 16 of 16 from the free-throw line, and Nikola Jokic had a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets shook off a sluggish start to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 on Saturday in the opener of their first-round playoff series.
Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and a bloody nose in a physical game between the Northwest Division foes. There were 42 fouls called, along with an unsportsmanlike technical on Jaden McDaniels for pushing Jokic in the back and a technical on Nuggets coach David Adelman. Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon picked up late technical fouls, too.
Denver has won 13 straight since losing on March 18.
Murray, who was 0 for 8 from 3-point range, and the Nuggets trailed by as many as 12 points early, but used a 17-2 run in the third quarter to build a double-digit lead. The Timberwolves, who were held scoreless for more than four minutes at one point in the third, trimmed the deficit to 97-95 with 6:23 left.
Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets shoots the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 18, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NBAE via Getty Images
Jokic had a five-point stretch to help hold off Minnesota. Murray had one of the biggest shots of the game from halfcourt. With the shot clocking winding down, he heaved it at the hoop and it grazed the rim to reset the clock. It eventually led to a dunk from Gordon that gave Denver a 108-101 lead with 1:50 left. Gordon had 17 points despite early foul trouble.
“Winning a grimy game, it’s good,” Adelman said. “Both teams are experienced and used to winning these games. They know what it means to play in a physical matchup.”
Game 2 is Monday night.
Anthony Edwards scored 22 points while playing on a sore right knee. He also had seven assists to become the franchise’s career postseason assists leader. Donte DiVincenzo had four 3-pointers.
“We’ve got to make smarter, more solid plays,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. ”We’ve got to be more composed.”
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets dribbles the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 18, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
These teams are so evenly matched that the Nuggets lead 15-14 in regular-season and playoff matchups since the 2022-23 season. Both have won a playoff series against each other during the stretch.
The first quarter featured two challenges, a technical foul on Adelman and a flagrant on McDaniels for not giving Murray enough room to land on a long jumper. It also saw Gordon pick up three fouls, with his third on an offensive call that led to Adelman’s technical.
Mullins, a projected lottery pick in USA TODAY's latest NBA mock draft, averaged 12 points per game for the Huskies as a true freshman in 2025-26, starting 29 games and playing a key role in UConn's run to the national championship game.
The 6-foot-6 guard etched his name in NCAA Tournament lore after nailing a game-winning 3-pointer to beat top-seeded Duke in the Elite Eight. And with UConn's returning roster plus its transfer portal additions, he'll be looking to win the national title in 2027 after falling to Michigan.
"Unfinished business," he wrote on Instagram.
UConn returns its entire starting backcourt next season, with Mullins pairing with Silas Demary Jr. and Solo Ball to form one of the most experienced groups in the sport. It also replaced four-year starter Alex Karaban and star center Tarris Reed Jr. with a pair of highly sought-after transfer portal recruits in former Duke forward Nikolas Khamenia and former Seton Hall center Najai Hines, both top-50 prospects per USA TODAY's transfer portal rankings.
Mullins' return gives him the opportunity to improve his draft stock ahead of being one of UConn's top scoring options next season. His likely increase in name, image and likeness compensation could also potentially pay him more in college than an NBA contract, and skipping a draft class lauded as one of the best in recent years will likely result in a better draft position in 2027 anyway.
The former five-star recruit will be one of the most-recognizable players in college basketball next season with his return.
CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, Max Strus had 24 off the bench and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors 126-113 on Saturday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
James Harden had 22 points and 10 assists while Evan Mobley had 17 and seven rebounds for fourth-seeded Cleveland, which hosts Game 2 on Monday night.
It was a playoff career high in points for Strus, who missed the first 67 games this season with a broken left foot that occurred during offseason training.
“When you see the work he’s put in all season, it’s for this moment, right? This is a regular occurrence with Max, maybe not 24 (points), but just the energy level and boost he gives us,” said Mitchell, who has scored at least 30 points in an NBA-record nine straight series openers. “You give him credit for his journey, it can be a lot on the mental for him to continue to stick with it.”
Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates during the first quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena on April 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. Getty Images
RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Scottie Barnes had 21 for the Raptors, who were playing in their first playoff game since 2022. Toronto was missing point guard Immanuel Quickley because of a mild right hamstring strain.
Jamal Shead started in place of Quickley and had 17 points, including five 3-pointers.
Barrett’s 3-pointer pulled the Raptors to within 45-41 before Cleveland broke it open with a 27-9 run over the last 1:11 of the second quarter and first seven minutes of the third.
Strus scored 11 points during the spurt and made all three of his 3-pointers as the Cavaliers went 10 of 16 from the floor, including 5 of 8 beyond the arc.
Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl grabs a rebound away from Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus during the second half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Saturday, April 18, 2026. AP
“We just kept saying in the timeouts (during the first half to) stay with it. We’re going to get separation,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We needed that separation for our confidence. Going into halftime if you are down, it’s a harder conversation with the players to trust what we’re doing.”
Cleveland’s largest lead was 24 points (100-76) on Sam Merrill’s 3-pointer 13 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Toronto came into the game averaging a league-leading 18.9 points per game, but Cleveland held them to a season-low three.
“If we allow our opponent to score 126 points, it’s going to be tough to beat them,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “Unfortunately, we had a very bad start to the third quarter with lack of execution. We were way too stagnant tonight.”
Game 1 showed why this was the most anticipated first-round series. It was physical. It was intense. And these teams do not like each other, meeting in the playoffs for the third time in four years.
Minnesota showed resilience — a 21-8 run in the fourth quarter, capped off by an Ayo Dosunmu 3-pointer, made it a two-point game with 6:23 remaining.
Then Denver showed a closing kick — exactly what you expect of a former champion looking to add to its ring collection.
After that Dosunmu 3, Jokic scored 7 of his 25 on the night — to go with 13 rebounds and 11 assists — and he got some help from teammates.
Denver pulled away for the 116-105 win at home to take a 1-0 lead in the most anticipated series of the first round. Game 2 is Monday night at 10:30 ET on NBC and Peacock.
Jamal Murray led all scorers with 30 points, going 16-of-16 from the free throw line and carrying the offensive load in the first half. It is exactly what makes the Nuggets a title contender, the Jokic/Murray combination. Denver also got 17 points and eight rebounds from Aaron Gordon, who reminded anyone who forgot how critical he is to this team on both ends of the court.
The Nuggets' defense, which was an unimpressive 21st in the league in the regular season, showed up on Saturday and held the Timberwolves to a 104 offensive rating (12 below its season average).
Anthony Edwards, coming off a knee issue that sidelined him at the end of the season, was clearly limited. He finished with 22 points on 7-of-19 shooting, with nine rebounds and seven assists, but he started the game 4-of-12 and was not moving well. At the same time, Julius Randle was off his game. Julius Randle started the game 3-of-11 and could not find his rhythm, finishing with 16 points (on 16 shot attempts). The best Minnesota player of the night was Rudy Gobert, who finished with 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting, and he did a respectable job on Jokic when the big men were matched up.
It was a fittingly even first half in a series that is expected to be close. Minnesota took the first quarter by 10 behind a strong first 12 minutes from Jaden McDaniels (10 points). Denver took the second quarter by 10 behind a big quarter from Jamal Murray, who scored 14 in the frame. It was a largely even half with Minnesota getting buckets in the paint (28 in the first 24 minutes) and Denver getting to the line 21 times, led by
Denver pulled away in the middle of the third with a 17-2 run, in part due to a four-minute drought by the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves were getting frustrated, as evidenced by Jaden McDaniels shoving Jokic in the back and picking up a technical for no good reason. By the end of a quarter in which the Timberwolves shot 6-of-24, they were lucky to be down only a dozen, 91-79, entering the fourth.
Minnesota instantly responded with a 17-6 run, and Rudy Gobert's return was key. It was a game.
Until the Nuggets looked like champs again down the stretch.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 18: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. 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 Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After two brutal injury blows to end the season, the Lakers are on the other end of the pendulum this time.
Prior to Saturday’s Game 1 against the Rockets, Houston head coach Ime Udoka said Kevin Durant would be out for the contest. KD had been listed as questionable with a right knee contusion, an injury he suffered after bumping knees with a teammate in practice on Wednesday.
For now, it’s unclear how serious an injury this is for Durant. Considering KD played in 78 games this season, it has to be a pretty serious injury to keep him out for this contest. Udoka said the hope is that he’s only out for a single contest.
Ime Udoka said the hope is Kevin Durant is only out for one game.
In his absence, Reed Sheppard will start for the Rockets. That changes the dynamic of the starting lineups, but also gives the Lakers a clear player to target on the other end, a LeBron James specialty.
Ime Udoka said Reed Sheppard will enter the starting lineup in the absence of Durant, alongside Josh Okogie, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith and Alperen Sengun.
The Lakers will still have an uphill battle for the Lakers, but the steepness of that hill has come down significantly. Houston was 4-0 without Durant this season, but the wins were against Phoenix, Golden State, Indiana and Memphis.
Without Durant, the Rockets lose the centerpiece of their offense and a lot more pressure and attention shifts to players like Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson. On the season, KD averaged 26 points on 52% shooting from the field and 41.3% from three. His usage rate of 27.1% was highest on the team among rotation players.
LA still has a job to do and still needs to execute at a high level to come away with a win on Saturday. But, again, this allows them more avenues and pathways to success.
If they’re able to grab Game 1 of this series and turn the pressure up on the Rockets, a team seemingly looking for reasons to quit on one another, then things could suddenly change and the vibe of this series might change entirely.
Apr 11, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner (18) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
The Mile High City is abuzz on Saturday.
The Denver Nuggets kick off their first round playoff series against the Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Over at Mile High Stadium, 70,000+ tickets have been sold to welcome Lionel Messi to town, as the Colorado Rapids take on Inter Miami for a 30th anniversary celebration. Back at Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers for the nightcap on a busy Denver sports day.
Hopefully the Rockies can bring some fireworks with them.
The Rockies have scored three or fewer runs in six of their last eight games. That’s only worked out for them once, in a 3-2 win against the Houston Astros on Thursday. They’ll need to find some offensive consistency to have a shot against L.A.
Standing in the way of that is Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA). In his last start, Sheehan made it through six innings on just 77 pitches, giving up four hits and two home runs along the way. He surrendered three runs, all at the hands of Brandon Nimmo (a solo home run in the first and a two-run homer in the top of the sixth).
Painting a more complete picture of Sheehan’s wins is a look at the scoring behind him. He’s gotten plenty of run support in the games he’s started, with L.A. averaging 8.64 runs across his starts. The Dodgers offense has been firing on all cylinders.
Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30 ERA) takes the mound for Colorado, looking to prevent Los Angeles from inflicting the damage they did yesterday in their 13-hit, seven-run win. They hopped on the Rockies early, scoring in each inning from the first through the fifth. In his last outing, Feltner started sharp but fizzled out, posting two scoreless innings before giving up three runs in the third and three more in the fourth.
Sheehan vs. Feltner is the highest-ERA pitching matchup on the docket around the league today. It will be a battle of who blinks first. Or, maybe more accurately, who blinks the least.
These two teams are on vastly different trajectories in the NL West at the moment. Over the last 10, the Dodgers are 8-2, while the Rockies are 3-7. The juggernaut Dodgers are always a tough test, but the Rockies will need to steal one this series to stop the skid.
Could a slugfest at Coors be the setting to do just that? Or is the Rockies offense too flaky right now to bet on against the powerful Dodgers bats?
Apr 18, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Today was a matchup of two of the early 2020s biggest pitching stars, a former Cy Young Award winner versus a two-time All-Star and top-five Cy Young finisher. But it was the elder Brandon Woodruff who got the best of an uncharacteristically wild Sandy Alcantara today, and Brice Turang reached base four times, homered, and knocked in three runs to lead the Brewers to a comfortable 5-2 victory.
On Alcantara’s second pitch of the game, Sal Frelick hit a well-placed soft line drive to shortstop that was fielded on a bounce by Otto Lopez, who could not get it to first base in time to beat the speedy Frelick. But Frelick was followed by two Brewers who made solid contact, but weren’t as lucky with their placement: William Contreras hit a 101 mph fly ball to center, which was caught, and Brice Turang hit a hard ground ball up the middle, straight at Lopez, who was positioned to easily turn a double play.
The Marlins were aggressive against Woodruff in the bottom of the first, and made some decent contact, but had nothing to show for it: Woodruff needed just nine pitches to retire Jakob Marsee, Xavier Edwards, and Agustín Ramírez.
Alcantara struck out Gary Sánchez and got a groundout from Jake Bauers to start the second, but with two outs Luis Rengifo lined a double into the left-field corner—in a bizarre statistical quirk, that gave Rengifo six doubles out of only nine total hits on the season. Garrett Mitchell followed with a walk, but Brandon Lockridge grounded out to end the inning and the Brewers couldn’t quite come through on the two-out rally. They did, however, make the ultra-efficient Alcantara throw 22 pitches in the second inning.
Woodruff got ahead of Liam Hicks to start the bottom of the second, but couldn’t put him away, and Hicks ended up at first with an infield hit when Ortiz was able to dive and stop a ground ball but was unable to make a throw. Ortiz made a nice play on the next batter, when Lopez hit a chopper to short that Ortiz threw him out on (with the aid of a nice pick from Bauers). Connor Norby, though, came through with a clean ground-ball single up the middle, which scored Hicks from second. Neither of Miami’s hits was hit all that hard, but they were hit in the right spots. Woodruff got the last two outs with a couple of fly balls to keep the deficit at one.
Ortiz drew a leadoff walk in the third, and after a Frelick fly out, Alcantara walked Contreras and Turang, too—an unusual bout of wildness for Alcantara, who came in with just six walks in 30 1/3 innings. The three walks loaded the bases for Sánchez, but unfortunately this was a meeting of skillsets that did not work in the Brewers’ favor: Alcantara, who gets a lot of double plays, got a ground ball from Sánchez, who probably would’ve beaten the throw to first if he were anyone else on the Brewers. But he is Gary Sánchez, and beating double play relays is not his strong suit, and the Brewers were unable to answer the Marlins’ opening run.
Like Alcantara, Woodruff also walked the number-nine hitter to start the bottom of the inning, in this case Javier Sanoja. Marsee did Woodruff a favor by flying out on the first pitch he saw, and Edwards burned the Marlins’ second ABS challenge in the process of striking out. Ramírez worked back from 0-2 to 3-2 but grounded out to short to end the inning.
Bauers led off the fourth with a fly ball to the warning track in left, but it didn’t have quite enough juice to get out. Rengifo drew a one-out walk, Alcantara’s fifth of the game, and he advanced to second on a groundout from Mitchell. Lockridge fell behind 0-2, but fouled off three 0-2 pitches before lining an RBI single into center that tied the game. Lockridge continued his good inning with a steal of second with Ortiz at the plate, but Ortiz popped out to end the inning. Still, tie game.
Hicks picked up a single with a soft line drive to center on a 1-2 pitch to start the bottom of the fourth. Some defensive confusion followed: Lopez hit a ground ball to Bauers, who started a throw to second, but changed his mind. Bauers instead turned and tossed to Woodruff, who seemed to think that Bauers had thrown it to second, and he wasn’t looking, and the ball went by him. But the Marlins were confused, too, and Contreras, who backed up the play, was able to throw Hicks out at third. It was scored as an E3, with a fielder’s choice at third. Norby followed and hit a ball hard to deep center, but it held up for Mitchell, who caught it on the warning track. Lopez tagged and advanced to third, but he was stranded there when Owen Caissie struck out looking (on a 95.7 mph fastball, his hardest of the game).
The Brewers had the top of the order against Alcantara in the top of the fifth. Frelick popped out for the first out, and it looked like Contreras should’ve grounded out, but Edwards, the second baseman, just missed the ball, and it trickled into center field and the hustling Brewer catcher made it into second base. It would have been a sort of tough play for Edwards, who moved quite a ways to get there, but it certainly looked like a play that should’ve been made—the official scorer, though, generously gave Contreras a double. Whether Contreras reached on an error or not didn’t matter when, on the very next pitch, Turang blew up an Alcantara cutter right down the middle and hit it out over the wall in right-center. 3-1 Brewers.
Alcantara walked his sixth batter, Sánchez, after the homer; that tied his career high for a single game, and matched the total number he’d walked through his first four starts this season. Sánchez moved to second on a wild pitch, but Bauers popped out and Rengifo lined out to left (on a batted ball with a .770 xBA, credit to the Marlins’ defensive positioning) and the inning ended.
Woodruff retired Miami in order on three fly balls in the fifth. Alcantara’s afternoon was over when he was relieved by Anthony Bender, but Miami’s wildness was not. Mitchell drew his second walk to lead off the sixth and stole second to give the Brewers a prime chance to add on. Lockridge struck out, but with Ortiz at the plate Mitchell advanced to third on a wild pitch and then Ortiz drew his second walk, too. With runners on the corners, Miami brought its infield in, and Frelick hit a chopper to second. Lopez threw home, and Mitchell was called out at home, but Milwaukee challenged the call and it was overturned.
Frelick was credited with an RBI fielder’s choice, and the Brewers still had runners on first and second with just one out. Bender struck out Contreras for the second out, but Turang lined a single to center that scored Ortiz and made it 5-1. Sánchez was hit between the shoulder blades with a 97 mph sinker that got away from Bender, and that was his last pitch; with the bases loaded and Bauers up, Miami moved to Lake Bachar—surprisingly, not a lefty. Bauers made hard contact on a hanging curveball, but lined out to left field and the inning ended.
Woodruff was back out for the sixth and had only thrown 65 pitches. He worked quickly through the sixth, too, with a major assist from Lockridge, when a pop fly that looked like it was going to be a bloop hit ended up in the glove of the Brewer left fielder, who caught it on a full dive.
Bachar continued in the seventh and allowed a two-out walk to Lockridge but otherwise had no trouble. Woodruff was back out for the seventh with his pitch count at 75. He got Lopez to fly out to right, and then Lockridge almost made another spectacular play not unlike the great catch he made in foul territory in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Woody did get that batter, Norby, to pop out, and after a bit of a battle he struck out Caissie to put a cherry on top of a very good day.
Woodruff became the first Brewer pitcher to complete seven innings this season. He threw 92 pitches, and allowed only four baserunners, three hits and a walk. The only blemish was the run that resulted from two sub-95mph ground balls in the second inning, and he struck out four. He finished his outing stronger than he started it, by retiring 11 straight Marlins.
In his third inning of work, Bachar gave up a two-out walk to Turang but had no other trouble. Woodruff was replaced in the bottom of the inning by Jake Woodford (no relation). Woodford got two quick ground-ball outs, allowed back-to-back two-out singles to Marsee and Edwards, but got out of it with a ground ball from Ramírez that ended the inning.
Lefty John King was the new Marlins pitcher in the ninth, and he issued a two-out walk to Mitchell (his third and the team’s 11th today) but struck out Lockridge on three pitches to end it. With a four-run lead in place, Woodford was given a chance to finish the game in the bottom of the ninth. One-out singles from Lopez and Norby prompted a visit from Chris Hook while Abner Uribe warmed in the bullpen, and another hit, this one by Caissie, loaded the bases and ended Woodford’s afternoon.
Uribe entered with a four-run cushion and only two outs to get but with the tying run at the plate. On Uribe’s first pitch, Heriberto Hernández hit a grounder to third. Rengifo threw to second for the second out, but Turang held the ball instead of trying for the double play, and a run crossed for Miami. They were down to their last out, though, and Sanoja grounded out harmlessly to second and the game was over.
That’s four in a row for Milwaukee, and a second straight series victory after their slide of a week and a half ago. Woodruff was the big star today, but Turang carried the offense: he was 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and two walks. Frelick and Lockridge also contributed RBI, while Mitchell walked three times and Ortiz did so twice.
The Brewers will go for a sweep tomorrow when these two teams will participate in another good pitching matchup: Jacob Misiorowski versus Eury Pérez. That game is at 12:40 p.m.
Aug 6, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Griffin Jax (22) reacts after striking out Los Angeles Angels second baseman Christian Moore (4) with the bases loaded during the eighth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images | Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images
The Rays had high expectations for Griffin Jax when he was acquired at last year’s trade deadline. After some poor batted ball luck but mostly good results to finish the 2025 season, Jax has gotten off to an uneven start in 2026. While it is unfortunate that he has allowed runs to score in four of his nine appearances this season, I don’t think there’s any cause for concern yet. His stuff is still plus across the board and he has a strong track record as a reliable high-leverage reliever. Jax’s location consistency – particularly with his sweeper – appears to be the main driver behind his early struggles.
I’ve been tracking what I call “command deltas” across the league dating back to 2023. I’ll share a brief summary of what a command delta is, but you can read more here and here. A command delta measures how tightly a pitcher clusters a pitch around its intended location. It’s calculated by combining the variation in both horizontal and vertical pitch locations, then grading that number on the 20-80 scouting scale (lower = more consistent, higher = less consistent).
Like most pitch-level metrics, it takes time to stabilize – typically around 100-150 pitches depending on the pitch type. It’s not a standalone evaluation of command, but it can be useful when paired with metrics like strike rate, zone rate, and pitch-level heatmaps.
Below are Jax’s command delta grades from 2023 through the very small sample we have so far in 2026 (excluding pitches that he didn’t throw at least 100 times in a season):
2023
2024
2025
2026
Four-seam fastball
53
68
56
52
Two-seam fastball
58
NA
61
70
Offspeed
–
58
56
63
Curveball
–
–
–
57
Sweeper
56
62
54
45
While it’s too early to say definitively what Jax’s location consistency will look like at the end of this season, we can still look at the patterns:
His four-seam fastball location consistency is slightly above average and largely in line with prior seasons, but might get a bit better across a larger sample
His two-seam fastball locations are very consistent, and that will likely regress but still remain above average
His offspeed location consistency is plus and will likely regress a bit too, but still remain above average
His curveball is something he has flashed a little bit in the past and the locations are fairly consistent, but we’ll need to see more before we can draw any significant conclusions
His sweeper locations have been significantly less consistent than what we have seen from him in the past and are currently below average
The command deltas point to the sweeper, and the visual data supports that.
And compare it to the heatmap for his sweeper so far in 2026:
The data suggests Jax is struggling to consistently locate his best pitch. As Nick Fortes noted after Friday’s game against the Pirates, it’s been an ongoing issue. More consistent sweeper execution would force hitters to respect the pitch and expand the zone more often. His chase rate on the pitch typically sits around 40%, but this season it’s just over 20% while the chase rates on his other pitches are roughly aligned with his career averages. Once he’s able to get hitters to respect his sweeper again, they’ll have more difficulty timing up his fastball shapes.
Finding better execution of his sweeper is easier said than done. If it was as simple as I’m making it sound, Jax would have fixed it already. The shape of the pitch will vary a bit year to year, but its pretty close to the shape he showed in 2024, so that makes a grip change less likely as the root cause. The catcher set-ups also appear consistent, suggesting it’s not a cueing issue.
If the team wanted to reduce pressure while he finds his feel for the pitch again, Jax could open some games. He is currently coming into high pressure situations late in a game where he has to execute. Obviously, your high-leverage relievers have to do this – it’s part of the job. However, allowing for a different mental approach where he can “grip it and rip it” with lower stakes could be beneficial in helping him reset his execution of the pitch. Although role changes are rarely this simple in practice, Jax could later be moved back into high-leverage after he’s had some time to regain his feel for the pitch.
Regardless of the role, there’s reason to believe that Jax and the staff will get his sweeper back to being a dominant pitch. Given that the sweeper drives a significant portion of his chase and put-away ability, even small inconsistencies can have outsized effects on his overall performance. In short, this looks less like a decline in stuff and more like a temporary loss of feel for a pitch that drives his entire profile.
Apr 14, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) celebrates a three pointer against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second half during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
In the biggest game of the season, Jalen Green gave you the version you dream on, the one that makes all the volatility feel worth riding out.
It has been a ride this year, hasn’t it? He arrived with the Phoenix Suns in the Kevin Durant deal with a reputation that felt equal parts promise and chaos, durable, inconsistent, and explosive. He’s the kind of player who can swing a game in either direction depending on the night. On Friday against the Golden State Warriors, it all tilted in the right direction. 36 points, 14-of-20 from the field, 8-of-14 from deep, in a performance that felt like it kept climbing every time you looked up.
JALEN GREEN CARRIES THE SUNS TO THE PLAYOFFS‼️
• Back-to-back 35+ point games 🔥 • 36 PTS and 8 threes to eliminate the Warriors 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/yy5cY9lDxu
This is the blueprint. Teams load up on Devin Booker, they send bodies at him and crowd his space, and they dare someone else to step into the moment. The Warriors did it. The Portland Trail Blazers did it. Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, you can already see it coming. Make Jalen Green beat you.
On Friday night, he looked at that challenge and leaned into it. Four Loko went loco, launching those off-balance, leaning, fading threes that make you wince on release and laugh when they splash. And for the second straight game, they dropped. That is the Jalen Green experience. He is going to take those shots. Every time. Some nights it looks like superstardom unfolding in real time. Other nights it can get sideways quick, with possessions drifting, rhythm disappearing, and frustration creeping in.
Right now, it is the good version. The one you want and the one the Suns needed. His play-in run was absurd, averaging 35.5 points per game on 57/48/83 splits. The question now shifts to what this looks like against the Oklahoma City Thunder, because the airspace he enjoyed in the Play-In is about to disappear.
He was living comfortably against the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers, and the numbers back it up. On 49 shot attempts, 21 came with the nearest defender 4+ feet away. That’s 43% of his shots coming in what feels like a gym workout. That led to rhythm shooting. That is catch, rise, fire, and jog back on defense while the crowd is still reacting.
That geometry is about to change.
Against Oklahoma City, every dribble is crowded, every catch has a body attached to it, and every move is met with length and intent. Devin Booker and Jalen Green are walking into a defense that takes pride in suffocating the point of attack, one that forces you into decisions you do not want to make and then punishes you for making them. You look up and it is Lu Dort, then Cason Wallace, then Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sliding into help, then Alex Caruso lurking like a problem you did not account for. It keeps coming. It does not let up.
Clean looks will be rare. Easy rhythm will be rare. Space will feel like a luxury. If Booker and Green find a way to produce anyway, it is going to say a lot, because not many teams crack that code, especially on the perimeter where Oklahoma City builds its identity.
And yet, the takeaway from the Play-In does not change. Green is ready and willing to take the shot. He does not shrink from the moment; he leans into it, even when it veers into chaos. There are times it can work against him, the shot selection can drift, the balance can disappear, and you are left riding the result possession by possession. But he keeps stepping into it. He keeps asking for it.
Over these last two games, it has been the version you want. Confident. Aggressive. Unbothered by the noise. And it adds something real to the Phoenix Suns’ offense. He brings a layer that nobody else on the roster replicates. It’s a kind of pressure that bends a defense in a different way, into a different rhythm, with a different kind of threat. You saw flashes of it all season through the injuries, through the inconsistency, through the uneven stretches.
This was the full version. A stellar performance, a strong Play-In run, and now a much tougher test waiting on the other side.
Apr 18, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
After a frustrating 1-0 extra innings loss in game one of this series, the Detroit Tigers sent their ace to the mound looking to even things up. Tarik Skubal was very good, the Tigers beat up on Bryan Bello to build an early lead despite squandering some chances, and the bullpen was nails.
It was a cold, humid day in ol’ Beantown as the Tigers looked to even the four-game series with their ace on the mound. The conditions, including a breeze blowing in, didn’t auger well for a ton of power, but in Fenway Park you never know what you’re going to get. Of course, with Tarik Skubal you generally do know what you’re going to get, and he dominated the Red Sox without breaking much of a sweat.
After a quiet night offensively from both teams on Friday, the Tigers got going out of the gate on Saturday afternoon. Kevin McGonigle started the game off with a single, and after Bryan Bello froze Gleyber Torres with a cutter at the top of the zone, Colt Keith singled right through shortstop Andrew Monasterio. A newly patient and disciplined Riley Greene drew a walk to load the bases, and the Tigers were in business.
Bello found his command long enough to carve up Spencer Torkelson with more well located cutters down and away, continuing his bizarre career long futility with the bases loaded, but Kerry Carpenter drew a walk to force in a run. That was all the Tigers would get as Wenceel Pérez grounded out to end the top half of the first.
Tarik Skubal was on it from the start in this one, spinning a 1-2-3 bottom of the first. Jake Rogers and McGonigle hit the ball hard against a still scuffling Bello, but both went for outs. Skubal stormed back out to the mound and struck out the side swinging in the bottom of the second. His fastball command was sharp and the changeup was dancing. Good times.
The third inning was uneventful, but in the top of the fourth, after Torkelson took a called strike three on a dangerous 0-2 cutter right down the middle, Kerry Carpenter stepped in and launched a 1-1 changeup threw a fairly stiff breeze and into the visitor’s bullpen. 2-0 Tigers.
That homer rattled Bello. He walked Wenceel Pérez, and got a 97 mph first pitch sinker down and in and banged it off the Green Monster for a double. Pérez couldn’t score because left field is the size of an average midwestern backyard, but Jake Rogers lifted a fly ball out to Raffaela in center field, and Pérez made a really nice wrap around slide to score just ahead of the tag after a strong throw in. That made it 3-0, and Mr. McGonigle promptly did his thing, lining a sharp single to right to plate Báez for a 4-0 lead.
Skubal, uncertain with all this run support, walked Roman Anthony to start the bottom half, but then punched out Monasterio, Willson Contreras, and Trevor Story in a row to snuff any glimpses of hope for the Red Sox.
Jovani Morán took over for Boston in the fifth. Riley Greene challenged a 3-1 pitch that turned out to be 0.1 inch below the zone—we love an accurate measurement—and walked, but that went nowhere as Torkelson continues to be locked up and passive at the plate, getting called out on strikes yet again. Swing the bat, Spencer.
Skubal finally got himself into some trouble in the bottom half. Wilyer Abreu slapped a single up the middle and Rafaela doubled to center field. Chris Fetter came out for a chat as Skubal looked like he was feeling for his timing, but he promptly walked Caleb Durbin to load the bases. Fortunately, he escaped relatively unscatheed, as Connor Wong bounced to Torres near second base for a double play. Abreu scored, but Isiah Kiner-Falefa flew out to end the inning. 4-1 Tigers.
Jake Rogers doubled to center in the sixth with two outs, but McGonigle grounded out. Meanwhile, Skubal was still a little shaky at this point. His changeup was outstanding, but some of the fastballs weren’t crisp, and of course we’re not in midsummer Skubal territory where the velocity starts creeping up to 99-100 mph more often. Still, he was on the ball whenever he needed to be.
Anthony and Monasterio started the bottom of the sixth with solid singles, and once again Skubal had to lock in. He did so, freezing Contreras with a great changeup that was actually below the zone. Contreras was too disgusted by the filth to challenge and accepted his fate. A pair of whiffs at changeups sent Story to the same fate as Skubal’s 10th victim of the day, and Abreu grounded out to Torres to squander a good scoring opportunity. We like this. 4-1 Tigers.
Colt Keith went 1 for 3 with a single in this one as the DH, but with one out in the top of the seventh, Dillon Dingler pinch-hit for him against the lefty Morán. He flew out to center and Greene struck out to end the inning as Morán had really gentled the Tigers.
Skubal’s day was done with 6.0 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 10 K. Still a pretty spectacular outing, with a whopping 19 whiffs on 43 swings, but his velocity was still down a bit even by spring levels, averaging 95.9 with the fourseamer. Still, that was his first double digit strikeout game of the season, and his ERA stands at 2.08.
Tyler Holton took over in the bottom of the seventh. He racked up quick outs on meager contact from Rafaela and Wong, with a strikeout of Durbin sandwiched between them.
Right-hander Greg Weissert took over in the eighth for the BoSox, while I begged Spencer Torkelson to swing the frigging bat for crying out loud. He did so, tapping a little ground out off the end of the bat. Progress! Carpenter spanked an opposite field single, but grounders from Pérez and Báez ended the inning.
Holton cruised through the bottom of the eighth, punching out Anthony swinging over a sinker below the zone, and we were on to the top of the ninth.
Zack Kelly took over for Boston, getting Rogers on a ground out to start the frame. McGonigle smoked a line drive right to Monasterio for the second out. Torres dumped a little excuse me swing single into right field, but Dingler flew out to right field.
So, it was Kenley Jansen time. After watching him pump 95-97 mph quite a bit in Detroit, the Tigers’ closer was back down to 93 mph in this weather, but he was reasonably sharp anyway. Contreras reached for a cut fastball away off the plate and lined a single to left, but Story bounced a chopper to Báez who fired to Torres for the first out. The Tigers’ second baseman decided not to try and turn the double play, looking like he didn’t immediately get a perfect grip and choosing discretion over heroics. Abreu sliced a liner to Greene in left, and Jansen mixed in the slider to Rafaela, getting him to pop out to Torkelson on a cutter up to end this one and collect save number 481 in his storied career.
Solid win. Skubal handled business and owned the Red Sox most of the game without really extending himself. The Tigers swung the bats pretty well apart from Torkelson, who looks completely locked up mentally right now. He’ll probably play against Garrett Crochet on Sunday, but he really looks like he could use a couple of games off to try and hit the reset button. Hopefully Colt Keith is keeping up his extra work at first base.
Notes
90 plate appearances into his rookie campaign, Kevin McGonigle is hitting .312/.411/.481 with a 157 wRC+, just a hair outside of the top 20 hitters in the game so far.
It may surprise you to learn that the Tigers offense has the lowest chase rate of any team in baseball so far, with a 27.7 O-Swing rate coming into today’s game.
Of course, not chasing is great, but Spencer Torkelson’s O-swing is just 14.2 percent and it isn’t doing him any good because he’s taking called strikes at a 19.2 percent rate, roughly two percent higher than at any point in his career. Does someone have the ABS system on the brain? I don’t know, but swing the bat, Spencer.
His through their first 21 major-league games: * Kevin McGonigle: 23 (including today) * Shohei Ohtani: 20 * Alex Bregman: 17 * Mike Trout: 16
— Tony Paul | Detroit News (@TonyPaul1984) April 18, 2026
PITTSBURGH — In a physical, chippy start to the playoffs Saturday night, the Flyers beat the Penguins, 3-2, at PPG Paints Arena.
Travis Sanheim scored the go-ahead goal at the halfway mark of the third period as the Flyers took Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series with Pittsburgh. The Flyers’ defenseman made a skillful move to split two Penguins and fire home the puck from the slot.
Porter Martone provided important insurance with an absolute snipe. Bryan Rust made it interesting for Pittsburgh with a late goal. However, the Flyers held on, thanks to a key save by Dan Vladar.
Jamie Drysdale opened the scoring past the midway point of the game, but Evgeni Malkin struck later in the second period to make it 1-1.
Rick Tocchet’s club, though, played a strong defensive game and had a terrific third period.
On Malkin’s game-tying goal, the Flyers got stuck in the defensive zone. Vladar made an initial save, but the rebound sprung to Malkin, who fired away from the circle.
But Vladar was his reliable self and the Flyers didn’t give up many quality looks.
Pittsburgh netminder Stuart Skinner was solid, turning away a number of good chances by the Flyers. He had 17 saves on 20 shots.
Sanheim and Martone beat him on sharp shots.
Before that, Skinner stopped Denver Barkey in the third period after the rookie picked off a pass to go the other way.
A little before the halfway mark of the game, Skinner denied an Owen Tippett breakaway after Tyson Foerster made a great stretch pass. But the Flyers struck 58 seconds later when Drysdale scored his first career playoff goal.
Since March 1, the Flyers were tied for the second-most power play goals allowed with 19. But in that span, they were the stingiest defensive team at 5-on-5, giving up a league-low 30 goals.
The Flyers didn’t give Pittsburgh much.
Meanwhile, the Flyers thought they had a power play goal and 1-0 lead in the first period when Christian Dvorak careened toward the net. He ended up barreling into Skinner slightly before the puck crossed the goal line. The officials waved it off immediately and stuck with the call after some consultation.
So, in a simpler way of putting it, the league credited Skinner with the save before Dvorak ran into him, which caused the puck to come loose.
Think about this: Martone was just 2 years old when Sidney Crosby won his first of three Stanley Cup titles. Interestingly, Martone got the chance to see Crosby up close last offseason as teammates on Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
“You could say he’s kind of like your hockey idol when you’re a kid,” Martone said after morning skate. “Win Stanley Cups, captain of Team Canada, he’s kind of the face of the NHL, too. It’s someone who I’ve looked up to as a kid. You see what he has done for the game of hockey. He’s not just a great hockey player, but he’s an even better human, what he does in the community. So it’s going to be exciting to go against him this series.”
Martone played well in his first taste of the playoffs. He made some things happen and didn’t try to do too much. He also shrugged off a so-so start. His goal was a beauty and pretty much sealed the Flyers’ win.
• Led by Sean Couturier and Garnet Hathaway, the Flyers’ fourth line played with a style that’s needed this time of year.
Tocchet relied on that line to start the first and second periods. The veteran group finished its checks and was dependable all night.
• The series picks back up Monday with Game 2 at PPG Paints Arena (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
Apr 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) warms up before a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
I mean, what can you even say?
Ten straight losses in ten straight losses, which is bad, no good, terrible, pick whichever word or phrase from the thesaurus you would like. The bats have looked better the past two days, with the Mets netting 14 hits yesterday and seven today, but no one diehard enough to read an Amazin’ Avenue recap after the tenth straight loss will, or should, care about the smallest of moral victories here.
The game was close for most of it, with Freddy Peralta and Jameson Taillon both pitching well, in similar ways. Taillon struggled early on, allowing two base runners in the first, an enormous home run to Mark Vientos in the second, and a base runner in the third, before settling in nicely to finish the day with a strong quality start.
Peralta worked a perfect first inning, allowed a similarly enormous home run to Ian Happ in the bottom of the second, tying it at one apiece at the time, before working around trouble in the rest of the inning. Peralta, similar to Taillon, was strong in the middle innings, allowing just a single base runner in the third, fourth and fifth.
The bottom of the sixth was where it fell apart for Peralta; kind of, anyway. He got the first two outs of the frame and simply hit a wall, walking Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki to put two on with two outs. Clearly tiring, Carlos Mendoza opted to bring in Brooks Raley to face Moisés Ballesteros. Cubs manager Craig Counsell answered by pinch hitting Carson Kelly, who put the very first pitch Raley through into the seats to make it 4-1.
The Mets battled back a bit in the eighth against Ben Brown, as Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor led off the inning with infield singles (though, for my money, the Lindor single gave off more of an error vibe but who’s complaining?). Luis Robert Jr. beat out a would-be double play ball, MJ Melendez struck out on a check swing, turning it from a potential rally to a “oh here we go again” scenario. Francisco Alvarez reached on a throwing error by Nico Hoerner, who was shifted up the middle, ranged to his right, rushed the throw, and brought Michael Busch off the first base bag. The Mets rejected the gift they were given quickly after that, as Mark Vientos grounded out quickly to end the rally.
The ninth inning was trivial, as Tommy Pham, Marcus Semien struck out, and Tyrone Taylor popped out, pushing the losing streak to a unbelievable ten games.
One note to leave you with on this fine Saturday:
Four teams in MLB history have lost 10 or more games in a row and made the playoffs. The last was the Guardians in 2025. Only one of those teams had a skid in April and still made the postseason: the 1951 Giants, who lost 11 consecutive..
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 10: Jordan Walsh #27 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 10, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
BOSTON — This could be Jordan Walsh’s moment, the moment that Brad Stevens envisioned when he drafted a 19-year-old propspet out of Arkansas in 2023. Back then, Walsh was long, athletic defender that the Celtics hoped could eventually mold into someone who could lock down some of the NBA’s best offensive talents.
Walsh never really had a chance to crack the rotation in his the first two years as a Celtic. But, when the Celtics face the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday, he very well could be a critical part of the defensive gameplan, and be given the chance to guard star Tyrese Maxey, one of the league’s most unstoppable scorers.
For the Celtics, the first round of the playoffs marks the beginning of a postseason run they hope will result in a title.
For Walsh, it’s also the first time ever that he’ll be presented with the opportunit to play real postseason minutes, on the heels of the best season of his career.
“I knew he had no prayer on the first team,” Stevens said in Deecember, reflecting on the overflow of talent that the 2023-2024 Celtics title team had. “The team was really good, and last year’s team was basically the first team. And so it was going to be hard to crack that one, too.”
But, the 2025-2026 team was different: Jayson Tatum was sidelined to begin the year, and veteran players like Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis were no longer ont he roster.
What that created was an opportunity — one that all of the younger guys on the roster would go after.
This could be a chance for Jordan Walsh to show what he was capable of, for the very first time.
But, from the jump, it appeared that his season was headed in the wrong direction. Walsh was out of the rotation entirely to begin the year, already behind 19-year-old rookie Hugo Gonzalez and other young wings on the roster.
Still, he continued to work behind the scenes, and broke through in November, ultimately starting 20 straight games for the Celtics.
In that span, Walsh not only showcased that he was an elite defender — earning high praise from opposing team’s stars like Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves — but he also broke through offensively, averaged a career-best 9.5 points on 69.6% shooting in December.
And, that stretch very well may have revived his career. That’s what Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla told him, at least.
“I got a comment from Joe one time: ‘Your career, you were dead in the water. And now you’re back alive.’”
At the time, Walsh didn’t know what to make of that: “I just went and asked a bunch of people – what does he mean by this? You don’t know how to take this, but it was kind of funny.”
Joe Mazzulla told Jordan Walsh early this season 'your career, you were dead in the water and now you're back alive.'
What he did know, is that he was alive. The team went 15-5 with Walsh as a starter, and he earned national acclaim for his defense. The very same player that seemed to be at the bottom of the pecking order was now impacting winning on a nightly basis.
“I proved that I can play at a high level,” Walsh told me months later, reflecting on that November through December run.
But, the on-court success didn’t last forever. In January, Walsh moved back to the bench and began to fall out of the rotation. Sam Hauser and Baylor Scheierman both earned more minutes at the wing position.
By March, with Jayson Tatum back in the lineup, Walsh began racking up DNPs.
“It’s kind of tough. The thing a lot of people don’t really know about the NBA, or don’t really pay attention to, is navigating those highs and lows,” he said Saturday. “It’s so hard; one day, you have your name going crazy and everywhere, everybody’s talking about it and how good you’re doing, and the next day, it’d be silent and [you] have nothing, and you’re just kind of on the bench.”
But, Jordan Walsh pushed through inconsistent minutes
During his stretch of DNPs, Walsh kept his head up, though he didn’t know if he’d ever re-enter the mix this season. He sought out advice from Jaylen Brown, one of his biggest mentors and closest friends on the team. And, he made sure not to change his work behind the scenes — ensuring he was the last to leave practice, and someone who worked tirelessly to improve his game.
I caught up with Walsh on March 24th, and he emphasized that his approach hadn’t changed despite his on-court opportunities wavering.
“It’s kind of just doing my best in the role that I am in now, and that’s just supporting the guys, showing up to practice, being the last one to leave,” Walsh said. “Like, all that stuff is so cool to me.”
A week later, Walsh re-entered the rotation, and he never looked back. Over his last 10 games, he has averaged 21.4 minutes per night.
Walsh very well could play a pivotal role in the Celtics series against the 76ers, because he, more than any of the Celtics’ slew of defensive specialists, had success guarding Maxey this season. Walsh managed to effectively guard Maxey — who averaged 28.3 points and 6.6 assists — in Boston’s regular-season match-ups against Philadelphia.
Across two contests, Walsh held Maxey to 1 of 10 shooting in 7 minutes, according to NBA tracking data.
“Just taking away tendencies and then knowing the small things that get under his skin,” Walsh said of his defensive approach. “But I think the biggest thing is, like I’ve been saying all year, not letting the guy do what they want to do. Make them go to their second option, their third option, their second move, stuff like that. Like, if he wants to go right and do a step-back, just don’t let him do that — make him do something else. And then usually we’ll live with the end result.”
Walsh will continue to do everything he can to make Maxey uncomfortable in the match-up; he said he’s been discussing with Jaylen Brown ways to get under Maxey’s skin.
“There’s a couple things that I learned with talking to [Brown],” Walsh said. “He’s kind of taken point in that and showing me the film behind the film that we don’t see.”
It’ll technically be Walsh’s third playoff run, but it’s the first one in which he has a legitimate chance to impact the rotation. It hit him on Friday, when some of the younger players on the roster began discussing their plans for offseason workouts.
“We were just working out , and we were talking about people going to summer lifts and doing scrimmages before games and practices and stuff like that,” Walsh said. “[And it was like] ‘Jordan, that’s not you. You’re not doing that this year.’ I was like, ‘Dang, time’s flying. But it’s cool to see because now, Hugo [Gonzalez] and John [Tonje] and Max [Shulga] are all doing the things that we were doing my rookie year.”
On Sunday afternoon, when the Celtics host the 76ers for Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, Jordan Walsh will get his much-awaited chance.
“It’s cool to see time fly, and see me kind of progress to where it is now,” Walsh said, “to where it’s, like, I got to be prepared to play.”
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 17: Nolan Gorman #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a three-run home run against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at Daikin Park on April 17, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will follow up a 9-run outburst Friday with a Saturday night game against the Houston Astros. Andre Pallante will start the game for the Cardinals while Lance McCullers Jr. will take the mound for the Astros. With Friday’s victory, St. Louis is now 11-8 on the season while the lowly Astros are 8-13.
