Dustin May Beaten by Former Team, Dodgers Cool Down Cardinals 4-1

May 3, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals didn’t provide much to get excited about for the first 8 innings. Dustin May gave the Cardinals a serviceable start, but his former team touched him up for 3 runs before his day was done. The Cardinals had early innings opportunities, but had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard until late and, even then, not enough to sweep the Dodgers as LA prevailed 4-1.

The Los Angeles Dodgers struck first when Kyle Tucker doubled in the top of the 2nd inning followed by a walk to Max Muncy and a double from Andy Pages giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Kim then singled scoring Muncy making it 2-0 Los Angeles. Kim would irritate the Cardinals further when he reached on an infield single in the top of the 5th inning. He advanced to second on an infield groundout by Shohei Ohtani and then scored on a Freddie Freeman single giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. That was a historic RBI with a Cardinals connection as Freddie passed Johnny Mize for 94th on the all-time RBI list.

The Los Angeles Dodgers got an excellent start from Justin Wrobleski who held the Cardinals scoreless allowing only 6 hits through the first 6 innings. Dustin May wasn’t great, but wasn’t awful either. He kept the Cardinals within striking distance allowing 3 earned runs on 7 hits through 6 innings. He did receive his World Series ring from the Dodgers this weekend which was nice…for him.

Justin Bruihl was the first representative to make an appearance from the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen entering the game in the top of the 7th inning. He walked the first batter he saw. Two batters later, he plunked Shohei Ohtani where the sun don’t shine bringing up Freddie Freeman with two runners on base, but he struck him out and escaped the inning with no harm done.

Jared Shuster pitched the 8th inning for the Cardinals and got Kyle Tucker out on a deep fly to right field. Max Muncy reached on an infield ball hit between JJ Wetherholt and Masyn Winn, but Shuster got Rushing to hit into a double-play to end the inning.

The Cardinals had their chances. Both Winn and Church bottom of the 2nd inning, but Church was thrown out trying to steal second base to end that potential rally. Similar story in the bottom of the 3rd inning when JJ Wetherholt reached on an error and Ivan Herrera walked, but Jordan Walker grounded out to shortstop so no soup for you. In yet another instance of Deja vu, the Cardinals would see Fermin and Church single in the bottom of the 4th inning, but Pedro Pagés lined out to left stranding even more runners.

The cardiac Cardinals would not go quietly as the offense waited until the bottom of the 8th inning to score. With 2 outs, Jordan Walker lived up to his name and walked. He would score on a single by Alec Burleson which was misplayed in the outfield giving the Cardinals hope cutting into the Dodgers lead 3-1.

That moment of optimism would be muted in the top of the 9th inning when Jared Shuster would give up an unearned run when Andy Pages reached on an error by Masyn Winn. Pages stole second on a ball that Pages threw into center field and then advanced to third on a ground out by Rojas. He would score on a pinch-hit single by Andy Call. Remarkably, Shohei Ohtani remained hitless for the entire series in St. Louis. The Dodgers weren’t done in the 9th as Freddie Freeman doubled on a ball that hit the foul line in left field and bounced into the stands. After an ABS challenge, Freeman was granted his well-earned double. With runners at second and third, the Cardinals intentionally walked Hernandez to load the bases, but Tucker would line out to center leaving St. Louis within a grand slam at 5-1 Dodgers.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals would get no grand slam in the bottom of the 9th inning. Fermin struck out, Church lined out and Pagés struck out. All things considered, we just have to realize that we took 2 out of 3 from the defending World Champions.

The St. Louis Cardinals get no rest as they’ll welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to town for a very important early season National League Central showdown starting Monday. Kyle Leahy will start for the Cardinals while Chad Patrick will be send to the mound for the dastardly Brewers. First pitch scheduled for 6:45pm Monday night in Busch Stadium and televised play-by-play available through Cardinals.tv.

Texas Rangers lineup for May 3, 2026

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 28: Andrew McCutchen #4 of the Texas Rangers looks on before the game between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kelcee Skoug/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Texas Rangers lineup for May 3, 2026 against the Detroit Tigers: starting pitchers are Jack Leiter for the Rangers and Tyler Holton for the Tigers.

The Rangers take on Detroit in the series finale in Detroit. Brandon Nimmo is back in the lineup, at DH.

The lineup:

Nimmo — DH

McCutchen — LF

Seager — SS

Jung — 3B

Burger — 1B

Carter — CF

Duran — RF

Smith — 2B

Higashioka — C

6:20 p.m. Central start time on Peacock. Rangers are +102 underdogs.

Harper Brothers Make Their Mark in the NBA Playoffs

The 2026 NBA Playoffs have delivered two very different realities for Rutgers products Ron Harper Jr. and Dylan Harper—but together, they still tell a powerful story about the Scarlet Knights’ growing footprint at the next level.

Ron Harper Jr. — Opportunity in the Margins

For Ron Harper Jr. and the Boston Celtics, the playoffs ended in heartbreak—and unexpectedly, a major opportunity for the older Harper brother.

Boston’s first-round exit came in stunning fashion, blowing a 3–1 series lead and falling in Game 7 to Philadelphia. Injuries—most notably to Jayson Tatum—forced the Celtics to dig deep into their bench, and that’s where Harper’s moment on the big stage briefly arrived.

In a surprising Game 7 decision, Harper was inserted into the starting lineup, a reflection of both Boston’s desperation and trust in his readiness. While his minutes remained limited (just four in the finale), the moment itself mattered: a former Scarlet Knight starting in a win-or-go-home playoff game.

Statistically, Harper’s role stayed modest:

  • 6 games played
  • 4.2 minutes per game
  • 1.8 points, 0.7 rebounds per game

But that doesn’t fully capture his postseason. He had flashes—like a quick 5-point burst in his playoff debut—and provided defensive energy in short stretches.

For Harper, this postseason wasn’t about production—it was about positioning. He proved he can be trusted in high-leverage situations, even on a contender. That’s often the first real step toward carving out a long-term NBA role.

Dylan Harper — A Rookie Who Belongs

While Ron’s playoff run was about survival, Dylan Harper is actively shaping his NBA career as a rookie.

The lottery pick guard has been a legitimate contributor for the San Antonio Spurs, who handled business in the first round, defeating Portland in five games to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals.

And Harper hasn’t just been along for the ride—he’s been part of the engine.

Through the first round:

  • 12.6 points per game
  • 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists
  • Over 56% shooting from the field

He’s already delivered standout moments, including a 27-point, 10-rebound performance in Game 3—an early glimpse of his ceiling in big games. Despite not being the strongest distance shooter in volume or accuracy, Harper knocked down four of five triples and made nine of twelve field goals overall in his career performance.

In a pivotal game where San Antonio was without Victor Wembanyama and Portland was looking to go up two games to one at home, Harper and Stephon Castle combined for 60 points. Harper also registered a team-high +25 in plus-minus, showing that his scoring was contributing to winning.

Harper followed that game up with 17 points on 6-9 shooting in the Spurs’ closeout win over the Blazers, which sent San Antonio to a second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves (Game 1: Monday 9:30 EST).

More importantly, Dylan Harper looks comfortable. Composed. In control. As a rookie.

On a Spurs team built around youth and growth, Harper is doing something rare for a young guard in the playoffs: playing efficient, mistake-controlled basketball while still being aggressive.

San Antonio’s philosophy—trusting its young core—has paid off, with Harper playing a key role in their advancement and overall playoff success.

Two Paths, One Statement

The contrast is clear:

  • Ron Harper Jr.: Fighting for minutes, earning trust, stepping into moments when called
  • Dylan Harper: Already a rotation piece, producing, and helping drive a playoff team forward

But both paths matter.

One shows how hard it is to stick in the league—and how valuable even small playoff opportunities can be. The other shows what it looks like when a young player accelerates that timeline.

To support me and my work, please follow me at @arnavsarkar100 on X!

Inter cruise to Serie A title triumph after Thuram sparks victory over Parma

  • Inter 2-0 Parma seals scudetto with three games to spare

  • Marcus Thuram and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on target

Inter sealed the Serie A title with a 2-0 victory over Parma, wrapping up the scudetto with three games to spare. The Nerazzurri only needed a point to claim their 21st Italian league championship before the home match, with defending champions Napoli nine points behind and Milan and 12 points back after a 2-0 defeat at Sassuolo earlier in the day.

Yet a clinical Marcus Thuram finish in first-half stoppage time put the hosts ahead at San Siro. The France forward latched on to Piotr Zielinski’s defence-splitting pass and made no mistake inside the box. Henrikh Mkhitaryan sealed the win with a close-range finish in the 80th minute to ensure a party atmosphere inside the stadium before the full-time whistle.

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Jays Frustrate Us, Lose To Twins

May 3, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho (5) lays down an RBI bunt for a single against the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Blue Jays 3 Twins 4

That was irritating.

Joe Ryan left the game with a sore elbow after walking the second batter and we had to think we had a good chance.

But no.

Trey Yesavage wasn’t good, but then only gave up one run. In four innings he allowed five hits, three walks and six strikeouts. He got the outs when he needed and got the luck when he needed. In the third, with a runner on first, Trey gave up a hard hit double down the third base line, it looked like it would score a run, but it bounced over the wall in left for a ground rule double. A walk and strikeout ended the inning without that run scoring.

Unfortunately, Braydon Fisher didn’t have that sort of luck. He gave up three earned while getting just two outs, making it a 4-0 game.

The rest of the pen was good: Joe Mantiply (three outs), Tommy Nance (four outs) and Jeff Hoffman (three outs) didn’t allow a run.


The offense got 11 hits, but only went 1 for 11 with RISP.

We scored:

  • One in the sixth: Vladmir Guerrero and Jesús Sánchez started it off with singles, to give us runners on the corners. After a Lenyn Sosa strikeout, Daulton Varsho (against a lefty pitcher), put down a very nice bunt single (just barely safe at first) bringing in the run. But an Ernie Clement line out, Andrés Giménez hit by pitch and Tyler Heineman fly out didn’t score anyone. Questioning why we didn’t pinch hit for Tyler is fair. We were down one on the bench, I’m pretty sure there was no chance George Springer would come into the game. But Heineman came out of the game before the top of the inning. Shi Davidi says it was a manager’s decision. I don’t understand that. If you weren’t going to pinch hit for him, why take him out? It makes no sense. Punishing him for the fly out? That’s stupid. Must be more to it.
  • Two in the ninth: With one out (Brandon Valenzuela strikeout), Myles Straw singled and Kazuma Okamoto homered. Then Vlad singled (hard hit right through Twins second baseman Royce Lewis. Could have been called an error, but then it was hit at 112.2 mph, so would be a very tough error. Sánchez singled again, putting the tying run on second. But Sosa ground into a double play to end the game. After going 5 for 9, the last two games, Sosa had an 0 for 5, with 2 strikeouts and that double play, today.

We had baserunners and didn’t score in:

  • The first, 2 on.
  • The second, 1 on.
  • The fourth, 1 on.
  • The fifth, 1 on.
  • The eighth, 2 on.

Sánchez had 3 hits. Vlad and Daulton (his double was our only extra base hit) 2. Sosa (0 for 5), Clement (0 for 3, walk) and Heineman (0 for 3).

On Heineman:

This seems pretty random. Lots of players had bad at bats. I don’t see why you would humiliate Tyler (as much as he’s not hitting at all this year, but then, that’s his MO (other than last year). If you were going to take him out the time to do it was before the at bat in the sixth, not after.

It seems like the move of a frustrated manager (which I can understand), but it is weird.

Jay of the Day: Sánchez (.15 WPA). Trey was close (0.8), but he really had a tough time of it. It is a sign of a good pitch when you can battle through bad stuff and only give up one run.

Honourable mention to Varsho. That sac bunt was terrific and he doubled in the eighth.

Other Award: Sosa (-.41, a huge negative), Fisher (-.17), and Heineman (-.13).

Tomorrow, the Jays are in the fourth circle of hell that is Tampa. Eric Lauer will likely be starter or bulk guy. Nick Martinez (2-1, 1.70).

Jose Suarez claimed by Mariners, Joel Payamps outrighted to Gwinnett

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 10: José Suarez #54 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the eighth inning during the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Atlanta Braves announced that pitcher Jose Suarez was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners and reliever Joel Payamps was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett. Both pitchers were designed for assignment by Atlanta on May 1.

Suarez had pitched in six games with the Braves, making one start and collecting one three-inning save. He struck out 21 but walked 12 in 16.1 innings, allowing 12 earned runs. His underlying peripherals were better than the outcome, and the left-hander will now try to stick as a swingman with the Mariners, whom the Braves will face in their next series.

Suarez was acquired last Spring in a deal for pitcher Ian Anderson and appeared in seven games for the Braves.

Payamps, who was a late-in-the-season pickup last year by Atlanta, was retained on a $2.5M contract by Atlanta making him less likely to be claimed by an opposing team. He pitched in 12 games for Atlanta in 2026 but allowed seven earned runs in only 7.2 innings pitched, striking out nine and walking four.

Assuming Payamps accepts his assignment to the Stripers, he’s likely to re-surface in Atlanta. He had been an average to above average reliever until struggling with the Milwaukee Brewers last year. He pitched in two games after joining the Braves in September last season.

Mets prospect A.J. Ewing extends hitting streak, Nick Morabito reaches three times for Syracuse

Sunday was a good day for plenty of the Mets’ young talent down in Syracuse. 

Top prospect A.J. Ewing was right back in the leadoff spot and he reached safely for the sixth straight game since being bumped up to the new level, finishing 1-for-4. 

Ewing is now hitting a stellar .500 with two XBH’s and a 1.052 OPS so far in Triple-A.

Syracuse’s corner outfielders enjoyed a strong day at the plate as well, as Nick Morabito reached three times with a pair of hits and a walk, while Cristian Pache lifted his third homer. 

Morabito also added his ninth and 10th stolen bases of the season. 

All three have been making a strong case for a potential call-up to the big-league level as the Mets' regulars continue to battle the injury bug during the early-part of the season. 

Pitching-wise, six Syracuse pitchers including rehabbing big-leaguer A.J. Minter, combined to allow just four hits while striking out 14 batters in the shutout victory. 

Minter had one of those in a perfect inning of work

Jonathan Pintaro picked up five of them as he allowed just one baserunner in his two scoreless frames. 

Dylan Ross threw well as well, striking out two as he worked around a walk in just his second outing back with the club following an early-season stint on the injured list. 

Minter is expected to be back with the Mets within the next week, and if the youngsters are able to keep this up, perhaps they could soon join him. 

Philasaurus Rex Breaks Out of the Paddack: Phillies 7, Marlins 2

May 3, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) and center fielder Brandon Marsh (16) Phillies ait for second baseman Bryson Stott (5) at the plate after his home run against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Try not to move is good advice when you are trapped in a Jeep with a Tyrannosaurus rex bearing down on you. It is bad advice when you are throwing a cutter. Unfortunately, as Marlins pitcher Chris Paddack found out, the Phillies are not like T. rexes,, and they will hit you very, very hard if you (or rather, your pitches) aren’t moving well.

Trea Turner got the proceedings started with a ground rule double, the ball bouncing happily over the wall. Even more happily, Kyle Schwarber walked in his first at-bat, snapping an eight-PA strikeout streak. Bryce Harper’s subsequent walk was less dramatic, but no less welcome. Less welcome was Alec Bohm’s bases-loaded dribbler to the left side of the infield. It had little power and didn’t seem to take any odd bounces. But strangely, delightfully, the Marlins couldn’t turn it into any outs, with the throw to second arriving just after a sliding Harper, and the follow-up throw to first arriving just after a sprinting Bohm. 1-0, Phillies. It became 2-0 when Paddack walked Marsh, forcing in a run. The Marlins finally got an out in the form of J.T. Realmuto— but as it took the form of a sacrifice fly, and an extension of the Philadelphia lead to 3-0, it offered little solace.

The subsequent three-run homer from Bryson Stott felt slightly cruel to the home club. Not in the sense of poor sportsmanship, but in a sort of cosmic sense. Even more so because it slipped just past the outstretched glove of a leaping Kyle Stowers, flinging himself over the wall like his team’s namesake flings itself out of the water. The Phillies ended the first frame with a half-dozen runs, and the Marlins ended it with a need for a half-dozen anti-nausea pills.

The nausea for the Fish did not lessen in a disappointing second, where they put the first two batters aboard against Jesús Luzardo, then saw the next three trudge back to the dugout. It did not lessen in the third, when an error put Realmuto on first, a double put Felix Reyes on second, and a seeing-eye single from Justin Crawford scored one. Paddack’s unhappy Sunday thus ended.

The next few innings consisted of a holding pattern. The two teams scattered a few hits, though no more runs scored.

The Marlins’ fortunes started to change in the top of the seventh, but it didn’t seem that way at first. Bohm singled, a fly ball to right dropping right in front of the glove of a sliding Owen Caissie in right. Marsh lined a ball to left that tripped up Javier Sonoja, and the Phillies had runners on second and third, none out. But Stott flew out, too shallow to score Bohm, Marsh grounded into an unassisted putout at first, and Reyes struck out, and the threat was ended.

The Marlins then put their first runs of the game on the board, as Luzardo hit Leo Jiménez on the foot with a pitch, then tossed a four-seamer to Esteury Ruiz that got smacked into left for a two-run homer. Right after, Javier Sanoja slapped a pitch right up the third base line for a double, and Luzardo’s day (6.1 IP, 10 K, 2 ER) was done. Chase Shugart came in to replace him, and navigated his way out of the inning without allowing a run. He did the same in the eighth.

As the top of the ninth wrapped up, the Phillies wrapped up their sixth straight scoreless inning. Had it not been for the eruption in the first inning, this would have been cause for frustration. But a sixth-run first buys you a lot of leeway, and ought to.

The Marlins faced Orion Kerkering in the ninth. The game seemed to end on a nice twirling throw from Trea Turner to put Ruiz out at first. The Marlins challenged, the replay center confirmed that the game had indeed come to a close, and the Marlins’ hopes finally went the way of the dinosaurs.

The Phillies are 14-20. The final game of the series against the Marlins is tomorrow at 6:40.

Mets' A.J. Minter makes second rehab appearance in three days with scoreless inning

Mets reliever A.J. Minter cleared another hurdle in his road to recovery from lat surgery after throwing for the second time in three days following his scoreless inning for Triple-A on Sunday afternoon.

That makes four appearances in Syracuse and eight total for the left-hander who also pitched for Low-A and High-A. 

Minter has pitched well during his rehab, owning a 2.25 ERA in four innings in Triple-A and a 1.17 ERA through all minor league levels. He has struck out four in 7.2 innings and has a 0.78 WHIP.

New York said after Minter's previous outing on Friday that it would decide what's next for the southpaw after proving he can pitch twice in three days. Now that he has and left it unharmed, the Mets should certainly be pleased.

Still, Minter has yet to throw in back-to-back games during his rehab process and has not gone more than an inning in any appearance either. While Minter is not generally a candidate to pitch multiple innings with the big league club, it might be good to see that he can do it should the need ever come up with the Mets.

When the veteran reliever does return to New York, it will be interesting to see how the team deploys him after he signed a two-year, $22 million deal before the 2025 season to be the setup man. Right now, that spot belongs to Luke Weaver while Devin Williams is the closer, although both pitchers have struggled at times this year for the Mets.

Twins hold on to beat Blue Jays 4-3 after Ryan leaves with elbow soreness

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Morris pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Joe Ryan, who exited with elbow soreness, and the Minnesota Twins held on to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Sunday to split a four-game series.

Ryan, a 2025 All-Star, struck out Yohendrick Piñango to start the game. He then walked Kazuma Okamoto and immediately signaled to catcher Victor Caratini and the dugout before leaving.

Luke Keaschall had a pair of hits, including an RBI double in a three-run fifth inning for Minnesota, which had lost 13 of 16 entering the game. The Twins lost a night earlier as Toronto scored eight runs before an out was recorded in the eighth against Minnesota’s bullpen, which started the day with a 5.48 ERA, third-worst in the majors.

Morris (1-1) allowed just two hits and a walk, while striking out three in his sixth major league appearance. He debuted on April 12.

Okamoto hit a two-run home run in the ninth off Twins reliever Justin Topa, but Topa managed to secure his second save with two runners left on after Lenyn Sosa grounded into a game-ending double play. It was Okamoto’s third straight game with a home run.

Trey Yesavage (1-1) made his second start of the season for Toronto, surrendering one run on five hits and three walks in four innings.

Victor Caratini had an RBI double in the first for the Twins, who then got three doubles in the fifth off reliever Braydon Fisher to score three runs after Caratini had walked with one out in the inning.

Blue Jays: Toronto has not announced a starter for Monday’s game at Tampa Bay after Max Scherzer went on the injured list on April 27 with forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation. The Rays are scheduled to start right-hander Nick Martinez (2-1, 1.70 ERA).

Twins: Right-hander Taj Bradley (3-1, 2.85) starts Tuesday at Washington, which has not announced a starter.

Game Thread: White Sox (16-17) at Padres (19-13)

Apr 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery (12), center, celebrates with third baseman Miguel Vargas (20) and left fielder Sam Antonacci (17) after hitting a walk off RBI single against the Los Angeles Angels during the tenth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

When I wrote the game thread for last Sunday’s eventual loss, I described the vibe of the 2026 White Sox as something akin to the “Ricky’s Boys Don’t Quit” team that, in 2019, gave fans their first glimpse of post-rebuild promise after two years of triple-digit losses. Now, after three years of triple-digit losses, I’m going to amend that statement. Perhaps it was the record-setting futility of 2024, or perhaps it was the third consecutive year of being the worst team in Major League Baseball. Whatever it is, as difficult as it might have been to believe a few weeks ago, I feel comfortable in saying that this team feels a lot better than whatever 2019 was.

The Sox have put five straight Ws in the win column since last Sunday, and now, they have a chance to display a .500 record beyond April for the first time since the end of the 2022 season. Since his promotion earlier this month, Noah Schultz has looked every part of the top-of-the-rotation starter that fans have spent years hoping he would be. Sean Burke hasn’t allowed an earned run over his last two starts, and Davis Martin seems to have learned how to leverage his deep arsenal into an All-Star caliber run on the mound to begin the season. The fact that Munetaka Murakami has lived up to every inch of his potential almost distracts from the fact that Colson Montgomery’s power surge last summer seems to have been very much not a fluke and that he remains one of the league’s best shortstops, even if the rest of baseball hasn’t quite caught up to it yet.

Whether they can turn this little run into a full-blown winning streak has yet to be seen, but a three-game sweep of a good Padres team would go a long way towards inflating the perception that the White Sox might kind of, sort of, maybe, actually be back. Here’s the lineup that Will Venable is sending out today in an attempt to do so:

This is just me, but I have a sneaking suspicious that Sam Antonacci in the leadoff spot is something we’re going to get used to for the rest of the summer. The fact that the team is approaching .500 while routinely running out lineups like this one is part of why I believe this early-season surge isn’t just a flash in the pan.

Here’s what San Diego manager Craig Stammen is sending out to counter Anthony Kay and friends:

There was a fair amount of noise linking Padres starting Griffin Canning to the White Sox this past offseason; we can only hope that the Sox will make him regret his choice in free agent destination today. First pitch is scheduled for at 3:10 p.m. CT, live from San Diego. If you want to join us, broadcasts are available on CHSN (TV) and WMVP AM 1000 (radio) like always!

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GAME THREAD: Guardians and A’s, game 35 of 162

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Travis Bazzana #37 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a two-run RBI single with the bases loaded against the Athletics in the top of the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park on May 02, 2026 in Sacramento, California. The hit and RBI's were the first Bazzana's major league career. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Here’s the Athletics lineup:

Let’s go, Guardians!

Reds swept by Pirates despite Chase Burns’ excellence on Sunday

Apr 21, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns (26) throws a pitch against Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | Pablo Robles-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds did not have a position player pitch on Sunday in Pittsburgh. They did not get shelled 9-1, or walk seven consecutive batters in a 17-7 drubbing.

The Reds instead watched their brightest young star turn in precisely the kind of outing they needed after their starters and bullpen had been torched the previous two days by the Pirates. Chase Burns, today’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game, pitched into the 8th inning for the first time in his career, holding the Pirates scoreless for 7 frames to begin the game while allowing just 2 hits, a walk, and striking out 7.

Despite being at 89 pitches at the end of the 7th, Burns was sent out for the Bottom of the 8th by manager Terry Francona. It was already the longest outing of Burns career, but veteran righty Marcell Ozuna was in the batter’s box, and Burns had handled him twice already on the day. Francona was surely trying to get a quick IP out of his resident ace, wary of leaning on his bullpen yet again on Sunday, but Ozuna fought off a Burns offering for a broken-bat single that ultimately ended Burns’ day.

And, as the weekend fates would have it, reliever Tony Santillan couldn’t keep the Pirates off the board after taking the mound even after getting a roll-over double play to retire that batter. Konnor Griffin smoked a double and later came in to score on a single by Oneil Cruz, the game’s lone run plated for the Pirates, not the Reds.

Cincinnati went easily in the Top of the 9th, and the 1-0 loss wrapped up a sweep by the Pirates at the Reds expense.

Cincinnati’s offense mustered just 4 hits on the day, with Jose Trevino’s double in the Top of the 8th the lone of the extra-base variety. That actually chased Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft and the Reds had runners on 2B and 3B (Spencer Steer had singled in front of Trevino), but the Reds couldn’t get a run across the plate. The key PA came with a pair of outs in that inning and lefty Gregory Soto on the mound in relief, as Francona opted to let TJ Friedl hit instead of pinch-hitting for him with right-handed hitter Dane Myers.

Friedl struck out, and that ended Cincinnati’s lone, best chance.

The Reds head to Chicago later this evening and will take on a rolling Chicago Cubs team that now sits atop the NL Central. Buckle up!

Round 2, Game 1 – Player of the Game: Logan Stankoven

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 02: Logan Stankoven #22 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates the win against the Philadelphia Flyers after Game One of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 02, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Believe it or not, Logan Stankoven has yet to be named the Carolina Hurricanes “Player of the Game” for Canes Country in these playoffs. I’m fixing that right now.

He only led the team in notching goals in round one and scored first in the first three games, tying NHL records for that. But his teammates did so well we had to look somewhere else.

Not so for Saturday night. He not only scored the first goal of the game again, this time off a nice tip of a Mike Reilly shot, he scored again later in the game giving him a total of six goals in the five playoff games so far this postseason.

Talk about being hot, Stankoven now has a 13 game point streak going back to the final eight games of the regular season. He certainly picked the right time to be hot.

The center opened the scoring just 1:31 into the game with his tip. Later in the period, Jackson Blake made a beautiful move and guided the puck behind goalie, Dan Vladar.

The center scored again in the second period after Andrei Svechnikov broke up a play and got the puck to Seth Jarvis who found Stankoven wide open cross ice. The youngster made no mistake as he beat Vladar bar down to make it 3-0 to virtually end the game in Carolina.

Not only did he score his two goals, in just 13 minutes of play he also led the team with 5 shots on goal and had a 64% winning percentage in the faceoff circle. (7 of 11).

Honorable mention goes to Fred Andersen, who notched his second shutout in these playoffs. Usually a shutout earns you a “player of the game” shout out, but he had a inactive game for much of it. Through two periods the Flyers only had nine shots on goal. They picked up a lot of offensive zone time and shots when they had a two man advantage late in the game and finished with 19 for the game.

K’Andre Miller continues to shine for Carolina. He made the defensive play of the game when he caught up to Garnet Hathaway who broke free when he got out of the penalty box. Miller dove on the ice and with his long reach, used his stick to knock away the puck from Hathaway before the Flyer could get a shot on goal. The defenseman avoided taking a penalty and also did not slide into his goalie on the perfect play.

Mike Reilly also played well as he substituted for Alexander Nikishin. A decent 7th defenseman is something the Hurricanes missed dearly last year.

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In other news, we will be publishing the new thread for the “Canes Country Pick’em Contest” after the Lightning/Canadiens game tonight. I will leave it open until Carolina’s 7 P.M. start time on Monday night. Hopefully that gives everyone who wants to participate a proper chance. Two second round opening games will be completed by then but everyone is on equal footing so I believe this is the best way to go.

Finally, our own Al Hood was a repeat guest on Adam Gold’s YouTube channel after last night’s game. You can check that out next.

Twins 4, Blue Jays 3: Canada vs. Andrew Morris (& Co.)

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 03: Andrew Morris #78 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Target Field on May 03, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Twins sent Joe Ryan to the bump this morning—the Peacock MLB Sunday Wakeup special—hoping for a series split. He lasted all of two batters before leaving with an undisclosed injury. It would be an unexpected bullpen game featuring the worst pen in baseball. My thoughts at the exact moment: how many innings will Kody Clemens need to cover today?

Fortunately, Twins’ bats were not as depressed as the fan base early on, with a Trevor Larnach single and Austin Martin BB paid off by a Victor Caratini RBI knock to put an early run on the board. 1-0 MN.

In the third inning, an in-game interview with Twins manager Derek Shelton revealed it was “right elbow soreness” that regelated Ryan to the bench. Wonderful. That same frame, the Twins loaded the bases (Martin single, Luke Keaschall double, Clemens BB) with two outs, only to see Royce Lewis not enjoy salami—or even a lesser-quality meat—after striking out against Blue Jays SP Trey Yesavage.

Remarkably, the first RP out of the pen for MN—Andrew Morris—tossed 3.2 innings of 2 H, 0 ER ball to keep the contest at the razor-thin 1-0 margin.

MIN finally changed the number in B5 when a Caratini BB was followed by doubles from Keaschall, heretofore-not-needed-on-the-mound Clemens, & Matt Wallner. 4-0 MN!

Toronto got on the board in T6 when Taylor Rogers tried to complete a second consecutive scoreless inning but could not. A Daulton Varsho drag-bunt single allowed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to scamper home, but Rogers avoided any further damage by coaxing a “home run in an elevator shaft” fly out from Tyler Heineman. 4-1 MN.

A ticklish situation—two Jays on the pond—was mitigated in T8 by Kody Funderburk inducing a ground-out.

Justin Topa entered in T9 to try and close this one out—which of course meant clenched cheeks (and not the chewing kind). Another Kazuma Okamoto HR closed the margin to a single run, and an error from Keaschall allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to reside on the base paths. Blessedly, a Lenyn Sosa grounder went successfully from 2B to 1B for a game-ending double play!

Your Final: Minnesota Twins 4, Toronto Blue Jays 3

Seeing their best pitcher exit with injury after recording just one out, the Twins turned to a league-worst bullpen and somehow escaped with the victory. #baseball.

Zach’s Zealot
  • Morris: Coming in cold two batters into the game and keeping the defending AL champs off the board into the middle innings.
Zach’s Zombie
  • Lewis: 0-4, 2 K, now at .176 BA & .598 OPS on the season.
Egg-cellent Elocution
Who’s Got Next
  • After a travel Monday off-day, the Twins visit the Washington Nationals in D.C. (Tues. night, Wed. night, Thurs. afternoon)—and I’ll be joining them there! I’ll be back in time to cover next Sunday’s slate, but if you don’t hear from me much on the threads until then it’s because I’m seeing the sights of our Nation’s Capital!