SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 04: Ozzie Albies #1 celebrates with Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves after their back-to-back solo home runs during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 04, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves are starting their most hyped series of the year as they face the loaded Los Angeles Dodgers team. Few probably thought before the season started that the Braves would be the team with a better record going into this series.
There have been several reasons why the Braves have been successful, but the offensive rebounds of key players has played a huge role in the early season success. Players like Michael Harris, Ozzie Albies, and Dominic Smith have had surprising rebounds, and the steady players like Matt Olson and reigning ROY Drake Baldwin have chipped in like they hoped they would.
The Braves will be facing Emmet Sheehan on the mound, and believe it or not he debuted back in 2023 and that was the only season he faced the Braves in. No player on the Braves roster in 2023 has faced Sheehan in more than two at-bats so it is hard to make a conclusion on how well they will do against him. The one player that draws the eye is that Ozzie Albies got a hit both times he faced Sheehan.
With the day off the other question was if Michael Harris’ quad will allow him to play CF or not. With him back in CF it allows Walt Weiss to put together the optimal lineup that would include Dominic Smith or Sean Murphy. We did see Harris play LF to give his quad some rest, but ideally we don’t want to see anyone other than him defensively if he is actually healthy. With Sean Murphy back it also brings the question of what the standard lineup will be versus both LHP and RHP starter. Tonight’s lineup may shine a light on that question.
Michael Harris will be in CF after all in a really fun lineup that has him in the cleanup spot with Baldwin hi and Dominic Smith getting the DH nod.
Chris Sale is on the mound for the Braves, and even though he is one of the more seasoned veterans of the league the Dodgers’ players shockingly don’t have many at-bats against him. Teoscar Hernández leads the team with eighteen at-bats, but then it drops all the way down to nine at-bats, which old friend Freddie Freeman has against Sale. Freddie Freeman has had success in those nine at-bats with an OPS of 1.222, and Hernández has a .818, but no one else is better than .708.
Shohei Ohtani has an OPS of .708 in eight at-bats. Even with this solid Dodgers lineup, the edge appears to go to Chris Sale here.
Finn Allen unleashed a blistering maiden IPL century to power a resurgent Kolkata Knight Riders to a fourth win on the bounce with an eight-wicket rout of Delhi Capitals on Friday.
The Carolina Hurricanes are one game away from advancing to a second straight Eastern Conference Final thanks to a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 Thursday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Here are 10 takeaways from the win:
1. 4 Goals, 4 Ways
The Carolina Hurricanes scored four goals in their Game 3 win and interestingly, all four goals came at different player configurations.
The Hurricanes opened the scoring on a 5v4 power play as Jordan Staal got a good bounce off of a deflected shot by Andrei Svechnikov.
Then the Canes scored a 4v5 shorthanded goal as Jalen Chatfield finished off a 2-on-1 rush.
Next, the team scored on a 4v3 power play with Svechnikov blasting home a power play one-timer and then Nikolaj Ehlers scored a 5v5 breakaway goal in the third period for the fourth different type of the game.
"You have to find different ways to win in this league," Staal said. "There has been a lot of different guys that have stepped up. That just kind of goes to show the depth of our team and how it's been built. There's been certain guys every other game stepping up and making plays and helping us win."
And if you want to go even a step further, the Flyers' one goal came on a 6v5 pulled goalie, extra attacker situation as a delayed penalty had been called on Carolina.
As colleague Cory Lavalette said to me at the game, it was like the Mario Lemieux of hockey games in a sense.
2. Three More Postseason Firsts
In Game 2, the Hurricanes' first two goals came from players who scored their first of the postseason in Nikolaj Ehlers and Seth Jarvis.
In Game 3, the Canes got three more players to break the ice as Staal, Chatfield and Svechnikov's goals were all their first of the playoffs.
"Obviously it gives you a little bit of confidence and it feels a little bit lighter on the ice and all those stuff," Svechnikov said.
That's now 10 different players who have scored at least one goal in these playoffs for Carolina and 16 different players have collected at least a point, which is pretty impressive given that the Canes have only played in seven games total so far.
3. Another Day, Another Great Showing For The Penalty Kill
I mean, how many more games are we gonna have to talk about how great the Hurricanes' penalty kill has been?
"It's been good," Brind'Amour said. "Certainly in the playoffs here. I think it's just sacrifice. Guys are obviously working extremely hard and I think we've been in sync. And we have good players. They know what they're doing out there. That helps."
The Canes went another 5-for-5 Thursday night and outscored the Flyers 1-0 while shorthanded.
For once, Philadelphia actually did manage to have more shots on goal than Carolina on their own power plays this time (3-1), but that one shot on goal they gave up was obviously the shorthanded dagger.
The Flyers even had over a minute of a 5v3 opportunity and just did nothing with it as the Hurricanes thwarted them at the blueline multiple times and just generally kept everything to the outside.
"When we step over the boards, no matter if it's 5v3, 5v4, bad call or not, we're looking to kill it and we have no excuses," Chatfield said. "We're holding each other accountable and everyday we're watching video and getting better. Working on the small details that maybe not the average person would see. It could be two feet that way, a stick position that way and I think we've dialed that in a lot and I think that's been huge and showing off."
4. The Power Play Is Starting To Heat Up
On the other side of the special teams coin, the Hurricanes are starting to get the ball rolling on the power play.
Last night was the first time the top unit has found the back of the net and they did it twice, now giving the team five power play goals in the postseason and back-to-back games with power play tallies might I add too.
"We got two goals today and that's big for our unit," Svechnikov said. "Just have to continue working, watching video and hopefully we're gonna do that [again] next game."
Obviously it helps having a plethora of opportunities as the Flyers were so gracious to hand out, but I really liked the way that the power play was moving the puck and putting shots on goal.
"I think for us, it's just about sticking with it and taking what they give us," said Shayne Gostisbehere, who collected his first two points of the postseason in the win. "Not forcing anything. We know when the seams are going to be available. We don't have to fit it through or anything. Just back to basics. When you're struggling a little bit, just put pucks on the net and get some good bounces."
5. Not Backing Down
In both of the Canes' series now, we've seen teams trying to raise the physicality and engage the Hurricanes in post-whistle antics.
However, Carolina hasn't backed down one bit from any of it and have shown to be as feisty as anyone that has challenged them.
Two of the Flyers' biggest guys in Nick Seeler (6-foot-3) and Rasmus Ristolainen (6-foot-4) both went after Logan Stankoven toward the end of the game, but he didn't back down one inch.
And as he stood his ground, all of the Hurricanes' skaters rushed over to help him out too.
In years past, we've seen the Hurricanes getting pushed around a bit without a response, but that hasn't been the case at all this year.
6. Discipline
Having said that, discipline is going to be vital for Game 4.
The Flyers are obviously an extremely frustrated group and that's starting to spill over into the scrums that have been popping up.
I'm sure Philadelphia won't want to go quietly, but the Canes' best course of action will be to just to play between the whistles and take care of business.
Obviously you can't let them take liberties, but if they want to take dumb penalties, let them. The best response would be to score on the power play and potentially end their season at the same time.
7. A Couple Of Milestones
With his two-point night, Svechnikov became just the second player in franchise history to record 50 playoff points (Sebastian Aho was the first).
The Russian winger has really elevated his game the past few playoffs and he now has 24 goals and 51 points in 73 games.
Jordan Staal's two-point night also moved him into fifth all-time in for playoff points with 41 in 96 games.
According to Hurricanes team reporter Walt Ruff, Jordan and Eric Staal both rank in the franchise's top five for both playoff and regular season points.
The only other pair of brothers to do that with one franchise are Henrik and Daniel Sedin with Vancouver.
8. Andersen Continuing To Stack Wins
In a win where his save percentage actually went down despite allowing just one goal, Frederik Andersen reached a few milestones of his own.
The Danish veteran is now 7-0 to start the playoffs, becoming just the 12th goaltender in NHL history to do that.
That seven-game winning streak also matches a franchise record set by Cam Ward.
In that span, Andersen has a 0.957 save percentage, a 1.02 goals against average and two shutouts.
"To have goaltending like that, it can win you games and you need goaltending like that," Chatfield said. "He's been nothing short of excellent and we know he's gonna keep going like that and we have to play hard in front of him to do our best job."
9. Alexander Nikishin Back In The Lineup
After missing the last two games due to a concussion, the rookie defenseman was back in the lineup for Carolina and it looked the team wanted to ease him back a bit.
Nikishin played just 13:55 in the win and while he didn't start the game with the second power play unit, he did end up there when K'Andre Miller wound up in the box.
It was a fine game for the Russian blueliner, which is pretty good to say about a defenseman as that normally means nothing went wrong with him on the ice, but I do want to compliment his work on the PK.
Coming out of the 5v3 into the 5v4 kill, Nikishin did a tremendous job of killing a play three separate times. At that point in the game, it was still a fairly close contest, so those plays he made ended up mattering a lot.
It was good to see him back in the lineup and hopefully he can start making more of an impact as he readjusts.
10. Job's Not Done
Despite the 3-0 series lead and dominant 7-0 start to the postseason, you won't see too much celebrating in the Hurricanes' locker room.
This is a team with big goals and they know that this series is just a step on the path.
Everyone in the room echoed the same sentiment when asked about the approach to Game 4, that being coming in with the exact same mindset as every other game this postseason.
Carolina's built a winning culture and it starts with nobody being satisfied with anything they've accomplished so far.
"Just the same approach that it's been," said Jordan Martinook. "We've been taking it one game at a time and every game is so different. We just have to be ready for their best and show what we can do in a close out game."
Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer reacts after allowing a solo homerun to San Diego's Victor Caratini at Petco Park in 2021. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
Trevor Bauer wants to pitch in the majors again — so much so that he's willing to start over in the lowest levels of the minor leagues and work his way up.
And he's willing to do it without being paid.
That's the hypothetical Bauer proposed Friday on X: A talented former Cy Young Award winner signs a minor league deal with an MLB team for a "$0 salary" and can be cut at any time at no financial risk to the organization.
Since his last MLB start on June 28, 2021, as a member of the Dodgers with a $102-million, three-year contract, Bauer has been accused of sexual assault by four women. He served a 194-game suspension for violating the league’s sexual assault and domestic violence policy. He has denied all the allegations and has never been charged with a crime.
While some might think signing Bauer might be a risky move for an MLB organization, Bauer feels his plan is foolproof in that regard.
"Hypothetical: You’re the owner of an MLB team," Bauer wrote. "I offer to take $0 salary and sign a minor league contract and go to Low A. If the 'he sucks now' crowd is right and I get lit up, you cut me, lose $0 and there’s no risk to the big league club.
Hypothetical: You’re the owner of an MLB team. I offer to take $0 salary and sign a minor league contract and go to Low A.
If the “he sucks now” crowd is right and I get lit up, you cut me, lose $0 and there’s no risk to the big league club.
If the “clubhouse cancer” crowd is…
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) May 8, 2026
"If the 'clubhouse cancer' crowd is right, you see it immediately at Low A and cut me. You lose $0 and there’s no risk to the big league club. If there’s massive negative PR, which we already know there won’t be, you just cut me and move on. The story is dead in a couple days, you lose $0, and there’s no risk to the big league club."
In the comments on Bauer's post, someone challenged him on the notion that "we already know there won't be" any negative PR if he is signed. In response, Bauer pointed to his current stint with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League to support his argument.
"Where has the negative PR been?" wrote Bauer, who is 3-1 this season and pitched a no-hitter for the Ducks late last month. "I’m playing in America. In New York of all places. Most 'hostile' media market in the United States. Stadiums are sold out when I pitch. There’s no boycotts. No media frenzy. Where is it?"
Bauer wrote in his proposal that if none of the negatives he laid out earlier happen, then the organization can promote their cost-free pitcher through the ranks, re-evaluating him every step of the way, until he reaches the big leagues — "if I earn it," he wrote, "which you'd be 100% in control of deciding."
"If you don’t think I’m good enough, you lose $0 and there’s no risk to the big league club," Bauer wrote. "You could take away my 'antics'. You could take away my social media. You could ask anything of me. If I don’t comply, you cut me, lose $0, and there’s no risk to the big league club."
One X user asked why Bauer doesn't just take away his "antics" on his own.
"Because no teams actually care about that," Bauer responded. "They enjoy the content. And I’m not going to rob baseball fans of great baseball entertainment just to solve a problem that only exists in the minds of x bots."
Informed that the MLB Players Assn. might have an issue with him playing for free, Bauer replied, "Who gives a crap about what mlbpa does or doesn’t want?"
This isn't the first time Bauer has made what he considers to be a low-risk proposal for an organization to bring him back into the league. In 2024, Bauer spoke with The Times' Bill Shaikin about an offer he made to play for the league minimum.
"The reason for that was, I want to go back to work, and I am trying to find any way that I possibly can to limit the risk and exposure for a team," Bauer said. "I realize there are a lot of other things, outside of the on-field stuff, that go into whether to sign me. So I figured that, if I could limit the on-field risk as much as possible, perhaps that offsets some of the other perceived risks."
It remains to be seen whether any club is willing to take up Bauer on his current offer.
"What logical reason is there to not do this?" Bauer wrote. "At worst, you cut me and there’s no risk to the big league club. At best, you get a Cy Young winner for $0 who you know can still pitch and could help the big league team if and when you see fit."
Former Miami Marlins president David Samson weighed in on Bauer's proposal in a post on X.
"This will never happen," Samson wrote. "First of all, no team wants to sign him. Secondly, no player is allowed to play for $0. And finally, no team wants to sign him."
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 07: José Tena #8 of the Washington Nationals is showered with ice water after defeating the Minnesota Twins at Nationals Park on Thursday, May 7, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After their first home series win of the season, the Nats hit the road looking to keep up the momentum. The Nats have been road warriors, with a 12-7 record away from home. However, series openers have been an issue for them lately. They will do battle with the Marlins for the first time this season.
With a lefty on the mound, Blake Butera made a few alterations. James Wood will be off his feet today, getting the start at the DH spot. That means Joey Wiemer will be out in right field. Curtis Mead will remain the first baseman and hit second. After his fantastic game yesterday, Keibert Ruiz will get another start behind the plate. Foster Griffin will toe the slab for the Nats.
it was revealed to us in an email we get from our comms team
The Marlins have a highly touted prospect making his MLB debut tonight. Robby Snelling, the number 32 prospect in baseball, will be pitching tonight. The lefty has been outstanding in AAA, possessing big time swing and miss stuff. He will be throwing to a rookie catcher as well in Joe Mack. The Marlins middle infield duo of Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards have been outstanding this year, and are at the top of the Marlins lineup.
The Nats come into this series with some good vibes after finally exorcizing their home demons. Now they hit the road to play a divisional foe. This will be a good test for the boys, as the Marlins are a team that will punish you if you are not up for the fight. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Pope Leo XIV (C) reacts wearing a Chicago White Sox baseball team cap as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
The Mariners take their talents to the South Side of Chicago tonight, where temperatures will be in the high 50s, with winds under 10 mph and no rain in the forecast. Could the Mariners possibly play a normal game at Guaranteed Rate Field?
Emerson Hancock will take the ball for the sailors, fresh off one of the great games of recent Mariners history in which he struck out 14 and walked none over seven innings against the Royals. It brought his K%-BB% up to 25.2%, good for fourth among qualified starters, ahead of names such as Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.
Sean Burke will pitch for Chicago, hoping to continue the improvements he’s shown this season, thanks in no small part to the devlopment of his sinker into a real weapon.
Lineups
That sound you hear is the collective sigh of relief across the Northwest upon seeing the most normal starting lineup since the season’s early days. Brendan Donovan has been activated off the IL, and Cal Raleigh will get the start at catcher.
This is their best collection of nine hitters, and they’ve only used it five prior times, and not since April 17th.
The White Sox’ main attraction right now is power hitter Munetaka Murakami, who will play first base and bat second. But I’m curious to get a look at this Jarred Kelenic kid in right field. His stats pages don’t indicate a strong record of production, but he’s apparently a former #6 overall pick.
Game Info
First pitch: 4:40 PDT TV: Mariners TV Radio: Old reliable
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid returned to the Philadelphia 76ers' lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday night after he missed the previous game against the New York Knicks with a sprained right ankle and a sore right hip.
Embiid struggled through a short night in the Knicks’ 137-98 romp in Game 1, scoring 14 points on 3-for-11 shooting before the starters were benched with the game out of reach.
Embiid had been listed as probable to play in that game and the Knicks repeatedly took advantage of his lack of mobility to create open shots.
He had been expected to play Game 2 but was ruled out hours beforehand.
Embiid had an appendectomy late in the regular season. He returned during Game 4 of Philadelphia’s first-round series against Boston and helped the 76ers overcome a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the Celtics.
Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Jaland Lowe (15) reacts with center Malachi Moreno (24) and forward Jayden Quaintance (21) against the St. John Red Storm in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Yes, this projection has Moreno going 24th overall to the New York Knicks, while Quaintance goes 29th to the Cleveland Cavaliers, nearly falling out of the first round altogether.
This would be both a shocking rise for Moreno and a stunning fall for Quaintance, though perhaps an earned one for the latter after he missed most of this past season due to the longest case of knee swelling ever recorded (we think).
I don’t agree with this projection, but if it turns out that this is how NBA executives view Moreno and Quaintance, you’d think there’s actually a chance Moreno stays in the draft and Quaintance returns to college.
The real story here is these recent mock drafts and rankings continue to suggest there’s a very real chance Moreno could hear his name called toward the end of Round 1. Could that be enough to sway him into keeping his name in the draft?
Next week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago could go a long way in deciding where Moreno is playing basketball next season.
Elsewhere, Iowa State transfer and Kentucky recruiting target Milan Momcilovic went 46th overall to the Phoenix Suns. While Momcilovic reportedly prefers to stay in the draft, if that’s the kind of projection he’s getting from NBA decision-makers, then it’s hard not to see him returning to college and collecting an NIL paycheck that could cross $5 million.
Saying this, it only takes one team to fall in love with you, and with Momcilovic’s ability to shoot scorched earth from deep, it won’t be a surprise if someone in the first round will take the gamble on him.
Also, there’s likely going to be a host of players ranked ahead of Momcilovic who return to school, including Andrej Stojaković, Matt Able, Billy Richmond, Flory Bidunga, Rueben Chinyelu, Tyler Tanner, and potentially Moreno.
It’s going to be a process, one that I’d now expect to go into deadline day on May 27 for Moreno and Momcilovic (and Quaintance if his stock really is this bad right now).
Finally, new UK graduate Otega Oweh hears his name called at pick No. 59 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the second-to-last pick of the draft. There haven’t been a lot of mock drafts with Oweh being drafted, so this is nice to see for a guy who’s undoubtedly been the MVP of the Mark Pope era thus far in Lexington (and I selfishly hope we get to see him again playing for La Familia one day).
Apr 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Pete Alonso (25) hits a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
The Orioles are back home after a brutal 2-5 road trip. Tonight starts a six-game homestand with three games vs the Athletics followed by three games vs the Yankees. It would behoove the Orioles to get off to a good start against the A’s.
The A’s are, in fact, a first-place team. They are just one game above .500 in the extremely lackluster American League. So far this season, the Orioles have scored more runs than the A’s but have also given up way more. Kyle Bradish, tonight’s starter, has been part of that problem with his 5.03 ERA in seven starts.
Starting for the A’s is lefty Jacob Lopez. It’s bad news that he’s a lefty, but good news that he’s given up even more runs than Bradish. In seven games (six starts), Lopez is sporting a 6.60 ERA. His WHIP is 1.900. Both of tonight’s starting pitchers have walked a ton of guys this year. This is kind of an even match up.
I haven’t given up on Bradish turning it around. He has the track record! Also, what choice do we have but to hope he gets better? There aren’t exactly a lot of other options.
With the lefty on the mound, Samuel Basallo has the day off. After his game-losing error yesterday, Coby Mayo is slotted in as the DH tonight. At least from there, only his bat can hurt us. Blaze Alexander will take third in his place. Lefty batting Dylan Beavers is also out of the lineup. Maybe tonight will be the night Tyler O’Neill finally starts mashing lefties.
Orioles lineup
Taylor Ward (R) LF Gunnar Henderson (L) SS Adley Rutschman (S) C Pete Alonso (R) 1B Tyler O’Neill (R) RF Coby Mayo (R) DH Leody Taveras (S) CF Jeremiah Jackson (R) 2B Blaze Alexander (R) 3B
Athletics Lineup
Nick Kurtz (L) 1B Shea Langeliers (R) C Tyler Soderstrom (L) LF Brent Rooker (R) DH Carlos Cortes (L) RF Jacob Wilson (R) SS Lawrence Butler (L) CF Zack Gelof (R) 3B Jeff McNeil (L) 2B
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches against the Cleveland Guardians in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on May 02, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday, the Athletics put together one of their most impressive performances of the season to salvage the final game of the team’s three-game series at the Philadelphia Phillies. The A’s hit four two-run home runs, providing more than enough run support for starting pitcher J.T. Ginn, who allowed just one run on four hits over eight innings— the longest outing by an A’s starter this season.
Now, the first-place Athletics are in Baltimore to begin a three-game weekend series against the Orioles tonight. Having lost their previous two series, these next few games are a prime opportunity for the A’s to snap this series-losing streak and maintain their lead atop the American League West. However, the Orioles will be a tough opponent, as they feature a talented offense led by standouts Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and marque offseason acquisition Pete Alonso. After winning two of three at the Miami Marlins, the Orioles seek to continue their winning ways against the A’s.
Left-hander Jacob Lopez will take the mound tonight for the visitors. The 28-year-old has been the weakest link in the A’s five-man rotation this season. Lopez enters his seventh start with a 2-2 record, 6.60 ERA, a 1.90 WHIP and a horrific 23-to-22 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He did not fare well in his last start against the Cleveland Guardians, allowing six runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings.
The team briefly moved him to the bullpen earlier this season, skipping one start before quickly moving him back into the rotation. If Lopez has another bad outing tonight, that could be the last start he gets for a while. The A’s may move him back to the bullpen or demote him to Triple-A to fix his command issues. In response, the team could call up another pitcher and give him the chance to start a few games.
The A’s are going with the same starting lineup for the second-straight day. It seems like this has become manager Mark Kotsay’s preferred lineup against opposing right-handed pitchers. Zack Gelof is starting at third base once again. He has more than earned everyday playing time, contributing consistently at the plate and seamlessly adapting to center field and now third base — two positions he had not played at the Major League level before this season.
Kyle Bradish will make his eighth start of the season for the Baltimore Orioles. The 29-year-old is off to a poor start this year, carrying a 1-4 record, 5.03 ERA and 1.82 WHIP into tonight’s outing. Like Lopez, Bradish struggled in his last start, allowing five runs on six hits and four walks in four innings. In the wake of scoring 12 runs last night, the A’s offense is primed to generate more runs against the Orioles’ talented but vulnerable starter.
Beyond Henderson and Alonso, the Orioles boast several power threats throughout their lineup. As a result, Lopez will have to be careful against a group capable of launching balls onto Eutaw Street.
Given that both starting pitchers have struggled through the season’s first month, tonight’s matchup could be a high-scoring affair. As such, the A’s offense needs to get to Bradish early to force the Orioles to turn to their bullpen sooner than they would like.
A Friday night win would be a great start to Mother’s Day weekend. Let’s go A’s!
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — OG Anunoby was ruled out for Game 3 on Friday night with a strained right hamstring, but the New York Knicks forward appears to have avoided a serious injury and remained day to day in the second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Knicks hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Anunoby was having another strong game Wednesday before appearing to suffer a leg injury and motioning to come out of the game. He went to the locker room area and did not return to the bench before the end of the Knicks’ 108-102 victory.
Anunoby is averaging 21.4 points per game in the postseason while shooting 61.9% from the field and 53.8% from 3-point range.
The 6-foot-7 Anunoby, who is considered the Knicks’ top defender, injured his hamstring two years ago in the second round as the Knicks were taking a 2-0 lead over Indiana. He missed the next four games and played just a few minutes in Game 7 as the Pacers rallied to win the series.
Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to your weekend.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the sites ToS, it’s fair game here.
BRISTOL, CT - NOVEMBER 18: NBA Draft Analyst, Mike Schmitz looks at his phone during the 2020 NBA Draft on November 18, 2020 in Bristol, Connecticut at ESPN Headquarters. 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 2020 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks are turning to an Arizona alum to take over their franchise.
The Mavericks on Friday announced the hiring of Mike Schmitz as general manager ahead of next month’s NBA Draft. Schmitz spent the last four seasons on the Portland Trail Blazers staff after serving as a draft analyst for ESPN.
Schmitz attended the University of Arizona from 2009-12, where he covered UA athletics for the Daily Wildcat. Schmitz’s Arizona basketball beat helped showcase his eye for identifying talent, according to a 2018 profile in the Daily Wildcat.
Schmitz worked for Yahoo Sports and Draft Express before joining ESPN. He worked for the Worldwide Leader for five years, then transitioned to a front office role in Portland. He most recently served as the Trail Blazers’ assistant GM.
“Mike is one of the most respected evaluators and basketball minds in the NBA,” said Dallas president Masai Ujiri. “He brings intelligence, discipline, humility and a relentless work ethic to everything he does.”
Schmitz takes over a Mavericks franchise that a year ago won the NBA Draft Lottery, earning the rights to the No. 1 pick, which they used on Duke standout Cooper Flagg. Dallas went 26-56 this season and holds a 29% chance at receiving a top-four pick in this Sunday’s Draft Lottery.
Dallas is more likely to receive a mid-lottery pick, and some mock drafts have linked the Mavericks to Arizona guard Brayden Burries.
The Vegas Golden Knights and the Anaheim Ducks face off in Game 3 of their second-round NHL playoff series. The teams split the first two games in Las Vegas. Game 3 is in Anaheim. The Golden Knights are slight favorites in Game 3 at 1.5 goals.
How to watch Vegas Golden Knights vs. Anaheim Ducks
The Montreal Canadiens face the Buffalo Sabres in Game 2 of their second-round NHL playoff series. The Sabres won Game 1 4-2. Buffalo is also favored in Game 2 by 1.5 goals.
How to watch Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
