Charles Barkley went back to his high school days to remember a time when, as a young basketball star he was unexpectedly dominated by another player. The feeling was shocking, the Hall of Fame forward said.
Barkley said that San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama was "in shock" after the first half of Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals, which the visiting New York Knicks led 56-52 after 24 minutes of play.
"It's probably been a long time since he got his ass kicked like this."
The physicality that Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks played with clearly took Wembanyama off his game in the first half, as he tallied only 7 points of 2-for-4 shooting to go with 5 rebounds at the half.
Meanwhile, Towns poured it on to lead the Knicks, scoring 17 points before halftime, including a trio of key three-pointers.
A masterful performance by Towns and the Knicks shouldn't be shocking to anyone at this point as New York looks to extend its undefeated streak in these playoffs.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 5: Mauricio Dubon #14 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with Ozzie Albies #1 after a two-run home run during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on June 5, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The adage goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I donât know if thatâs true or not, but Iâll tell you this: I donât know if your heart can grow fonder of Mauricio Dubon, but if such a thing is even possible, then said fondness has probably grown quite a bit this week. The Bravesâ nigh-indispensable Swiss army knife had himself another huge game, bashing a game-tying homer and then poking a go-ahead hit as the Braves welcomed the resurgent Pirates to Atlanta with a 6-3 unmanning.
Martin Perez got the start in this game for Atlanta, and as Iâve said before, Perez starts are, well, basically pachinko. Perez Pachinko has a certain ring to it. The Bravesâ broadcast team described Perez as a tactician, and that may well be true in terms of sequence â but, fundamentally, Perez lacks the stuff and command to really âget away withâ much, so much of what happens while heâs pitching feels awfully random to me. This game was a pretty great case in point, I think.
Perez started the game with a 1-2-3 frame â an ABS-overturn-assisted (thanks, Sandy Leon!) strikeout, and two weak grounders. Then he had another 1-2-3 frame, with another weak grounder, ABS overturn, and a weak liner to right. So far, so fortunate.
Perez began the third with a leadoff walk. Jared Triolo caught up to a high, 88 mph sinker and hit it hard into the gap for a double. Henry Davis got an 0-2 hanging changeup and barreled it to center; the ball had weird spin and was caught by Michael Harris II on a pivot-then-dive, resulting in a sacrifice fly. Both of those bits of hard contact werenât really on pitches unique to what Perez was throwing in this game; the Piratesâ hitters just happened to put better swings on them than their counterparts in the first two innings. Nick Gonzales then followed with a weak grounder, but this one was too weak, and another run scored. Then there was another a walk, a weak flyout on a pitch down the middle, and old compadre Marcell Ozuna blooped a ball into center to plate the frameâs third run. Perez ended the inning with a strikeout of Oneil Cruz where he didnât throw a single pitch anywhere near the zone.
Basically, I think you get the idea. Sometimes, what Perez does works. Sometimes, it doesnât. It feels directly like pachinko to me. (If you have no idea what that is, go look up Peggle. Perez, pachinko. Perez, Peggle. It works. Sometimes Ode to Joy even plays.
The funny thing is, after that, Perezâ results went back to how they were during the first two innings. The fourth was groundout, weak flyout, Leon-assisted strikeout on a pitch not close to the zone. The fifth was weak flyout, weak groundout, and another strikeout (this time of Brandon Lowe) in another sequence where Perez didnât throw anything near the zone at all. So, Perezâ final line: five innings, five strikeouts, two walks. It was a good outing, letâs be very clear â Perez just keeps doing pachinko, and itâs working.
So, the Braves had a three-run deficit to overcome against Mitch Keller and the Pirates. No problem. Am I the only one that thinks of, âThis isnât even [our] final formâ whenever a team takes a lead against the Braves this year? (Well, Iâm probably not after youâve been memetically exposed to this thought provided you actually read recaps and donât just scroll to the commentsâŠ) The Braves first lulled Keller and the Pirates into a false sense of complacency, as Dubon hit a routine grounder to third after Matt Olson blooped a single and Ozzie Albies walked. Then they struck, with Ronald Acuña Jr. hitting a weak RBI flare after Austin Riley walked and Mike Yastrzemski got grazed on the foot with a pitch. The Pirates then had their good pachinko inning, so the Braves trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the thirdâŠ
âŠand it was Dubon delivery time. Albies drew another walk with one out, Dubon fouled off some pitches (including a low one and a high one nowhere near the zone), and then Keller did pretty much the paragon of all hang jobs on a curve and⊠bam. Tie game.
In case you havenât been paying attention, thatâs three dingers in three games for Dubon. Fondness up, if thereâs anywhere else for it to go, as noted.
The Braves were quiet in the fourth, but Keller and his defense kind of hit a wall (or, more accurately, a tank or spike trap or Scud missile or something) in the fifth. Harris mashed the first pitch he saw in the inning for a single. Olson got a down-Broadway sinker and did the same. Albies nearly homered on a hanging changeup, but it was caught at the fence. Up came Dubon. He missed a couple of meaty pitches, then got a fastball at the top of the zone, and slashed it to right to break the tie. The ball actually got past the right fielder, but Olson couldnât score because his player used dexterity as a dump stat, I guess. (Or, more accurately, because he had to hold up in case the liner was caught. Readerâs choice.) Dominic Smith followed with a sac fly, and then Riley barreled a ball off the bricks in right to make it 6-3. That was it for Keller, who ended up with a pretty ghastly 4 2/3 with a 4/3 K/BB ratio, a hit by pitch, and a homer allowed. The Braves got one more walk in the inning, but nothing else.
And really, no one got anything else for the rest of the game. Braves relievers (Didier Fuentes, Dylan Lee, Robert Suarez) threw perfect frames in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, creating a weird situation where the pitching and defense were perfecto-ing the Pirates other than the adverse pachinko results in the third. Braves bats did almost nothing either â Acuña had a single but was thrown out trying to steal in the sixth â until the eighth.
That frame was just kind of weird. The Braves made two outs, and the home plate umpire rung Acuña up on a horrendous call that was quickly challenged and reverted⊠except the Pirates had walked off the field. So, they all had to return, only for Acuña to draw a walk two pitches later. Then, Harris struck out on three pitches⊠except the third pitch was a curve as horrendous as the overturned call to Acuña, bounced, hit the catcher in the knee, and allowed Harris to reach. Olson ended up striking out, but still, weird.
So, the Pirates had one more chance to make the Braves walk the plank, and they actually got the tying run up at the plate with none out (to make sure the folks that picked Iglesias got an extra point in our WPA game, I guess). The first batter got a strange pitch clock-violation-aided walk, except that the actual violation was Raisel Iglesias tripping during his delivery and not a real delay. Ozuna then lined an 0-2 pitch to left. So, up came Oneil Cruz, and then he went down on a changeup after seven pitches. Up next was pinch hitter Ryan OâHearn, and he tried to pull an outside changeup⊠which he did, right to Albies, who flipped to Dubon (who else, tonight?) as part of a game-ending 4-6-3 double play. Woo.
This game had eight ABS challenges, six of which resulted in overturns, three of which were engendered by Leon. Acuña, Harris, Olson, and of course, Dubon, each had multiple hits.
The series continues tomorrow with an afternoon contest featuring Spencer Strider and Braxton Ashcraft.
Jun 5, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) dives into home plate to score a run ahead of the tag from Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela (59) in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Orioles A Lot Blue. Jays A little.
That was less than fun.
Everything that mattered happened in the bottom of the fifth and the top of the sixth.
The Jays scored two in the top of the fifth. With two out George Springer reached on catcher interference, yet again. They are going to name catcher interference after him. Then Brandon Valenzuela homered. It was 3-1 Jays and all was good in the world.
Then, in the top of the sixth. Trey Yesavage, who had been great, other than a first inning home run, had a blow up inning. It seemed to come out of nowhere. It went:
Double.
Strikeout.
Walk.
Double (tie game).
Strikeout.
Single.
Home run. 6-3.
And that was the game for Yesavage and the Jays really. It just snowballed so quickly. Everything was hit hard, or he got the strikeout.
Other than that. Conner Seabold gave up 3 more runs in the 8th. And Yariel Rodriguez gave up 4 more in the ninth.
Add into the fun, Daulton Varsho left the game with wrist discomfort.
Charles Barkley didnât hold back with his criticism of Victor Wembanyama during halftime of Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Friday night in San Antonio.
âWembyâs in shock right now,â Barkley, the Hall of Famer and âInside the NBAâ analyst, said before the Knicks won 105-104 to take a 2-0 series lead over San Antonio. âItâs probably been a long time since he got his ass kicked like this.
âBut right now, big KAT is taking his ass to the woodshed.â
"It's probably been a long time since he got his ass kicked like this."
Victor Wembanyama reacts during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs on June 5, 2026 in San Antonio. Imagn Images
Barkley said Wembanyama looked flustered during the first half and was throwing the ball all over the place.
He finished the half with seven points and ended the night with 29 points on 11-for-21 shooting.
But Wembanyama had a critical turnover and foul that helped give the Knicks the lead for good in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. He then missed the gameâs final shot at the buzzer.
âPersonally, I think I couldâve been better in recovering from the high of the conference finals, but here we are,â Wembanyama said after the loss. âWe canât change the past now. Weâre already focused on Game 3.â
Towns had 21 points and 13 rebounds as the Knicks took a critical win to move two wins away taking the NBA Finals.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 05: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on June 05, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While theyâve already played a handful of games without him, Friday nightâs game against the Red Sox marked the first one for the Yankees since Aaron Judge was placed on the injured list with a fractured rib. Letâs just say the early returns on the lineup without him werenât glowing.
It wonât go down as the worst performance from the offense this season, as they did put up three runs on eight hits, and there were moments where they threatened. However at a time when people are concerned about what the Yankees will do for the next four to six weeks, it didnât exactly provide reassurance.
Former Yankee Sonny Gray was on the mound for the Red Sox, and he managed to hold the Yankees to just three runs despite the Yankees scattering eight hits. Meanwhile, Ryan Weathers wasnât able to match the âbend but donât breakâ performance. He allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk, including two home runs.
In general, it wasnât the most sparkling performance in any aspect, as the Yankees fell to the Red Sox 5-3 on Friday night.
Despite how the game played out in general, the Judge-less offense got off to a solid enough start in the first. Ben Rice took former Yankee Sonny Gray in the Bombersâ second at-bat of the game, opening the scoring. That just ended up being the high point of the night.
However, the Red Sox then struck for the next couple runs to take control of the game. After a couple singles, Weathers did himself some unnecessary damage by walking the bases loaded. He then induced a ground out, but there was only play for Anthony Volpe to make, which allowed the tying run to score. The next at-bat, Willson Contreras hit a little soft grounder that Weathersâ throw to first on was off and possibly late, allowing another run to score.
Weathers was hit decently hard all day, and would go on to allow a couple home runs in the fourth and fifth innings. The one in the fourth was a monster shot from Andruw Monasterio, before Contreras added a two-run blast in the fifth.
The Yankees had got one run back in the fourth when Spencer Jones picked up an RBI double for his second hit of the day. Then in the fifth, Trent Grisham got in on the home run game by hitting a solo homer to keep the Yankees hanging around.
However, hanging around was all they did. In the ninth, another former Yankee in Aroldis Chapman took the mound and did give the Bombers a glimmer of hope. He walked two of the first three batters he faced in the ninth, and both on four pitches. With the winning run suddenly at the plate, it looked somewhat like some of the most irritating outings he used to have in pinstripes. However, he eventually got a hold of things and got out of the jam, leaving both Yankeesâ runners on base.
If there are any positives to take from this game, Jones had the afformentioned two hits. Plus, Grishamâs homer helps makes his stats look a bit better after his slow start to the year. Besides that, there was not a lot to write home about.
With the Yankees looking to draw even, the rivalry series will continue tomorrow night, with a game scheduled to start at 7:35 pm ET. Will Warren is expected to go opposite Ranger Suarez in that one.
Because they won't be picking at the top of the NHL draft order this year, the Philadelphia Flyers must select the best player possible with the 21st overall pick.
Any other outcome, assuming the pick isn't traded, is a mistake.
The Flyers, too, have been under fire for their draft choices in recent seasons, spending a total of three first-round picks to acquire centers Jack Nesbitt and Jett Luchanko, players with offensive upsides that seem to be average at best.
And the idea of going all-in on a center in the 2024 and 2025 drafts were fine, too. Options like Konsta Helenius and Cole Reschny were on the board, but the Flyers ultimately bypassed both.
To that end, the Flyers could have secured themselves a blue-chip prospect for the left side of their defense, which is barren in the prospect pool. Zeev Buium and Jackson Smith were available--the former was and still is a sore subject--but the Flyers had their minds made up.
Now that they have stocked up at the center position with Luchanko, Nesbitt, Matthew Gard, Heikki Ruohonen, and Jack Berglund, the Flyers have no reason to reach for a center again, but that is exactly what they do in Corey Pronman's latest NHL mock draft for The Athletic.
Pronman has the Flyers selecting USHL Youngstown Phantoms center Jack Hextall, a relative of Flyers legend Ron Hextall, with the 21st overall pick.
"Hextall is a highly intelligent, diligent pivot whoâs a slick playmaker with excellent offensive sense," Pronman writes.
"Though his skating doesnât stand out and he hasnât been a prolific scorer, his strong two-way detail makes him a very safe bet to be a useful pro down the middle for the Flyers."
Some of those word choices are nightmares to read for Flyers fans: skating doesn't stand out, hasn't been a prolific scorer, very safe, and useful.
Hextall, 18, scored 20 goals, 38 assists, and 58 points in the USHL this season, and he's committed to Michigan State University, where he'll team up with Flyers prospect Shane Vansaghi next year.
And, with the very next pick, Pronman has the Flyers' archrival Pittsburgh Penguins taking defenseman Ryan Lin at 22.
"Pittsburgh doesnât really have a future power-play QB in its prospect pool, and Lin could be one," Pronman said.
The Flyers, with their power play being downright awful for years now, go with the "very safe" pick instead of someone who could be a "future power-play QB." Yeesh.
Of course, this isn't to say that the Flyers will actually do this when the real thing plays out on June 26, but they don't have a strong enough track record for us to sit here and rule that out, either.
I'm a big fan of the undersized Xavier Villeneuve, for example, but he doesn't even make Pronman's top 32 here. That would be someone who checks all the boxes for the Flyers, in terms of both position and talent level.
Other higher-upside players the Flyers pass on in Pronman's latest mock include Adam Novotny, Maddox Dagenais, Brooks Rogowski, Liam Ruck, Tommy Bleyl, and Nikita Klepov.
In order to truly take the next step in their rebuild, the Flyers will need to find the courage to think outside the box and take risks when the stakes are higher.
Game 2 between the Knicks and Spurs on Friday night has seen a marked increase in physical play by both teams as they seek an edge at the Frost Bank Center.
Itâs the Knicks, however, getting most of the attention from the officials.
In a span of just 16 seconds of gameplay, Josh Hart was hit with a Flagrant 1 foul and Mitchell Robinson got a technical for his troubles.
Hart, diving for a loose ball, let his hand linger perhaps a little too long on Devin Vassellâs ankle, sending the Spurs guard tumbling to the floor.
âThe contact was unnecessary,â the lead official said, much to the delight of the San Antonio crowd.
Robinson, no stranger to foul trouble, was the recipient of a dubious and one-sided call as he got into a shoving match with Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, with the French center selling his end of things a little better to the official.
âI donât like that call,â ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson said on the broadcast. âTheyâre both being physical⊠Wemby pushes him, and then they push each other back, and thatâs where the technical occurs on Mitchell Robinson.â
âThat should be a double technical,â play-by-play man Mike Green opined.
Bringing some attitude to the proceedings seem to be working for the Knicks, who trailed by as much as 12, but ended the first half leading 56-52.
Anthony Kayâs early struggles doomed the White Sox early on. | (Photo by Maddy Grassy/Getty Images)
The game was played on Friday, but the Chicago White Sox certainly made it look like a âThrowback Thursdayâ in an 8-6 loss in the opening game of their series with the Philadelphia Phillies.
It started out well for the White Sox, as they struck first in the second inning thanks to a two-out rally. It was started by a Sam Antonacci hit-by-pitch and capped off with a Tristan Peters RBI single to give the South Siders a two-run lead. Unfortunately, after that the White Sox â most notably Anthony Kay and Miguel Vargas â looked more like their 2025 selves than the team that has been one of the surprises in the MLB this spring.
Kay came into the game off of a strong May campaign that saw him sport a 4-0 record with a 1.95 ERA in six starts. With two of those efforts coming against the Seattle Mariners and another against the San Diego Padres, it wasnât just a case of Kay feasting on weak opponents. Unfortunately, he reverted back to who he has been most of his career, as a pitcher with a career ERA over five â and one who struggles with command.
Kay couldnât throw strikes when it mattered in the bottom of the second, and he didnât get much help defensively, either. With runners on the corners and one out in a tie ball game, a chopper to Vargas at first had out written all over it. Instead of making the easy play at first, Vargas tried to gun out Adolis GarcĂa at home, but a poorly-thrown ball allowed everyone to reach safely:
That mistake would cost the White Sox dearly, as an Alec Bohm double with two outs scored two runs that otherwise wouldnât have crossed the plate.
Unfortunately the mistakes didnât stop there, as after a Randal Grichuk homer and a Vargas walk, Vargas was caught stealing to turn momentum back in favor of the Phillies. Kay kept making mistakes on his pitch locations but was able to get away with it until GarcĂa finally made him pay, with his own solo shot in the fourth to stretch the lead to three runs.
To Chicagoâs credit, they continued to show the same grit and fight that they have all season. Even after falling behind 6-3 and Kay clearly not having his best stuff, they refused to give up. Grichuk and Derek Hill both knocked out solo homers to keep the game close before Colson Montgomery muscled a broken-bat RBI single to tie the game at six apiece. Unfortunately, the bullpen, mainly Bryan Hudson, looked like the bullpen of old and imploded in the seventh inning. The bases were loaded before Hudson even registered an out, and a sacrifice fly brought a run in. While the lefty was getting squeezed on some good-looking pitches painting the inside corner, it was still a rough outing for a guy who has been clutch all season.
Seranthony DomĂnguez relieved Hudson and was the next White Sox player to make a critical error. He walked JT Realmuto before getting Brandon Marsh into an 0-2 count. Just one strike away from limiting the damage to a run, he chunked a splitter in the dirt for a wild pitch and a second run scored. DomĂnguez was able to get Marsh down on strikes on the next pitch, but further damage had been done.
The White Sox posted one last threat in the eighth, but with two on and no outs Rikuu Nishida hit a line drive right at pitcher Brad Keller who made a great reaction catch and threw to second for the double play.
The White Sox would not see another base runner from there on out. Between Vargasâ fielderâs choice, Hudsonâs meltdown, and DomĂnguezâs wild pitch, the South Siders gave Philadelphia too much help, and they paid the price for it. Fortunately, the White Sox still have a chance to win the series as the teams meet two more times.
Jun 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev (49) shoots the puck against Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) during the third period in game two of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Before the Carolina Hurricanes made their comeback, before the Vegas Golden Knights needed a goal with 81 seconds left in regulation to tie it and before Seth Jarvis scored in overtime, the sound of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final was silence.
The same crowd that roared at the start of the series was stunned, with their beloved Hurricanes shut out through the first two periods for the first time since mid-January. They were fewer than 15 minutes away from a 2-0 hole that only five of 55 teams have overcome to hoist the Cup.
The topsy-turvy ride that followed ended with Carolina winning in emotional fashion and making this a competitive series between two of the best teams in the NHL. Game 3 is Saturday night in Las Vegas.
If it is anything like the first two, it is best to expect the unexpected the rest of the way.
âItâs obviously a new series, a five-game series now,â said defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who leads the Hurricanes with three points so far in the final. âA lot of emotions throughout the games, too. For almost 50 minutes there itâs kind of low, and then kind of even, then really high, then low again, and then high. Itâs a roller coaster for sure.â
This final is shaping up to be more like a seesaw, with wild momentum swings back and forth. This is the first Cup final in league history in which each of the first two games featured a multigoal comeback victory.
Carolina is now the first team in 82 years to win a game in the final when down by more than one goal within the final 10 minutes of regulation. That would also make Vegas â which fell behind by two goals in the opener â the first team since 1944 to blow such a lead.
âThe sport of hockey is funny that way,â Golden Knights center William Karlsson said Friday. âI think thatâs why we all love it. It can go either way at any times .... But itâs hockey. Itâs a game of mistakes, and itâs bound to happen.â
The Hurricanes after cruising through the first three rounds with 12 wins and just one loss met their match in Vegas, and that was evident in Game 1. What also became clear is that neither of team is going to get pushed around for an entire night, even if there are stretches of domination by one side or the other.
âItâs going to be hard to play your best game â thatâs the point,â Carolina coach Rod BrindâAmour said. âIt would be great if you could do it for the whole 60 minutes. But itâs probably not going to be that way because theyâre a very, very good team.â
Counterpart John Tortorella emphasized that again before he and his team flew home, insisting he likes where Vegas is at two games into its biggest challenge yet this postseason. The Golden Knights have stolen home-ice advantage and get to play the next two on The Strip, where Tortorella can better control matchups.
âThereâs no difference,â Tortorella said. âWeâre going to play. We know how to play. We know how we want to play.â
So do the Hurricanes, and itâs what they displayed at the end of Game 2. Logan Stankoven provided the spark, Mark Jankowski kept it going and Jordan Staal scored on a power play after Tortorellaâs failed goaltender interference challenge became a difference-making moment.
Of course, the Golden Knights dominating for much of the first two periods and the start of the third showed why theyâve been such a buzzsaw since Tortorella took over in late March. BrindâAmour acknowledged the vibes around his team were better than they could have been if not for the turnaround, but neither team should expect to feel too good about itself for toon long in a series like this.
Players are embracing that as part of the fun.
âThis is exciting,â Jarvis said. âThis is what playoff hockeyâs all about is tight games and momentum swings, and you never really know whatâs going to happen next. I donât think you can ask any more of a playoff series.â
Jun 5, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) hits a two RBI home run against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
When the Phillies have won this season, itâs largely been on the back of their pitching staff. But on Friday night, it was the offense that carried the way, as they overcame a shaky start by Jesus Luzardo to top the White Sox 8-6.
Luzardoâs off night began with two outs in the second. He hit a batter, then gave up a run scoring double to Luisangel Acuna and a run scoring single to Tristan Peters to put the Phillies in a 2-0 hole.
The deficit didnât last long. In the bottom of the inning, J.T. Realmuto led off with a walk, and then Brandon Marsh did something he hasnât done as a member of the Phillies: Hit a home run off a lefthanded pitcher.
STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND VOTE FOR BRANDON MARSH! â
â Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 5, 2026
The score was tied at two, but the Phillies werenât done for the inning. Singles by Adolis Garcia and Kyle Schwarber put runners on the corners. Trea Turner hit a ball to first base, but Garcia was able to beat the throw home to make it 3-2.
â Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 5, 2026
Next, Alec Bohm hit a double to left to score both Schwarber and Turner before getting tagged out attempting to advance to third.
Unfortunately, Randal Grichuk immediately got one of those runs back when he led off the third with a home run.
Adolis Garcia extended the lead to 6-3 with his second home run in two games. Unfortunately, Luzardo once again almost immediately gave a run back thanks to Grichukâs second home run of the night.
Luzardo stayed in the game for the sixth, and that might have been a mistake since he gave up another solo home run, this time off the bat of Derek Hill cut the lead to 6-5.
Jonathan Bowlan took over from Luzardo in the seventh, and his night started on a bad note when he allowed an infield single, compounded by a throwing error. That proved costly three batters later when Bowlan gave up a game-tying single to Colson Montgomery.
Six runs can sometimes feel like a seriesâ worth of output from the Philliesâ offense, but they didnât stop there. They loaded the bases against Sox reliever Bryan Hudson in the seventh, but after an Alec Bohm line out and a run-scoring Edmundo Sosa sacrifice fly, it felt like they might waste a chance to give themselves a nice cushion.
But former Phillie Seranthony Dominguez was brought in to finish off the inning, and with two strikes he uncorked a wild pitch that gave the Phillies an insurance run.
â Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 6, 2026
Brad Keller handled the eighth for the Phillies and immediately found himself in trouble thanks to a leadoff single followed by a fielding error by Bryce Harper. But Keller caught a break when Rikuu Nishida lined a ball right at him, and he was able to double the runner off second.
â Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 6, 2026
Keller finished the inning without incident, and it was up to Jhoan Duran to close things out. Two strikeouts and a nice play by Bryson Stott later, and the Phillies were victorious.
â Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 6, 2026
Theyâll be back at it tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully the bats will continue to look lively, and maybe the pitching staff â Andrew Painter gets the start â can perform well at the same time!
May 23, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Dodgers (40-23) host the Angels (24-39) for a three-game series starting Friday night.
Roki Sasaki (3-3, 4.59 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) starts the series opener for the Dodgers.
Left-hander Reid Detmers (2-5, 4.63 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) gets the ball for the Angels.
Jorge Soler has been scratched from tonightâs game.
Updated lineup: SS Zach Neto CF Mike Trout LF Wade Meckler RF Jo Adell 3B Donovan Walton 1B Oswald Peraza 2B Nick Madrigal C Logan OâHoppe DH Adam Frazier P Reid Detmers https://t.co/7dCtQ8aq2m
TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 5: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates after scoring against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning of an MLB game at the Rogers Centre on June 5, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It is Friday night.
The Orioles rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the sixth inning to turn the game around into a laugher against the Blue Jays, eventually winning 13-3 in the opener of the series. Adley Rutschman finished the classic triple shy of the cycle while driving in five runs (is he back?), Coby Mayo hit a massive two-run homer, and Brandon Young was good enough to hang in there and get the win after his team mounted the comeback.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 31: Bryce Eldridge #8 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates his sixth inning solo home run against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 31, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On the morning of Wednesday, May 20, San Francisco Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge had a slash line of .143/.226/.250, with only one extra-base hit in nine games. He wasnât playing every day, looked to be pressing at the plate, and was blocked by stronger hitters Rafael Devers and Casey Schmitt.
Thatâs when Mike Krukow went on KNBR and declared that Eldridge should go down to Triple-A.
âI know everybodyâs upset and frustrated and wants to see this guy hit more, but quite honestly he hasnât earned the right to do it.â
Mike Krukow was quick to jump in when asked about Giants fans wanting Bryce Eldridge in the lineup every day.
Krukow sounded like a hater, stopping just shy of telling Eldridge to âgrab some Rivercats pine, meat.â He wasnât being malicious, and itâs not like the Giants donât have a recent history of promoting prospects with limited minor-league experience. Dearly departed catcher Patrick Bailey got only 60 plate appearances each at Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento. Schmitt played 29 games at Double-A and 36 at Triple-A before the Giants brought him to the big leagues.
Was there an element of âRespect your elders, young fellaâ and âGet off my lawn infield grass!â to Krukowâs comment? Of course! Krukow is 74 years old. He likely remembers how annoying Will Clark was to hang out with 40 years ago.
Perhaps fired up by the criticism, Eldridge hit a double that afternoon. Two games later, he went 2-for-3 with a walk. In a three-game series at Coors Field, Eldridge was 6-for-11 with two walks, a homer, and four doubles. He went 2-for-5 Friday, continuing his eight-game hit streak and scoring two runs, and his slash line now stands at 293/.372/.467. Since Krukowâs comments, Eldridge is hitting .383 and slugging .596, with six walks and 10 Ks.
Heâs also wearing out pitchers. Since May 23, Eldridge is seeing 4.57 pitches per plate appearance, fourth-most in the league. Heâs also regularly lining balls off of opposing pitchers, leading to infield hits and bruises, with Eldridgeâs liner off Grant Andersonâs forearm knocking him out of Thursdayâs game.
Thankfully, Eldridge has not struck back at another pitcher named Mike Krukow, though we are fairly sure that the 21-year-old slugger looks plenty ready to him now. The Giants offense is red-hot, scoring 30 runs in their last two games.
But if they start to cool off, manager Tony Vitello can fire up his team by playing the KNBR card. We suggest going on the station and find out what Larry Krueger thinks about ethnic differences as it pertains to plate discipline.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JUNE 05: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws a pitch against the Miami Marlins first inning at loanDepot park on June 05, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Rays are in Miami to open their annual Citrus Series against the Marlins. Drew Rasmussen is on the bump against Marlins starter Ryan Gusto.
Junior Caminero got things going in the top of the first with a one-out double to right, and Jonathan Aranda drew a walk to put two runners on for Yandy Diaz. Diaz grounded out, but moved both runners into scoring position for Richie Palacios to try and bring them home.
Richie delivered, scoring both runners on a line drive to right. Marlins right fielder Owen Cassie misplayed the ball, and Palacios slid into third with a two-RBI triple. Two pitches later, Palacios scored on a Ryan Vilade single to right field, making it 3-0 Rays. Cedric Mullins grounded out to end the inning.
Rasmussen took the mound in the bottom of the first, and set the Marlins down quickly, needing only five pitches to move this game into the second.
The Rays werenât able to replicate their first inning, but Ras kept the Marlins quiet in the second, and did so again in the bottom of the third, striking out four between those two frames. Tyler Phillips entered for the Marlins in the top of the third to relieve Ryan Gusto. Chandler Simpson was replaced in the third with a discomfort in his left thumb, with Victor Mesa Jr. replacing him in right field.
Fast forwarding to the top of the fifth, Junior added to his double total on the night, hitting another one to left field this time. Jonathan Aranda stepped up next, reaching for a slider and poking it into center field to bring Caminero home, extending the lead to 4-0 and tallying his 44th RBI on the season.
Yandy followed the Aranda hit with a single, deflecting off Tyler Phillipsâ foot. He was checked out by the teamâs training staff, but stayed in the game and ultimately worked his way out of the jam in the top of the fifth.
Ras worked another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth, recording his seventh strikeout in the process. Cedric Mullins led off the bottom of the sixth, with Phillips staying in for another inning on the mound for Miami. Mullins swung at the fourth pitch he saw, an 87mph splitter, and he sent it 397 feet over the right field wall, extending the lead to 5-0.
Rasmussen pitched another shutdown inning in the bottom of the sixth, recording his eighth strikeout of the game in the process.
Junior led off the top of the seventh and draw a walk for his fourth time reaching base on the night. Yandy hit a one-out single to move Junior up to second, and with two outs in the inning, Ryan Vilade hit a single to bring Caminero home, extending the lead to 6-0 and putting two runners on for Cedric Mullins. Mullins reached on a catchers interference, and with the bases loaded, Nick Fortes stepped up to face new pitcher William Kempner.
Kempner was able to get the Marlins out of the jam, so the lead stayed at six for Rasmussen to manage. Ras needed 13 pitches to continue the one-hitter and set down the heart of the Miami lineup.
Cam Booser was brought in to pitch the bottom of the eighth, ending Rasâ 87 pitch, one-hit night. Ras struck out nine with no walks, lowering his ERA to an even 3.00, on the season.
Booserâs eighth inning was nearly perfect, recording three strikeouts but walking Jakob Marsee in the process. Yandy Diaz led off the top of the ninth with a single off Tyler Zuber, and Richie Palacios followed that up with a walk, but neither runner made it home after the next three hitters were set down by Zuber.
Cole Sulser entered for the bottom of the ninth, and did exactly what he needed to do â recording a strikeout of Kyle Stowers to end it.
Behind a monster outing from Drew Rasmussen, the Rays and their six-run performance shut out the Marlins to open the Citrus Series. Shane McClanahan will take the mound tomorrow in Miami against a Marlins starter to be determined, first pitch scheduled for 4:10pm.
The San Antonio Spurs are in a must win situation in Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals after blowing a 14-point lead in their Game 1 loss. The Spurs responded by turning up the ball pressure in the first half of Game 2, and it caused one Knicks player loose his cool enough for a flagrant foul.
New York forward Josh Hart was called for a flagrant-1 with under six minutes left in the second quarter when he grabbed Devin Vassellâs leg as the Spurs wing tried to race off with a loose ball. Vassell was pressuring Hart as he attempted to bring the ball across halfcourt, and he poked it free just before the 8-second rule could have been called. Vassell had a beat on the ball, but Hart grabbed his ankle to trip him before he could get a breakaway layup.
The refs reviewed the play, and determined it should be a flagrant-1 for Hart. Watch the play here:
