SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 22: Nick Castellanos #21 of the San Diego Padres celebrates with Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 after hitting a home run against the Athletics during the fifth inning at Petco Park on May 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It did not look like it was going to be a good day for the San Diego Padres when their starting pitcher, Walker Buehler, allowed two runs in the first inning. It did not look much better when he allowed the visiting Athletics to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning. But in the end, the Padres were able to tie the game in the fifth, take the lead in the seventh and add three insurance runs in the eighth inning to give San Diego a 7-3 win at Petco Park on Friday night.
The Padres displayed their power in the early innings of the game – although none of that came from Fernando Tatis Jr. – when Manny Machado hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, Nick Castellanos hit a game-tying solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning and Ramon Laureano put the home team in front with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Jason Adam came out of the bullpen with San Diego leading 4-3 and allowed what looked like a leadoff double on a ball hit to left-center field. Bryce Johnson, who got the start in place of the injured Jackson Merrill, raced into the gap, made a backhand play on the ball and threw a one-hop strike to Sung-Mun Song at second base to throw out Tyler Soderstrom for the first out of the inning. Adam then got a groundout and flyout from the next two batters to send the Padres to the plate in the bottom half of the inning.
Rodolfo Duran opened the bottom of the eighth inning with a single. He was followed by Tatis who also singled, to put runners at first and second. Miguel Andujar followed with a single to load the bases and Gavin Sheets stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded and no outs. Sheets delivered with a ground ball into left center that scored two runs and pushed Andujar to third base to give San Diego a 6-3 lead. Machado struck out for the first out, but Xander Bogaerts picked him up with a sacrifice fly to center field, which allowed Andujar to score to put the Padres ahead, 7-3. Laureano was then hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with two outs before Song popped out to end the inning.
Mason Miller who was preparing to face his old team prior to the bottom of the three-run eighth inning, was able to sit back down and watch Jeremiah Estrada come in for the ninth inning. The right-hander faced the minimum and got three outs to secure the win for San Diego.
The Padres face the A’s for Game 2 of the series today at Petco Park at 6:40 p.m.
Machado, Tatis and Merrill have all struggled at the plate this season, but in the case of Machado specifically, Jim Bowden of The Athletic believes that is a direct result of the pitching he has faced over the first quarter of the season.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 18: Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 18, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Philadelphia 76ers have made many terrible transactions during my lifetime as a fan. (Some good ones, as well. I am old and eventually things pile up on both sides of the ledger.)
I count trading Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder as one of the really bad ones. When the deal went down, it seemed like such an own goal by the organization. Here you had a talented 22-year-old at the nadir of his value coming off a pair of injuries, beloved by his teammates and universally lauded for his work ethic, and you’re shipping him off for draft picks which, in all likelihood, won’t bring back a player of his caliber.
People argued for the trade (they were wrong), because you can’t even get everyone to agree that the sky is blue anymore, but eventually, things kind of got back to normal. We all have lives and there were still games to watch and the Sixers miraculously beat the Boston Celtics and then got curbstomped by the New York Knicks and I was ready for the offseason with one eye on the draft and some hope about a Tyrese Maxey-VJ Edgecombe backcourt in the future. I would love to never think about the Jared McCain trade and how dumb it was ever again, unless I’m reading some sort of “worst moves of the Daryl Morey era” article once every couple of years.
Except…I can’t.
Because Jared McCain plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are objectively the best team in the league, and currently leading the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. So two or three times per week, my timeline is flooded with stats about McCain scoring 24 points, going toe to toe with Victor Wembanyama at the basket, and quotes from Thunder teammates and coaches (who already won a championship last summer!) glowing about what a tremendous competitor and human being McCain is. It’s tortuous. It’s like if I had a huge scab, but right before it could finish completely healing the wound, somebody rips it off again and pours rubbing alcohol over the entire area. And this happens every couple of days.
If McCain had been traded to somewhere like Sacramento, this wouldn’t be an issue. He probably would have had a couple 25-point games, and people would have said it was a dumb trade, while others said to move on and called them empty stats on a bad team. Ultimately, it wouldn’t have mattered too much and it would have been done in April and we wouldn’t have needed to think too much about it. Instead, McCain was sent to the Thunder (which, again, maybe if the best team in the league wants your guy, you shouldn’t trade him). So we’re probably going to have to watch him through May and often June for the next few years.
Right now, I can’t even watch what is an amazing playoff series for a neutral observer without Mike Tirico asking how people in South Philadelphia are doing (not great, Mike!). And the arguments that Jared couldn’t live up to the physicality of the playoffs and would be played off the floor because the postseason exploits every weakness look increasingly ridiculous by the day. He’ll probably get to hoist the trophy during a parade in Oklahoma City next month and it will be a flashing billboard reading, “the Sixers will never win a title in your lifetime because they keep making boneheaded moves like trading Jared McCain.”
Some of you are probably reading this and nodding along in agreement. I imagine there are others saying, “Who cares? He hasn’t been a Sixer for three months, why are we still talking about this?” For the record, I would love to not talk about it, because that would mean this particular organizational failure wasn’t constantly being thrown back in my face. But with as good as the Oklahoma City Thunder are and project to be for the foreseeable future, it’s probably going to be a long time before Jared McCain isn’t “the one who got away”.
The Chicago Cubs will try to snap a six-game losing streak when they take on the Houston Astros today.
With Colin Rea on the mound at Wrigley, my Astros vs. Cubs predictions and free MLB picks for Saturday, May 23 see Chicago stopping their skid.
Who will win Astros vs Cubs today: Cubs moneyline (-142)
Colin Rea has a 2.66 ERA at home this season, allowing four earned runs in the last three starts covering 17 innings.
The Houston Astros are in the bottom half of MLB in scoring, and are hitting .214 in May. At 9-17, they have the second-fewest road wins in the American League.
The Chicago Cubs have won three of the last four in this head-to-head at home, averaging four runs a game. That should be enough to even this series.
COVERS INTEL: Five of Houston’s Top 6 hitters are right handed, and Rea has handled righties well this year, limiting them to a .333 SLG.
Astros vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-115)
The Cubs' offense has dried up, as they’ve scored two runs or fewer in eight of their last 12.
Houston sends converted reliever Kai-Wei Teng to the bump, and he's 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA through three starts, posting 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
This pitching matchup should help continue the trend of cashing the Under in this head-to-head, which has a 5-2 record in the last seven meetings.
Houston also has an impressive 8-0-1 Under record in its last nine.
Eric Rosales' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 8-6, +1.99 units
Over/Under bets: 10-3, +6.74 units
Astros vs Cubs odds
Moneyline: Astros +133 | Cubs -138
Run line: Astros +1.5 | Cubs -1.5
Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
Astros vs Cubs trend
Seven of Chicago's last eight games vs. AL West opponents have gone Under the total. Find more MLB betting trends for Astros vs. Cubs.
How to watch Astros vs Cubs and game info
Location
Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Saturday, May 23, 2026
First pitch
2:20 p.m. ET
TV
Space City HN, Marquee
Astros starting pitcher
Kai-Wei Teng (2-3, 2.61 ERA)
Cubs starting pitcher
Colin Rea (4-2, 4.98 ERA)
Astros vs Cubs latest injuries
Astros vs Cubs weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 22: Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe (14) catches a throw to home plate in time to tag Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) out during an MLB baseball game against the Rangers played on May 22, 2026 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Angels 9, Rangers 6
That was unpleasant.
For the second time on this road trip, the Rangers scored a fairly large number of runs, but still lost.
Previously, it was a combination of MacKenzie Gore’s lat and bad defense that was the primary cause of the lost.
This time, it was Jacob deGrom giving up six runs in three innings.
A six run, three inning outing from Jacob deGrom really makes you question whether you understand the universe.
What does it say about our understanding of the world when Cal Quantrill outpitches Jacob deGrom?
Has madness overtaken us? Does nothing have any meaning? Is it all randomness and chaos?
Zach Neto is launching bombs off of Rangers pitches. Someone named Wade Meckler took Jacob deGrom deep. How do we fit that into our worldview?
Are our struggles to fathom such events due to our own limitations, our blinkered views and inherent biases? Or are we at a point where acausal phenomena are ascendent, where surrealist scapes are the accepted norm?
Also, Skip Schumaker did that thing again where he hit for Evan Carter too early, and it is annoying.
Down two, leading off the seventh, Sam Haggerty pinch hit for Carter and popped out. The very next inning, with two on and two out, Carter’s spot in the lineup came up, and Haggerty, who hits righthanded pitchers about as well as…
Look, I can’t think of an appropriate metaphor. Or simile. I was going to say about as well as I do, but you know, that’s not fair to Sam Haggerty. I would be unable to make contact against a major league righthanded pitcher. Even Chris Martin, who returned to action in this game and gave up two runs in the eighth, including Zach Neto’s second home run of the game, and look, dammit, Zach Neto doesn’t even sound like a real name, its a Star Wars-ass name, and you shouldn’t be allowing him to home off of you, much less allow him to homer twice in one game, once against one of the best pitchers of his generation, even if said pitcher’s fastball has become ass for some reason.
The first three batters Chris Martin faced were Neto, who had a 109.6 mph homer, Mike Trout, who had a 110.2 mph double, and Nolan Schanuel, who had a 104.2 mph single. That’s certainly the type of results that leads one to believe Martin didn’t need any more time out on his rehab assignment.
Zach Neto makes me think of Judge Ito, who Pauly Shore famously wanted to offer a burrito.
Pauly Shore is terrible, by the way.
I’m in fact embarrassed I even mentioned him.
I’d go back and delete it, but it already happened, so even deleting it would just mean I was lying to myself about mentioning him, plus it seems apropos that in a game where Jacob deGrom gives up six runs in three innings that I would make a reference to something terrible that I’m embarrassed to have mentioned, even if I really shouldn’t be embarrassed, I guess, because random things run through your brain and sometimes you think of things that are objectively terrible, like right now that “Well I’m-a chicken fried” song just popped into my head, and that’s a really awful song and there’s no reason for it to have suddenly appeared like that.
See, y’all wanted the Rangers to start scoring more runs. Now they are scoring more runs and the pitching staff is giving up more runs. This team is like a rug, where you flatted it in one plus and a bulge pops up elsewhere.
Jacob deGrom’s fastball topped out at 98.2 mph, averaging 96.8 mph. Cal Quantrill’s sinker reached 95.0 mph. Jalen Beeks touched 94.8 mph with his fastball. Chris Martin’s fastball maxed out at 96.3 mph.
Brandon Nimmo had a 108.7 mph home run, a 101.7 mph ground out, and a 101.2 mph double. Alejandro Osuna had a 104.6 mph single and a 101.8 mph double. Evan Carter had a 104.1 mph triple. Danny Jansen had a 103.6 mph homer. Jake Burger had a 102.6 mph double. Josh Jung had a 102.3 mph fly out.
The very first article I wrote for CelticsBlog was titled, “Is Baylor Scheierman a viable starter for the Celtics?” I started that article with a confession: I wasn’t a Baylor believer at the beginning of the season.
That was probably too simple of a take. Looking back, I don’t think I disbelieved in him as much as I had absolutely no clue what drawer to put him in.
With most players, even the imperfect ones, your brain is able to find a quick label. Jordan Walsh is the lanky chaos wing. Hugo González is the endless motor who looks more natural in a locked-and-loaded defensive stance than upright. Sam Hauser is the shooter.
Baylor didn’t give me that kind of shortcut. He came into the season with leftover Summer League shine, a shaggy haircut that inspired strong feelings online, and a game that seemed to change shape depending on the possession. Sometimes, he looked like a shooter. Other times, he looked like a defensive stopper. Most of the time, he looked like someone who had been dropped into an NBA game after spending the afternoon playing pickup at the Y.
By the end of the season, the lack of a clean label stopped feeling like a problem, and more like the point.
Scheierman did not become one of the central stories of Boston’s season, nor did he make some gargantuan leap that forces the Celtics to redesign their plans to account for him. But he did something that matters a whole lot for a team with very expensive stars and very little room to waste cheap contracts.
He made himself harder to ignore.
The weirdness started to work
Scheierman’s season numbers won’t make anyone spit out their coffee. 5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 18.6 minutes per game. But the year-over-year jump tells the better story.
As a rookie in the ‘24-’25 season, he shot 35.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three. This year, those jumped to 45.3 percent and 39.9 percent. His true shooting climbed from 49.0 to 61.6. His minutes went from 12.4 to 18.6 per game. That is the difference between “maybe he’ll figure it out” and “oh, he might actually be figuring it out right now.”
The improvement didn’t arrive in one giant, obvious burst. It felt more like a slow drip over the course of the season. 10 points and 13 loud rebounds versus the (I’m sorry to even be mentioning them) Knicks on February 8. Another double-double in the form of a 16-point, 10-rebound effort on March 8 versus the Cavs. A career-high 30-point night on the last day of the regular season in a feel-good bench-mob victory over the Magic on April 12.
In his exit interview, Scheierman described his season as “a constant level of growth throughout the entire year,” which is exactly the kind of quote that sounds boring until you realize it’s probably the most accurate way to describe what actually transpired. Baylor just kept getting a little more comfortable until the Celtics were using him in real games and nobody had any issues with it.
That matters because Scheierman’s game can be kind of a trust fall. He plays with confidence that occasionally arrives before the justification. I respect it. I fear it. I understand why Joe Mazzulla sometimes looks like he is doing long division in his head before subbing Baylor in.
The funny thing is, the Celtics started trusting him too.
After Scheierman fractured his thumb, his whole celebration package boiled down to a good ol’ fashioned thumbs up. Looking back, there’s something perfect about that. Baylor’s season was not especially loud. It was not smooth enough to be boring or explosive enough to be obvious. It just kept flashing a thumbs up at you until you finally had to acknowledge the play was working.
He gives the Celtics a different kind of wing
The easiest way to undersell Scheierman is to call him another wing in Boston’s pile of wings.
That pile is getting crowded, to be fair. Walsh, Hugo, Hauser, Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr. hovering around the edges. At some point, Brad Stevens may have to decide how many “interesting but imperfect” wing types one roster can reasonably hold before the locker room turns into an airport terminal.
In my opinion, Baylor brings things to the table that the other wings do not, at least not yet.
Walsh and Hugo are more obviously disruptive defensively, but with clear offensive limitations. Hauser has real shooting gravity, but looked a step slower after the championship run. Baylor’s best value might be that he gives you a little bit of everything, all of the time.
He can rebound and push. He can throw the hit-ahead pass. He can come off a pindown and see the next read. He can pump fake, take two funky lefty dribbles and find a pass that wasn’t there half a second earlier. The handle can still get loose. The finishing needs work. There are possessions where his creativity and his body seem to be negotiating in real time.
That last part is what the offseason is for.
In his exit interview, Scheierman said he wants to keep building his strength, quickness and change of direction. He also mentioned finishing at the rim, floaters, slow steps and finding angles. That sounds less like a player trying to reinvent himself and more like one who knows exactly where the loose screws are.
The most interesting part came when he talked about becoming a secondary or third playmaker.
Boston doesn’t need him to become a diet point guard. Nobody is asking Baylor to bring the ball up against playoff pressure while Payton Pritchard stands in the corner wondering what crimes he committed. But if Scheierman can become a wing who hovers around 40 percent from three, rebounds well for his role, and gives you just enough ball handling and passing to punish a rotating defense, that is a very useful player.
Especially on his contract.
Cheap only matters if playable comes with it
Scheierman is set to make $2.74 million next season, with a club option just under $5 million the year after.
Boston already has a massive amount of money tied to Tatum, Brown and White. Pritchard’s next contract conversation is coming. Hauser’s salary makes him both useful and potentially relevant in trade math. Every offseason idea sounds fun until you remember the tax line exists and Brad Stevens and Bill Chisholm are certainly mindful of it.
That is why Scheierman’s season matters beyond the box score.
Cheap contracts are easy to celebrate when you’re looking at a spreadsheet, but they only help if the player gives you more than the number suggests. I looked up NBA players making similar money to what Baylor is earning right now, and you tell me whether you’d rather have Scheierman or these other guys:
Kobe Brown, Pacers, 1-year, $2.6 million
Cole Anthony, Suns, 1-year, $2.6 million
Yanic Niederhauser, Clippers, 4-years, $14.1 million
Brice Sensabaugh, Jazz, 4-years, $12.5 million
Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Bucks, 1-year, $2.8 million
I’ll be honest, I watch a lot of NBA basketball, and there are names on that list that I had never heard before. Perhaps some of you may argue for Thanasis because of who his +1 would be. I respect the hustle, but we’re not going there in this article.
Ultimately, Baylor is a guy who can survive in games that actually matter. Let’s not forget, he started Game 7. When he was asked about that wacky starting lineup after the season ended, he said the group was “super excited” and “super confident” because the Celtics had done it all year. That’s a very Baylor answer. No hand-wringing. No “Gee whiz, what an honor to have started Game 7 against Joel Embiid and Paul George.” Just confidence and on to the next rep.
That approach probably explains part of why Mazzulla trusted him in the first place.
Asked Baylor Scheierman when he felt like his lifelong confidence officially translated to the NBA level:
“It was towards the end of my rookie year, when I was getting a little bit of run there, towards the end of the season, the last couple months. I had that good game against… pic.twitter.com/lW62Td57Fn
Scheierman said the coaching staff did a good job detailing how the team wanted to play, which allowed him to play freely because he understood what was expected of him. He described himself as someone who has always tried to play hard and do whatever it takes to win. Usually, that kind of quote would be easy to toss into the athlete-speak drawer.
With Baylor, it actually matches the film.
He is not always pretty. In fact, part of the appeal is that he often looks like he’s making basketball look more difficult than it needs to be before suddenly making the right play anyway. But he competes, sees things early, and annoys people on a nightly basis. He has enough swagger to take shots that make you briefly check the score and situation to make sure you didn’t miss something.
The question now is whether the Celtics clear enough room for that to keep growing.
Scheierman does not need to be treated like a future star. That would be unfair to him and slightly stress-inducing for the rest of us. But he also shouldn’t be treated like a random cheap wing who happened to have a decent year. Boston needs low-cost players who can give Mazzulla real minutes. Baylor spent this season proving he might be one of them.
Back in February, I wondered if he could be a viable starter.
I’m less interested in that label now. The better question is whether he can become the kind of rotation player who makes the roster math easier around the stars. After the season he just had, it’s a much easier case to make.
Somewhere along the way, I became a Bayliever. Or a Schei Guy. Still hate my nickname ideas. Still very much workshopping.
Fortunately, the player now makes more sense than the potential nicknames.
Faces Argentina’s Solana Sierra in Sunday’s first round
Emma Raducanu is hopeful her health problems are behind her as she prepares for her opening match at the French Open on Sunday. The British No 1 takes on Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the first round for her second match since March after two-and-a-half months out with a post-viral illness.
She lost a close contest with Diane Parry in her opening match in Strasbourg this week, but being healthy again is the most important thing for the 23-year-old. “I feel a lot better,” she said.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 06: An overall photo before the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees on May 6, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees will have to wait another day to snap out of their divisional funk. They dropped back-to-back contests against the Blue Jays earlier this week to end the four-game set at Yankee Stadium in disappointing fashion, and a slim 1-0 lead against the first-place Rays in Gerrit Cole’s long-awaited comeback from Tommy John surgery last night went up in smoke thanks to shoddy defense and relief. The previously potent New York offense has scored 3 runs in their last 30 innings of play. Inspiring!
The second game of the Yankees/Rays series was supposed to be this afternoon at 1:35pm ET, but the weather for Memorial Day weekend is awful this year. With a dismal forecast for the entire day, the Yankees and Major League Baseball have already announced that the matinee is postponed. Since the Yankees and Rays will be lucky to get in the other planned game on Sunday, the announced twin bill will not be tomorrow but rather when the Rays are in town near the end of the season, September 22nd. The split doubleheader will feature the makeup game at 1:05pm ET and the already-scheduled nightcap at 7:05pm ET.
Today's game has been rescheduled due to the forecast of sustained inclement weather and will be made up as the first game of a split-admission doubleheader on Tuesday, September 22 at 1:05 PM.
Hopefully none of you who were already planning on attending this afternoon actually made it out the door! That’s the advantage of the early postponement call for the general public.
Fingers crossed that they can get in the series finale tomorrow rather than have to schedule another doubleheader. Will Warren was expected to get the ball tomorrow at 1:35pm ET against Shane McClanahan; we’ll see if the Yankees stick to that plan or go with Ryan Weathers, who would also be on normal rest.
The star right-hander allowed two hits over six scoreless innings in his first start in 569 days after undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2025 season.
Sunday's game is still scheduled for 1:35 p.m., but rain throughout the area could ruin fans' Memorial Day Weekend plans.
Today's game has been rescheduled due to the forecast of sustained inclement weather and will be made up as the first game of a split-admission doubleheader on Tuesday, September 22 at 1:05 PM.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 19: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives around Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks during the third quarter in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first two games of the series have had a little bit of everything so far for the Knicks. The Cavaliers jumped out to a 22-point lead in Game 1 thanks to a strong game from Donovan Mitchell, only for the Knicks to mount a historic comeback where Jalen Brunson put on a shot-making clinic.
Game 2 was far less dramatic, but it was still an incredibly encouraging one. Brunson, instead of his usual barrage of baskets, helped defeat the Cavaliers with his patience, decision-making, and precision passing as he picked apart Cleveland’s multiple looks. Josh Hart made the Cavaliers pay for their ghost coverage with five threes, which probably felt more like 10 threes to the Cavaliers and their fans. Karl-Anthony Towns, despite going up against some physical coverage, poured in 18 efficient points. OG Anunoby, who was able to play fewer minutes than usual, still ended the game with the highest plus-minus despite scoring a quiet 14 points. And we cannot talk about this series, and really, any playoff game since game six of the Hawks series, without mentioning Mikal Bridges. The much-maligned wing has turned in an impressive postseason for the second straight year, and he’s now looked like the prime version of Bridges that the Knicks had hoped to see when they traded for him two summers ago. He’s defending at an elite level, playing with more physicality on both ends, and is playing not only with an absurd level of efficiency, but a level of confidence and aggressiveness we’ve seldom seen during his Knicks tenure.
While momentum is real and can carry over from game to game, in the playoffs, games can often be treated as a self-contained event. It doesn’t mean that the Knicks can’t, or won’t, transfer their wave of momentum, confidence, and focus onto game three. Or that the Cavaliers, who, regardless of what they tell you, have to feel at least some dejection after losing Game 1 the way they did, and then losing Game 2 to a barrage of Hart threes. But the Cavaliers will also be returning home for the first time since game six of the second round, which took place eight days ago. They may be fatigued after playing back-to-back seven-game series, but they, and their crowd, should have some added juice heading into what for them will be a must-win game.
Is it a must-win game for the Knicks? No. But, during this time of year, one game, scratch that, one play can change everything. Having dealt with injuries and heartbreak over their last few playoff runs, they know that more than anybody. And since their game three loss to the Hawks, they’ve looked like they know it, too. Game after game, practice after practice, despite setting records this league has never seen, the players and coaches have looked and sounded happy, and at times even displeased. They’ve known that defeating the Hawks was expected. They’ve known that dominating the 76ers was just a stepping stone. And they seem to know that advancing to the finals is also not their ultimate goal.
The Knicks enter tonight up 2-0, but they’ll likely continue approaching each game with the required focus and energy as if the series were 0-0, and that should make for another close game between two teams fighting for two different things. One team is looking to crawl their way back into the series and find some life, while the other is looking to come within one game of delivering the final blows and reach the finals for the first time in over two decades.
Prediction
The big man duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen should play better. As should role players Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, Max Strus, and Dennis Schroder. They’ll likely also bank on Hart not making five more threes or Brunson scoring 38 points. And they may be right. But then again, they may not be. That’s the beauty of sports-we never really know until they roll the ball out and play.
What we do know, though, is that despite all the shot-quality data and the “what if” narratives Cavaliers fans have thrown around, the Knicks have straight up been the better team so far. Yes, the Cavaliers had a large lead in Game 1, and were eight minutes of even decent basketball away from winning that game. But it’s not like they were dominating the other quarters. The Knicks have won six of the nine periods (overtime of Game 1 included) in the series, and are a +27 in the series now.
And the Knicks have done that despite shooting poorly from three for the first three quarters of Game 1, Hart being an unwilling shooter before Game 2, the Cavaliers dominating the Knicks on the offensive glass 13-5 in Game 2, and the Cavaliers outshooting the Knicks 32-14 from the free-throw line in that game. The Cavaliers have done some nice things, and some of the Knicks’ flaws and shortcomings this series have been a product of what Cleveland has done. But the same can be said for why the Cavaliers have played the way they have.
I expect a stronger overall effort from the Cavaliers and a better shooting game from their role players. But Brunson is still the best player in the series, Hart knows what he needs to do, Landy Shamet is there if Hart struggles, Bridges, and Anunoby remain elite two-way players who are defending at a high level, and scoring efficiently, Towns realized that he still cannot be guarded if he plays smartly, and patiently, even when he is out there in suboptimal lineups, and maybe most importantly, these Knicks are arguably better on the road than they are at home. Cleveland will be up for portions of the game, but the Knicks, with their hunger higher than ever, keep marching. Knicks win 105-100 to take a 3-0 lead and make it 10 playoff wins in a row.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (2-0) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2) Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026 Time: 8 PM ET Place: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH TV: ABC Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
The rangers prepares to battle in a scene from the television series 'Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers', Circa 1993. (Photo by Fox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Hockey News has opened its full archive to subscribers, giving fans access to 76 years of hockey history, feature stories, and unforgettable moments. In the latest issue, we rank the NHL’s top 100 players, with Winnipeg Jets superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck coming in No. 11th overall. Here is a free preview featuring players ranked eight through 12.
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Top 100 NHL Players: 8-12 - Apr. 17 2026 - Vol. 79 Issue 10
8 QUINN HUGHES
POS: D | AGE: 26 | LY: 6
> Hughes’ most celebrated attribute is his playmaking ability. But he’s also one of the NHL’s foremost workhorses. He was averaging the 10th-highest ice time in the entire post-lockout era this season, and his workload, which actually increased following his move to Minnesota, was heavier than any other ‘D’ in the past decade.
9 KIRILL KAPRIZOV
POS: LW | AGE: 29 | LY: 10
> It took Kaprizov six seasons and 381 games to rewrite the Wild’s history books. He’s already the franchise’s all-time leading goal-scorer, and he’s steadily chipping away at Mikko Koivu’s franchise-leading point total. Only five NHL players have scored at a greater per-game rate than Kaprizov over the past three seasons.
10 ZACH WERENSKI
POS: D | AGE: 28 | LY: 14
> Name a category in Columbus, and Werenski is probably at or near the top of it. It’s not easy for a defenseman to lead a playoff-contending team in scoring, but that’s the impact the 10th-year NHLer made this season. Werenski also played more than 26 minutes a night – second in the league to Quinn Hughes.
11 CONNOR HELLEBUYCK
POS: G | AGE: 32 | LY: 5
> Never let it be said again that Hellebuyck can’t win the big one. He was heralded as the hero for Team USA at the Olympics. Back in Winnipeg, it was a down year (how could it not be after last year’s heroics?), but his .956 SP in Milan was the third-best ever in an Olympic tournament featuring NHL talent (minimum five games).
12 SIDNEY CROSBY
POS: C | AGE: 38 | LY: 12
> Crosby notched his 21st point-per-game season in a row this year – extending his own all-time NHL record. Even at 38, ‘Sid The Kid’ continues to be an ace two-way player. His early-season heroics helped put the surprising Penguins in the playoff race, and his boffo play after returning from the Olympic injury kept them there.
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NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 14: James Karinchak #00 of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch during the spring training game between the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves on March 14, 2026 at CoolToday Park in North Port, FL. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Braves have released 11.5 million dollars of bullpen funds that were committed to Aaron Bummer and Joel Payamps. A few relievers, like Carlos Carrasco, Ian Hamilton, and Osvaldo Bido, have come and gone (and/or come and gone in a circular pattern). Meanwhile, James Karinchak has been silencing Triple-A batters in obscurity. I know he might have some questions around him, but he has a 2.84/3.14/3.24 line and a 36.0% strikeout rate in Gwinnett and the Braves won’t leave the country anyway. Does his absence have anything to do with his velocity dropping from 94.8 to 93.0 MPH? Probably, but also who cares? If he grabbed an inning or two here and there, it may help out the Braves. He could join the Cookie Carrasco Caravan, which I imagine consists of a rented Escalade that Carrasco drives to the next city after he gets designated for assignment.
Rowdy Tellez was a signing late in March. Tellez did not complete Spring Training but did play in the World Baseball Classic. The first few weeks looked very much like a Spring for Rowdy, but even with that slow start he has an .876 OPS and a 124 wRC+ in Triple-A overall. I imagine the issue here is that Matt Olson mans his primary position. Ronald Acuña Jr, the thermonuclear Dominic Smith, and when available Drake Baldwin hold down the designated hitter spot. So I think he’s currently depth for Olson, and may be third on the depth chart because Smith may be ahead of him. He would definitely be a great option in that 28th man roster spot in September and pinch hitting option in October, should the Braves somehow manage to get there.
SARASOTA, FL - MARCH 20: Joseph Dzierwa #67 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Vincent Mizzoni/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
This was a well-played game all around for the Tides, starting with a quality start by Nestor German, who worked six innings and gave up three runs. He struck out five and walked one. It was German’s longest outing of the year. Nick Raquet, Cameron Foster, and Andrew Magno each worked a scoreless inning of relief. Magno’s outing lowered his season ERA to 0.92.
The Tides also brought their bats to Jacksonville, starting with 5’5” shortstop Payton Eeles, who crushed an opposite-field grand slam in the top of the third. It was part of a three-hit day for Eeles, who’s batting .364 with a .933 OPS. He stole a base, too. Heston Kjerstad broke out of an 0-for-7 drought by going 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand contributed two hits as well. The Tides had 16 baserunners and went 4-for-10 with RISP.
Outfielder Michael Siani, claimed on waivers from the Dodgers on Monday, made his organizational debut and went 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts.
All eyes were on Joseph Dzierwa’s Double-A debut, and it started out about as brilliantly as possible. Dzierwa mowed through five scoreless innings, only giving up his first hit with two outs in the fifth. He struck out the side in the second inning. He was fantastic…until the top of the sixth, when he hit the wall in a big way. A leadoff error opened the floodgates for the Patriots, who followed with an RBI double, then three consecutive singles that chased Dzierwa from the game. The bullpen allowed one of his inherited runners to score.
Dzierwa’s final line was 5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R (3 ER), and — most impressively — 10 strikeouts and no walks. Had he left the game after the fifth, we’d be raving about his performance. Even with his rough sixth, it was a strong Double-A debut for the guy who’s emerging as the Orioles’ top pitching prospect.
There wasn’t much offense to speak of for the Baysox. They managed only four hits, which included an Aron Estrada homer. They also went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Ethan Anderson reached base thrice on a single and two walks.
High-A: Frederick Keys vs. Greenville Drive (Red Sox) — POSTPONED
The Keys were supposed to play a doubleheader to make up Thursday’s rainout, but instead they played none as both games got washed out. One game was rescheduled for tomorrow while the other was canceled outright.
Low-A: Wilson Warbirds (Brewers) 7, Delmarva Shorebirds 2
This was a 2-2 game until the bottom of the eighth, when the Warbirds erupted for five runs to take a commanding lead. Reliever Luis Beltrán was tagged for all five runs, though only three were earned. First baseman Juan Perez and right fielder Junior Aybar made errors on back-to-back plays with two outs, each scoring a run. Beltrán also walked in a run. It was that kind of game. Starter Brayan Orrantia lasted four innings, giving up two runs and five walks.
It was a rough night offensively for the Shorebirds, who struck out 11 times and walked just once. They had six hits, all singles. Nobody drove in any runs, as the two they scored came on a Warbirds throwing error. Delmarva fell to 15-28 on the season.
BONUS FCL NOTE: Newly signed veteran outfielder Tommy Pham made his organizational debut for the Florida Complex League Orioles. He went 0-for-1 with a strikeout and a walk.
Saturday’s scheduled games:
Norfolk: at Jacksonville, 6:35 PM. Starter: Cameron Weston (0-1, 6.56)
Chesapeake: vs. Somerset, 6:35 PM. Starter: Sebastian Gongora (1-1, 4.21)
Frederick: vs. Greenville, 6:00 PM. Starter: Yeiber Cartaya (0-0, 0.87)
Delmarva: at Wilson, 7:05 PM. Starter: Caden Hunter (1-0, 0.95)
On May 8, 2025, Chicago native and Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became Pope Leo XIV. Soon after the announcement, news broke that the newest Holy Man was a lifelong White Sox fan who was in the crowd for Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. Because Chicago can’t be chill about anything, and the White Sox needed something good to cling to, the team took the news and ran with it. In August, they are even doing a Pope Hat night where everyone in attendance receives a White Sox-themed mitre.
Fresh off a 121-loss season, the South Siders were determined to only climb up from rock-bottom. There was a new manager and front office changes after a slew of firings — and now, a direct line with God. They still finished in last place, losing 102 games, but progress toward rebuilding was made, as several rookies debuted and gave fans something to be excited about.
Colson Montgomery, who was previously sent to Arizona to fix his issues at the plate, came up to the big leagues on July 4, 2025. He recorded his first MLB hit the next day, an RBI triple, and finished the game 3-for-5. On July 22, Montgomery hit his first career home run, and a month later he hit his first career grand slam. Montgomery finished his rookie year having appeared in 71 games and hitting .239 with 21 home runs and 55 RBIs. Finally, we could see signs of life in the dugout!
While the Pope still looms large, driving the narrative again in 2026, His Holiness can’t be the only guy getting credit (although he just got a signed Paul Konerko jersey!).
There seem to be other forms of magical thinking helping the White Sox on their surprisingly good start.
Enter Munetaka Murakami. Mune has been a force behind the plate, hitting .246 with 17 home runs (second in the league behind Kyle Schwarber) and 36 RBIs at the time of me writing this. He had the key hit in Friday’s win in San Francisco, a beautiful three-run double down the right-field line, as the White Sox put up nine runs in the fourth inning against the Giants. Yes, NINE RUNS IN ONE INNING. No other team prioritized Murakami on their radar, fearing the Japanese slugger would struggle at the plate. While the fear could’ve been credible, 29 teams passed on Mune before Chris Getz stepped in.
But two other hitters have been great this season alongside Murakami. Miguel Vargas has really come out of his shell and proven to be quite the slugger. Not far behind his Japanese teammate, Vargas is sitting at .237 with 11 home runs, 29 RBIs, and 41 hits.
Montgomery has been carving out quite the sophomore season as well, with an average of .222, 13 home runs, 31 RBIs, and 40 hits.
The team as a whole seems to be having a blast. Sure, wins help, but so does a little silliness and establishing new traditions. Word broke that Murakami took Montgomery and his teammates out to a sushi dinner, resulting in a new sushi celebration.
In late April, before his demotion, Jordan Leasure went on Amazon and purchased a $20 Harry Potter wand for Mike Vasil. What happened next has been non-stop entertainment. Despite his TJS setback from Spring Training, Vasil is such an important member of the White Sox clubhouse that he’s remained with the team for both home and road games, casting spells and waving his magic wand to help not only with morale, but perhaps wins as well.
So what’s the sorcery behind the wand? Does the magic stem from the power of friendship? Is Vasil secretly a warlock? As a Stevie Nicks wannabe/witchy woman/recovering Catholic, this question keeps me up at night. Quite literally, as it’s nearly midnight on Friday and I had to get my thoughts out on this.
Whatever it is, Mune is buying into it, and no one can prove that it wasn’t the reason behind his home run on against the Cubs on May 16.
As previously mentioned, I can be a little witchy. Not the wicked witch you see in the movies (though I used to watch the 1996 classic The Craft to help me sleep), but someone who believes in good vibes and manifesting. Manifestation, for those unsure, is the practice of using thoughts, beliefs, and emotions to turn intangible goals and desires into physical reality. At the beginning of the season, I felt the shift with this team. I was very high on the rebuild, claimed Davis Martin as my star pitcher, and predicted they would win more than 70 games this season. Yes, you read that right: 70+ games. All things I wrote down in a manifestation ritual back in January. It felt right.
As we reach the end of May, the White Sox are playing better than .500 and sitting in second place in the American League Central. Martin is 7-1 with an ERA of just 2.04 and is being recognized as one of the top pitchers in baseball. Baseball writers who would otherwise turn a blind eye to the team that just lost a record-breaking 121 games two seasons ago are starting to see what the White Sox are quietly building. Suddenly, taking two of three games in the Crosstown series is nothing. Who cares about those North Siders, or that center fielder? Can he catch the ball like Tristan Peters?
Not to mention the tape on the helmets — first from Sam Antonacci and also now Andrew Benintendi — that has helped with hitting the ball and getting on base.
There are plenty of factors at play for the 2026 White Sox. Taking a chance on a player, creating a fun environment, new traditions, a magic wand, some pseudoscience, and the holiest man in the world on your side. All of these can certainly create the perfect storm and allow people to believe again, even if it’s because of some higher power.
But I’m here to tell you, it’s time to believe in the players, too. They are putting in the work day-to-day, and making baseball fun on the South Side again.
My favorite MLB moneyline parlay for today features the surging Tampa Bay Rays, winners of nine of 10, and the Pittsburgh Pirates' Paul Skenes touching down in Toronto for the first time.
It also includes the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves, who always feel like a good bet to throw into a parlay.
This one pays out at a nice +935.
Looking for more moneyline plays for today? Check out our full MLB moneyline picks for today's slate.
I’m having a hard time understanding how the Tampa Bay Rays, who are 8-2 in their last 10 and starting Drew Rasmussen, find themselves as underdogs against the Yankees.
Rasmussen blanketed New York on April 12, pitching six scoreless innings of one-hit ball and striking out seven.
New York has lost three straight, and Yankees starter Ryan Weathers just got torched for five runs on seven hits last time out.
MLB moneyline parlay leg 2: Pirates (vs Blue Jays, 3:07 p.m. ET)
Win probability: 60.8%
Pittsburgh Pirates SP Paul Skenes is coming off an outlier performance where he was tagged for five runs in a loss to the Phillies.
He’s bounced back from two other starts where he’s allowed at least three runs this year, giving up a total of five hits, one earned run, and 12 strikeouts in that scenario.
The Jays are a light-hitting team at the moment, ranking 26th or worse in on-base, slugging and OPS, and 22nd in runs per game.
The Tigers are a mess, with seven straight losses and just two wins in their last 15 overall.
Over the last week, their offense has been abysmal, ranking last in slugging percentage and OPS, and Bottom-3 in runs scored, on-base percentage and batting average — spoiling what’s been a serviceable 3.66 ERA over that span.
The Baltimore Orioles have won five of six Brandon Young starts on the year, and the righty has allowed just two earned runs in each of his last two outings.
The Atlanta Braves keep churning out wins, looking for their fifth straight as they visit the nation’s capital.
Grant Holmes is coming off a dynamite start, pitching six scoreless innings.
The Braves have dominated this head-to-head, going 8-2 in the last 10 and putting up at least five runs in seven of those wins.
Jake Irvin has already been beat up by the Braves once this season, taking the loss after allowing four runs on three hits, including a home run in a 9-4 defeat.
How much does this MLB moneyline parlay pay out?
The best price on today's MLB moneyline parlay, from our top-ranked baseball betting sites, sits around the +900 range, with a max payout of +935.
That means that a $10 wager on this four-leg parlay returns $103.50 ($93.50 + your original $10 stake).
MLB parlay betting FAQs & tips
Can you add player props to an MLB moneyline parlay?
Yes, you can add player props (or Over/Unders, team totals, etc.), but your wager changes from a traditional multi-game parlay to a modified same-game parlay (depending on the bet, called a SGP+, SGPx, or super parlay) that blends a standard parlay with a same/single-game parlay.
What happens to an MLB moneyline parlay if a game gets rained out?
In the event one of your parlay legs gets postponed, most sportsbook with just remove that leg from the parlay and recalculate the odds of the bet without that game (reducing the total odds).
What are the main types of parlays I can make?
Traditional parlays: Each leg of the parlay comes from a different game
Same-game parlays (SGPs): Every leg of the parlay comes from the same game.
SGPx/SGP+/super parlays: At least two legs of the parlay are from the same game, with the rest of the legs from different games.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
COVERS INTEL: Five of Houston’s Top 6 hitters are right handed, and Rea has handled righties well this year, limiting them to a 
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