Sean Burke will look to bounce back from his recent poor outing. | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Riding high off a five-game winning streak and a recent of the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox are better than .500 for the first time in a long time and currently hold a Wild Card spot in the American League. Although we’re only halfway through the month of May, the good vibes are flowing and the White Sox have a big opportunity to build on their recent success as the Chicago Cubs travel south.
On the hill for the White Sox is Sean Burke who had been solid for the majority of the season before doing his best Jaime Navarro impression last time out. Burke allowed six earned runs in just over four innings of work against the Seattle Mariners and will look to bounce back against a Cubs offense that is struggling to manufacture runs. The Cubs have lost four of their last five, averaging just one run per game.
Taking the ball for the Chicago Cubs is former Miami Marlins hurler Edward Cabrera. Although he sports a 3-1 record and a 3.88 ERA, Cabrera has given up three or more earned runs in each of his last six starts. In his last outing, he only completed five innings and surrendered two home runs and five earned runs. With a 6.55 ERA in two starts in May and the Good Guys rolling on offense, the hope is that the Cubs get smacked right back into their usual October hibernation a few months early.
Here is the starting lineup for the White Sox:
Here is the starting lineup for our annoying relations from the north:
First pitch is 6:40 pm CST. As a rare White Sox and Brewers fan, I’ll be on the edge of my seat and hopefully be back with a happy recap for you. You can watch on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000. Let us know your thoughts and predictions below!
Vegas Golden Knights Head Coach John Tortorella behind his players during NHL hockey Game 6 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks played on May 14, 2026 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
John Tortorella apparently didn’t want anything to do with the media Thursday night.
On Friday, the NHL came down on the Golden Knights and their head coach — hard.
The league took away the team’s 2026 second-round pick and fined Tortorella $100,000 after he skipped a postgame press conference in the aftermath of securing a Western Conference final berth with a Game 6 win over the Ducks on Thursday.
On top of skipping the presser, the team also kept the locker room closed to media members following the victory.
Vegas Golden Knights Head Coach John Tortorella behind his players during NHL hockey Game 6 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks played on May 14, 2026 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The NHL said in its statement that it had given Vegas “previous warnings” about violations of the media policy.
“National Hockey League announced today that, as a result of flagrant violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations following Game 6 of their Second Round series against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, May 14, the Vegas Golden Knights will forfeit a second-round pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft,” the league said in its decision.
Vegas can appeal the decision, which would come in the form of an in-person hearing in New York next week.
The Golden Knights said they were aware of the decision but would provide no further comment on the situation.
According to The Athletic, Vegas staffers said Thursday night that traffic in the Honda Center hallway as the team loaded up bags onto the team bus was the reason the locker room was closed off.
Three players did talk to the media — Mitch Marner and Brett Howden at a conference and Shea Theodore in a separate room.
Head coach John Tortorella (L) of the Vegas Golden Knights calls to his team during a timeout in Game One of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on May 04, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NHLI via Getty Images
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the team was frustrated over a one-game suspension that Brayden McNabb received for an interference penalty, which was the impetus for the almost-total media embargo.
The Brewers starting pitcher will be Coleman Crow, no relation to Aloha director Cameron Crowe. I know bubkis about Crow, who will be making his second MLB start (his first was in April). BrewerFanatic (a pretty good indie site) has Crow ranked as the team’s 16th-highest prospect; MLB.com has him as 25th. Both agree than Crow has a wicked curveball with a really high spin rate; and that the kid’s a gamer, who “‘seems to find ways to get outs even when he doesn’t have his “A” stuff that night’” (from BF). So take that for what it’s worth.
Today we’ll go into The Baseball Project’s catalog, for the odd story of Larry Yount, the older brother of Brewers legend Robin Yount.
Larry was drafted in 1968 at age 18 by the Astros, and despite some control issues in the minors, had put up fairly decent numbers when he was called up to the bigs in September of 1971. (Per Kurt Blumenau of SABR, Larry was one of the Astros’ top five pitching prospects at the time.)
On September 15th, with the Astros trailing Atlanta 4-1 in the ninth, Larry was announced as the next relief pitcher. But he felt something bad in his elbow while he was performing his warmup tosses on the mound. He couldn’t go on, and it turned out he would never pitch in the bigs.
Multiple pitchers have gone down in the record books as appearing in one game without recording a single out; Yount is the only one to have an official appearance without facing an actual batter or throwing a single in-game pitch.
Larry would go on to pitch in the minors for three more seasons over 112 games; those control problems never improved, and his strikeouts decreased badly. He was out of organized baseball by the time he was 26. It happens.
The Baseball Project heard about Larry’s story when they were visiting the Hall of Fame. A curator started telling them about Larry Yount, and said “do you know what? This would make a great song.”
As band co-leader Steve Wynn tell it, “we hear that all the time.” That’s from this very good post about Larry Yount (and about the song) by mlb.com’s Brian McTaggart.
The more Wynn thought about it, the more he agreed it could be a good song. And it ended up on the band’s 3rd album (called, creatively, 3rd). The first time Larry Yount heard it, he cried.
But over time, he grew to find it amusing; so did the rest of the family. “There’s not many guys, I don’t think, that have not even an inning in the Major Leagues and have a song written about them,” Robin Yount said. “So he must have done something right in baseball.” Even though the song imagines a sibling jealousy that actually isn’t there — Larry made it quite rich in real estate, and Robin thanked him in his Hall of Fame induction speech.
Later on, Larry and his wife would have dinner with Steve Wynn; and he’s on their Christmas card list. So that story has a happy ending.
The Twins had their “Bark at the Park” night this Tuesday; the Saints will have their first of the season (they do several) next Saturday. Alas, the current Saints one is for dogs only. In the past, they’ve had ones where “anything wearing a collar and a leash” would get in for free (so, presumably, including cats).
I was always sorely tempted to head over to an Adult Store that sells DIFFERENT kinds of collars/leashes and see how far that “anything with a collar and a leash gets in free” policy goes… alas, looks like I’ve missed my chance.
Finally, speaking of Animal Friends, here’s what a Wisconsin man is willing to do for Science. From The Guardian:
For nearly 20 years, Tim Friede, 58, allowed some of the most lethal snakes in the world to bite him so he could build up an immunity that could one day be developed into a universal antivenom.
This extraordinary and painful quest, undertaken by a window cleaner with no formal scientific training in the basement of his Wisconsin home, nearly killed Friede, almost cost him his leg and his fingers and at one point put him into a coma.
“People said I was crazy, of course. Some people tried to stop me,” he told the Guardian. “I understood it was dangerous but people are dying from snakebites and I was pissed at that. I couldn’t get that out of my head. I put my ass on the line and I’m glad I did.”
Friede’s sacrifices are now poised to help deliver a new, broad antivenom that may avert some of the 138,000 deaths and 400,000 disfigurements and disabilities currently caused each year by snakebites worldwide, most of them poorer people in developing countries across Asia and Africa. In total, as many as 5.5 million people globally are bitten by snakes a year.
Read the whole story for more Fun Animal Encounters! Like: “Further brushes with severe injury and death occurred in the following years. Friede passed out with anaphylactic shock several times, one of his fingers turned black and was nearly amputated after being bitten by a rattlesnake before, most seriously, the venom of a monocled cobra caused muscles in his leg to start to disintegrate.”
Well, Gods bless the guy. At least it seems his heart is in the right place. He’s lucky it still is!
So if you see a Brewers fan at the game tonight with some strange marks on his hands/arms, just be grateful it wasn’t “bring ANY pet to the game night” at Target Field…
As the series shifts back to Minnesota, the Timberwolves return home looking to force a Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs, with our NBA player prop projections identifying several strong value spots on the board for tonight's Game 6.
By breaking down the data and comparing it to the latest market lines, we’ve uncovered where the strongest betting edges lie for this pivotal matchup.
If you’re building your card, here are the model’s top NBA picks for Friday, May 15.
Spurs vs Timberwolves computer picks for Game 6
Spurs
Timberwolves
Fox o17.5 points -115
Edwards o26.5 points -115
Champagnie o1.5 3-pointers -190
Gobert o8.5 rebounds -120
Castle o6.5 assists -110
Dosunmu o1.5 3-pointers -120
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Spurs Game 6 computer picks
De'Aaron Fox Over 17.5 points (-115)
Projection: 20.02 points
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ up-tempo pace — eighth-fastest over the last five games — should create more scoring chances for the San Antonio Spurs, especially De’Aaron Fox, who’s cleared this points line in back-to-back games.
With San Antonio on the brink of the Western Conference Finals, expect Fox to stay aggressive and surpass this number again.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet fox Now at bet365!/span
Julian Champagnie Over 1.5 3-pointers (-190)
Projection: 2.20 3-pointers
Julian Champagnie has been lights-out from beyond the arc in this series against Minnesota and will look to stay hot as the Spurs push to advance.
He’s cleared this three-point prop in every playoff game but one, and he remains a dependable threat to knock down multiple shots from deep once again.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet champagnie Now at bet365!/span
Stephon Castle Over 6.5 assists (-110)
Projection: 6.75 assists
Stephon Castle has been a steady playmaker, and his 12-assist outing in Game 3 showed just how high his ceiling is as a facilitator.
With the stakes elevated on the road, expect Castle to embrace the moment, keep the ball moving, and continue setting up quality looks for San Antonio.
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Timberwolves Game 6 computer picks
Anthony Edwards Over 26.5 points (-115)
Projection: 26.92 points
At home this season, the Spurs have struggled to contain opposing starting shooting guards, allowing them to shoot 54.7% from the field — the second-highest mark in the league. That sets up a favorable spot for Anthony Edwards, who’s never one to shy away from a challenge.
Even while dealing with an injury, Edwards has found another gear offensively over the last three games. With Minnesota fighting to keep its season alive, expect him to leave it all on the floor and bring the intensity needed to match the moment.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet edwards Now at bet365!/span
Rudy Gobert Over 8.5 rebounds (-120)
Projection: 11.06 rebounds
The Spurs kept Rudy Gobert quiet on the glass in Game 5, limiting him to just five rebounds, and Minnesota won’t survive another outing like that if they want to extend the series.
Gobert has cleared this rebounds line in all but two games this series, and the Timberwolves will need him to bounce back in a big way to control the boards and generate crucial second-chance opportunities.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet gobert Now at bet365!/span
Ayo Dosunmu Over 1.5 3-pointers (-120)
Projection: 1.87 3-pointers
At home this season, opposing starting point guards have shot 48.4% from three against the Spurs — the highest mark in the league — making this a strong matchup spot for Ayo Dosunmu, who has been quieter than he was in Minnesota’s first-round series against Denver.
Dosunmu has only cleared this prop once in this series, but if there’s a time for him to heat up from deep, this is it.
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How to watch Spurs vs Timberwolves Game 6
Location
Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Date
Friday, May 15, 2026
Tip-off
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
Prime
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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 27: Cameron Boozer #12 of the Duke Blue Devils and Zuby Ejiofor #24 of the St. John's Red Storm compete for the ball during the Sweet Sixteen round game of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Capital One Arena on March 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Last year was the year the Brooklyn Nets were supposed to pick a red rose from the garden in their backyard. With Dylan Harper tearing it up at Rutgers and Brooklyn simultaneously beginning its tank run, both parties seemed destined to align on Draft Night. Even his teammate, Ace Bailey, seemed like a storybook prospect for Brooklyn at times with his close proximity to the area. Hell, Sean Marks and B.J. Johnson visited the RAC more than 10 times!
However, and as we learned again last weekend, the basketball gods are not enamored the Brooklyn Nets. Some might even say the gods have put a curse on them, a hex even more effective than Mr. Whammy’s. The gods gave Harper to a team that’s now had only two truly poor seasons in their last 30 years.
This year, the Nets have sixth overall pick. It’s two slots up from where they were last spring, but feels twice as disappointing with Houston owning swap rights to their first rounder in 2027.
It’s also likely outside the range where it would make sense for Brooklyn to take any prospects from any nearby teams. That said, Sean Marks and Johnson are still doing their due diligence locally.
This week, Brian Lewis reported that Nets and New York Knicks met St. John’s star Zuby Ejiofor. The versatile big quickly became a fan favorite in three year’s with the Red Storm and might’ve gained favor with NBA teams this week as well thanks to his pro-ready frame. Moreover, more than one mock draft has Brooklyn taking the Big East Player of the Year at No. 33 in the second round.
At the NBA Combine, Ejiofor measured out to 6’7.5” without shoes, 245 pounds and with a 7’2” wingspan measured…
Zuby Ejiofor’s name should be mentioned as one of the most impactful players of this draft cycle.
Only 1 of 3 players in the nation (Boozer & Lendeborg) to be T15 in both O-BPM + D-BPM — strong mix of tools, energy, scoring versatility + defense to be impactful at the NBA level. pic.twitter.com/Kb4tjUgt8p
Ejiofor also spoke with Lewis specifically about the possibility of continuing to playing in New York, either with the Nets or the Knicks.
“New York, obviously it’s a special place. I’ve got to grow a whole lot in the city of New York. And obviously I have a lot of love over there. So, obviously it’d be pretty special to be in a familiar area,” he said.
“If the opportunity happens, I’m more than excited to be there…It’d be a great experience. I spent my last three years in New York. I have a lot of love there in New York City. I’ve been away for a while, but I’m going back to New York on the 17th to walk for graduation. But, yeah, it will be a great experience if it happens. I’m going to be excited and my family is as well.”
The Knicks, it should be noted, have the 24th and 31st picks.
If Ejiofor stays in the Big Apple, Manhattan seems like the more likely borough for him. The Knicks picking at 24 this year, and pundits continue to mock him as a mid-to-late first rounder even with his noteworthy measurements.
That said, the idea of Brooklyn trading back or back into the first round can’t be discounted. The Nets have made a trade during or within 48 hours of the NBA Draft each of the last two years.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 09: Spencer Strider #99 of the Atlanta Braves talks with Sean Murphy #12 on the mound in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 09, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Join us and discuss game 1 against the Red Sox, as Spencer Strider takes the mound.
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 site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.
If the San Antonio Spurs want to punch their ticket to the Western Conference finals, this young squad needs to go into the belly of the beast and beat a veteran Minnesota Timberwolves team on its own floor.
My Spurs vs. Timberwolves predictions for Game 6 expect San Antonio to finish off a hurting Minnesota team, with stars De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama leading the charge on Friday night.
The San Antonio Spurs throw a lot at you. They had six guys score at least a dozen points in Game 5, and that depth is something the Minnesota Timberwolves' experience just can’t counter.
Anthony Edwards is playing hurt, Julius Randle is ice cold, and Jalen McDaniels can’t avoid foul trouble. San Antonio matures before our eyes with a statement win on the road.
SGP leg #2: De’Aaron Fox Over 16.5 points
De’Aaron Fox has eclipsed this points prop in three straight games, and projections have him pegged for as many as 20 in Game 6.
Fox is doing damage inside and could see an even cleaner path to the paint with Rudy Gobert playing less and the T-Wolves trying to roll out a smaller lineup.
SGP leg #3: Victor Wembanyama Over 13.5 rebounds
Victor Wembanyama has topped his rebounding total in every outing in this series — outside of his early ejection in Game 4.
With his presence in the paint pushing Minnesota into poor outside shooting, there’s a surplus of misses to be wrangled.
Wemby has drawn at least 18 rebounding chances in each of those four games, converting them into 15+ rebounds.
Get Jason Logan's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Spurs vs Timberwolves predictions for Game 6.
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Australian opener Mitchell Marsh missed out on a second IPL century in three innings, though his brutal 90 was the foundation around which Lucknow Super Giants eked out a seven-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings on Friday.
FA Cup final will be 24th trip to stadium as City manager
Spaniard aiming to win 17th major honour in decade
Pep Guardiola has described his decade managing Manchester City as “fucking fun”, and suggested Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea might not be the last time he leads the team out at Wembley.
While Guardiola’s contract expires in summer 2027, there is increasing expectation that he will depart the club in the close season. Saturday’s final will be City’s 24th cup appearance at the national stadium under the Spaniard, with Guardiola aiming to claim the 17th major trophy of his 10 years in charge.
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 12: Mikel Brown Jr. looks on during the game during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 12, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA Combine is over. Agents’ pro days too. Chicago is in the past. Next come workouts and interviews which are likely underway. The process has a long way to go with the 2026 NBA Draft still five weeks away at the end of June. In meantime, all we have is mock drafts which at this point are mainly entertainment.
All that said, there is a creeping belief that the Nets have at least some interest in Mikal Brown Jr., the 6’5” Louisville combo guard whose prospects have gotten better with both a solid performance in Chicago, particularly at his pro day workout Thursday. Also concerns about his back injury which laid him low this past season have dissipated.
The Nets level of interest of course is a closely held secret or more likely still forming. The Nets despite the devastating drop in the Lottery five days ago, have a lot of options: they can move up, move down, add another first or in the most unlikely scenario move up into the top four where the franchise-changers they crave reside.
Brian Lewis on Friday suggested that indeed things remain unsettled but Brown has to be considered. Indeed, in the most recent mock, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has the Nets taking the 20-year-old Orlando native.
Whispers going around the combine suggest Nets general manager Sean Marks is open to moving up or down from the No. 6 spot. But if he stands pat, with the Nets having failed to land a top-four pick, there is a chance Brown — who dealt with a back injury as a freshman — has as much untapped talent as anybody else in the class.
Brown likes the possibility of moving to Brooklyn which has a basically a blank canvas.
“It would be a great opportunity right there,” Brown told Lewis. “Just continuing to build relationships with them as the time goes on and continue to talk to my family and my circle and my agent and the people behind me.
“It’s something that we’re definitely interested in, and looking forward to building a relationship with [the Nets].”
He noted that he met with the Nets contingent in Chicago but has yet to set up a meeting in Brooklyn.
What about the Nets surplus of guards? After all at one point or another last season, the Nets played their No. 8 pick, Egor Demin; their No. 19 pick, Nolan Traore; their No. 22 pick, Drake Powell; and their No. 26 pick, Ben Saraf, at the lead guard position.
“I feel like I can adapt to any situation, whether that’s being a guy or just being somebody that has to play off of somebody else, I can do that,” Brown said in a very typical response, adding. “Definitely just creating for others,” Brown said. “Obviously, I can shoot the ball well, but … I think I do a really good job of trying to get a feel for where my teammates like the ball at, where certain players like the ball at, and try to get to them right in that spot. So I think that’s what separates me.”
There are of course other guards in the mix at Nos. 5 through 10. Lewis describes them this way: “Illinois’ Keaton Wagler has the shooting, and Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. has the craft and the polish. Arizona’s Brayden Burries has the height, and Houston’s Kingston Flemings has the defense and speed.“
Each also has a downside: Wagler’s lack of high level athleticism, Fleming’s size, Acuff’s lack of defense and Burries lack of a single elite skill. For Brown, it’s his injury. He says he feels fine.
“I feel amazing,” Brown said. “I was just focused on getting back to where I was before the season started. … I feel better than I have in a long time. I think teams got a good sample size of when I’m playing and what I can become. The medical stuff is going to come up, but I feel great right now. Honestly, I learned a lot with the injury on what I have to prioritize. So it helped me in a sense, the learning process of it. … It’s only going to get better from here.”
No matter what the Nets decide, don’t expect much news for a while. Last year, the first pre-Draft trade — the Pelicans’ decision to cast caution to the wind and trade up 10 spots to take Derek Queen — took place during the NBA Finals (a rarity.) In NetsWorld, Marks has a history of waiting till near the last minute to make his moves: In nine of the 10 Drafts he’s run as GM, he’s made a deal within 48 hours of the Draft. Last year, it was acquiring the 22nd pick which became Powell in a salary dump. Two years ago, it was the two trades with the Knicks and Rockets.
So, in the meanwhile, there will be a lot of speculation and likely a lot of movement around the league. As Brown told Lewis, “I honestly don’t pay attention to the mock drafts,” Brown said. “You never know where you’re going to go on draft night.” Probably smart.
The New York Yankees placed Max Fried on the 15-day injured list Friday with what the team called a left elbow bone bruise. It will not be just a brief stint on the IL.
While Fried told reporters he was encouraged by the imaging and that he doesn’t expect to need surgery, he will be shut down from throwing for a few weeks. The Yankees also said Dr. Neal ElAttrache will review the MRI on Thursday.
Fried exited Wednesday's start against the Baltimore Orioles after three innings, having allowed three runs on five hits and a walk on 61 pitches. He described a hyperextension sensation in the elbow that had come and gone throughout the season before becoming impossible to pitch through.
The 32-year old left-hander has been excellent in 2026, posting a 3.21 ERA over 61 2/3 innings, the most in the majors this season. He signed an eight-year $218 million deal with New York in December 2024, the fourth largest contract ever given to a pure pitcher.
Fried has dealt with a series of injuries throughout his career, including Tommy John surgery in 2014 as a minor leaguer with the San Diego Padres. He’s had recurring finger blisters in his early years with Atlanta. He’s also dealt with a concussion, a hamstring strain and left forearm neuritis.
This is his first elbow injury since the Tommy John procedure more than a decade ago.
The Yankees are hoping to get Gerrit Cole back in their rotation within the next few weeks. The 2023 Cy Young Award winner missed all of the 2025 season after Tommy John surgery and has at least one more minor league rehab start to go before returning.
With both aces unavailable, the Yankees will be relying on Cam Schlittler, Carlos Rodon, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers and either Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough or Elmer Rodriguez to step in.
The Yankees went into play Friday with the best team ERA in the American League (3.22) and the second best in the majors behind the Atlanta Braves. Their starting rotation has a 3.14 ERA, second best in the AL behind the Tampa Bay Rays and this in the majors.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 12: Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers singles against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning at Globe Life Field on May 12, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for May 15, 2026: starting pitchers are Jack Leiter for the Rangers and Spencer Arrighetti for the Astros.
The Rangers begin a 9 game road trip with a game in Houston. Corey Seager gets the day off.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Duran — SS
Nimmo — RF
Jung — 3B
Carter — CF
Burger — 1B
Osuna — LF
Higashioka — C
Foscue — 2B
7:10 p.m. Central start time. The game is a pick ‘em.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 3: Braxton Ashcraft #35 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on May 3, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching Matchup: Aaron Nola (2-3, 5.14 ERA) vs. Braxton Ashcraft (2-2, 2.77 ERA)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home hosting the Philadelphia Phillies today at beautiful PNC Park.
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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MAY 14: Griffin Canning #17 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at American Family Field on May 14, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was rough going from the first inning. The San Diego Padres had newcomer Griffin Canning on the mound, who had (mostly) impressed in his first two starts of the year. He did not impress this time around.
Canning issued four walks over just 1 2/3 innings of work, surrendering six runs to the Milwaukee Brewers. At the end of the first inning, the Padres had more hits (2) than the Brewers (1) but trailed 3-0. It was like that for most of the game, with the Friars failing to score until an RBI forceout in the ninth inning.
With San Diego now headed to Seattle to face the Mariners, they’ll need to get the offense going before they meet the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. If they can’t do that, it’s going to be a rough week for the Friar Faithful.
Taking the mound
Emerson Hancock (SEA) v. Randy Vásquez (SD)
Hancock is off to a fantastic start to the season with the Mariners. He’s headlined a rotation full of elite pitchers who have made way for the breakout righty. Entering play on Friday, Hancock boasts a 3.21 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 47 2/3 innings.
The Friars faced Hancock in their last series against Seattle, and he managed to hold them to two runs over six innings. San Diego ended up winning that game with a five-run ninth-inning rally, but Hancock wasn’t the cause of that. The offense will need to come alive if they hope to scratch some runs against the right-hander.
Similarly, Vásquez has been a breakout pitcher in the San Diego rotation. The righty sports a 3.05 ERA in 44 1/3 innings. The WHIP is a little high at 1.17, but he’s managed to strand the baserunners he picks up most of the time.
Vásquez also faced Seattle in that last series, but it went much worse for him than it did for Hancock. It was the right-hander’s first poor start of 2026, allowing four runs in the same number of innings. The Padres still ended up winning, but they’ll need a better performance from Vásquez this time around if they hope to save their beleaguered bullpen.
Batter up!
Manager Craig Stammen has been making his lineups as offense focused as possible lately, having Fernando Tatis Jr. play second base quite often so Nick Castellanos and Miguel Andujar’s bats can remain in the lineup. That hasn’t worked, so it’s possible they try something different in this series.
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Jackson Merrill, CF
Miguel Andujar, DH
Gavin Sheets, 1B
Manny Machado, 3B
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Ramón Laureano, LF
Sung-Mun Song, 2B
Rodolfo Durán, C
I know, I know. Putting Machado in the fifth spot feels blasphemous. But he’s batting .190 on the year. He cannot keep hitting in the three and four spots as if that still makes sense. The same goes for Tatis, who has had an incredibly streaky start to the year mostly because of poor hitting mechanics.
Bogaerts and Merrill, on the other hand, have a career .429 and .400 batting average against Hancock. Sheets owns a 1.232 OPS. If they can show up tonight against Seattle, the San Diego starter might be able to pitch with a lead for the first time in a while.
Relief corps
With Canning unable to make it through two innings, Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui and Matt Waldron covered the rest of the Padres’ loss on Thursday. The three pitched well, only giving up one run in that time frame.
Despite Stammen stating that Waldron will continue to pitch out of the ‘pen, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Waldron will be designated for assignment. Acee also reports that the Padres will call up reliever Alek Jacob to pitch out of the ‘pen until starter Lucas Giolito is added to the roster this weekend.
For tonight’s series opener, the high-leverage relievers are out in full force. Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Wandy Peralta are all available out of the ‘pen tonight. But, hopefully, Vásquez can pitch deep enough that Stammen won’t need to call on too many of those arms.
Spurs
Timberwolves
