Zach Neto broke out of an extended cold spell with a go-ahead solo home run in the fifth inning of the Los Angeles Angels' 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox in Anaheim on Tuesday night. As he walked back to the dugout, Mike Trout gave Neto a hug and said to him, "Hey, I told you that case had homers."
According to MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger, Trout had sent Neto a text earlier that day inviting the 25-year-old shortstop to help open a large box of Pokémon cards pregame. Neto, looking to get his mind off of his 0-for-23 slump, obliged — and ended up pulling a rare Charizard card.
"He said, ‘This case, when we rip it, it's going to have homers in it,’" Neto told reporters.
Those words would end up foreshadowing a big day for both Angels stars as Trout connected on a sweeper at the knees from White Sox starter Erick Fedde and drove it just over the top of the short wall in left field to get the Halos on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Jorge Soler would also homer later in the frame, and Neto singled in the third to snap his hitless streak that dated back to April 28 ... but was promptly picked off at first base.
He made up for it two innings later when he got a sweeper up and on the outer part of the plate from Fedde and crushed it 410 feet into the bullpen for his first long ball since April 10. That solo shot broke a 2-2 tie and eventually proved to be the difference in the game.
"It felt amazing,” Neto told reporters. “I was in my biggest slump ever in my career and just the sound of the bat again, it reminded me of a lot of good things. It’s just one of those things where it just takes one swing to get back into the mix of things."
Neto finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI, his first multi-hit game since April 26. His momentum carried into Wednesday's series finale, where he went 2-for-2 with a triple, two RBIs and two walks in the Halos' 8-2 win to secure their first series win since they took two of three games against the Cincinnati Reds from April 10-12.
The NBA still plans to launch NBA Europe in the fall of 2027, but as negotiations with potential partners get serious, sticking points have emerged around players moving from the NBA to Europe and, of course, money. Specifically, the franchise fees teams will pay and the revenue distribution from the new league have led to friction, all things Joe Varden detailed at The Athletic.
The headline-grabber was the request for a soccer-style transfer window in the new basketball league. In that proposed window, it's not a trade of players while teams try to navigate a salary cap (like the NBA and other American sports leagues), it's a purchase of a player's contract — and the league's new potential partners want to be able to purchase NBA players' deals. Varden at The Athletic lays out this scenario.
Imagine it: A rich, powerful, proper football conglomerate overseas starts a basketball team. It picks up the phone and dials the Milwaukee Bucks, who, for the sake of argument, are having a rough season. The club says, hey, here’s a couple hundred million dollars, or whatever it may cost, how about Giannis Antetokounmpo coming to play for us in NBA Europe?
The NBA quickly and emphatically said no to this idea. Multiple times. It wants the leagues to be separate entities, and while players can jump from the NBA to Europe as free agents, the league doesn't want that kind of in-season movement. The NBA might envision something more akin to the MLS in soccer, where some older stars from European leagues come stateside and earn paychecks for a few more years.
The kind of investors the NBA wants in Europe — powerhouse soccer programs (which the NBA also needs for the built-in fan bases), or very deep-pocketed investors such as public or sovereign wealth funds — appeared to pause at the idea of essentially investing in a minor league, as one anonymous source told Varden.
"There are restrictions on NBA Europe teams acquiring players from the U.S. unless they're free agents, and that obviously reduces the competitiveness of the NBA Europe project. It becomes a feeder league, which is not what anyone particularly wants."
Of course, the bigger issues are about money. It's always about the money.
What the NBA envisions is a 16-team league with 12 permanent members and four teams that earn their way in through play in their domestic leagues (if that sounds a lot like the proposed soccer "super league" of a few years back, which died amid intense fan backlash, you're not wrong). The teams in that league would pay a licensing fee to be part of NBA Europe — with the fee pricing would be on a sliding scale based on market size — and would split the revenue from the league with the NBA.
All of which has led to two sticking points.
One is the licensing fees — teams are being asked to pay a fee and make major infrastructure upgrades (one of the ways the NBA believes European clubs leave money on the table is a lack of modern arenas and amenities). The sliding scale appears to have offended the sensibilities of some potential European partners.
"Why should one pay less or more than the other — there should be some coherence around the valuations," the representative for a potential NBA Europe said.
Another issue is the revenue split. A source told Varden the league proposed a 52%-48% split, with the larger share going to the NBA, but the NBA itself denied that. The NBA said it would invest its share of the revenue back into its European league until such a time as it turned a profit, and at that point NBA owners would take a percentage of that. All those percentages are still to be worked out.
All of this is to say that while the NBA is moving full-speed ahead toward a 2027 launch of NBA Europe, there is still a lot of work to be done and investors to convince. It likely gets done, but who is involved and exactly what this will look like remains up in the air.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 06: Rafael Devers #16 of the San Francisco Giants hits a home run against the San Diego Padres in the fifth inning at Oracle Park on May 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Wednesday was Career Day at Oracle Park, a day where students could “learn about careers in sports and media with an exclusive Q&A with San Francisco Giants Front Office executives.” They got to see the Giants lose their second straight to the San Diego Padres, 5-1, a game where the team and the organization were left with far more Q’s than A’s.
Some of those questions included:
“Have you guys considered getting more than three hits in a game?
“How long is that Willy Adames contract again?”
“What’s Tony Vitello’s favorite show coming to the Curran Theatre this year?”
“Why are you obsessed with playing catchers in the outfield?”
“I am a sports psychologist. Can you give Ryan Walker my business card?
The Giants got two hits from rookie Jesus Rodriguez and a 5th-inning home run from Rafael Devers, but that was the entirety of their offense Wednesday. Perhaps they were confused by opener Bradgley Rodriguez, specifically by the arrangement of consonants in his first name, and his befuddgling sinkerball dgelivery that let him retire the Giants on seven pitches.
Matt Waldron (1-1) took over in the second inning, sporting a 9.88 ERA. Five innings, seven strikeouts and one Devers bomb later, he exited with a 2-1 lead and a 7.71 ERA. Yes, facing the Giants offense is like prescribing Ozempic for your ERA.
It was the first time Devers had gone deep since April 18 and it tied up the game at 1-1. He hit the dinger to lead off the the 5th inning, but the Giants only managed a single baserunner the rest of the way off a Padres bullpen that’s quite good — but not that good.
Adrian Houser (0-4) was the hard-luck loser for the Giants, giving up three hits and two runs in 6+ innings. Gavin Sheets began the scoring by blasting a ball into McCovey Cove the 4th inning and is now slugging .538 against the Giants for his career.
Houser got tagged with an extra run and the loss through very little fault of his own and a great deal of fault to the Giants defense. He faced one batter in the 7th, Fernando Tatis, Jr., who reached on a Matt Chapman error. Keaton Winn issued a walk and retired two hitters, then Vitello went to lefty Matt Gage when Ty France pinch-hit for Sung-Mun Song. France lined a ball to right field that went off Rodriguez’s glove for a two-run triple.
Vitello acknowledged that Rodriguez hadn’t played much right field, with most of his outfield experience coming in left, but thought the catcher had done well for the most part and “showed no fear…just didn’t catch that ball, which would have been an outstanding play.”
It’s a tough right field and it would have been a tough play for most players, but it’s reasonable to ask if a non-catcher would have had an easier time. However, Rodriguez was also the only Giant to get a hit after the Padres took the lead, and with two outs, France would have driven in both runs with a single anyway.
In the top of the 8th, the Padres put the game out of reach against Walker, who walked Manny Machado, threw a wild pitch, and then gave up a two-run shot to Xander Bogaerts, who went deep for the second straight game.
Padres manager Craig Stammen really pushed the right buttons Wednesday. Not only did he get a big pinch-hit from France, but he brought in Bogaerts for Sheets after France stayed in to play first base.
It didn’t end up mattering, as Adrian Morejon struck out four in two innings of relief work before Mason Miller struck out two more in the 9th. Miller now has 34 strikeouts in 17.1 innings this season, an even better K rate than Henry Rowengartner.
So the Giants dropped the series, but never fear! There was a College Fair after the game, where aspirants for a career in sports business can look for jobs and, we assume, try out for entry-level jobs as corner outfielders and middle relievers. As for the 2026 Giants, their playoff résumé is looking worse by the day.
INGLEWOOD, CA - MARCH 21: Head Coach Taylor Jenkins of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on March 21, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Taylor Jenkins era officially began this afternoon, as the Bucks formally introduced him to a crowd of fans, media, and a few players, including Myles Turner, Bobby Portis, and AJ Green, at the Milwaukee Art Museum. The 16th head coach in franchise history (not including interim head coaches like Joe Prunty) was flanked by general manager Jon Horst and co-governor Jimmy Haslem, and the trio covered several topics, including Giannis’ situation, the hiring process for Jenkins, and their plans for the NBA draft.
The Latest on Giannis
Anytime anyone from the front office or coaching staff speaks, the topic of Giannis is undoubtedly bound to be raised. The biggest bit of news regarding the two-time MVP came from Haslem, who said he doesn’t know whether Giannis will stay and that they’ll have conversations with him to figure it out.
“We never had any problem communicating directly with Giannis at all. We always knew where he stood, and I think he always knew where we stood. We’ve had those kinds of conversations since the season was over, and as I said, the draft is June 23, so sometime over the next six or seven weeks, we’ll decide whether Giannis will sign a max contract and stay with us or he’s gonna play somewhere else. Jon, Taylor, Wes (Edens), and I will make that call, and we understand the gravity of that call.”
Regarding Jenkins’s hiring, Horst said Giannis was not involved in bringing him to Milwaukee. There might be some doubt about that answer, though, with Giannis in the city during the same week, a reported meeting between Jenkins and the Bucks front office was taking place. Bobby Portis also chimed in, saying he doesn’t believe Giannis wasn’t involved either. Whether that is true or not, Jenkins did confirm that he has talked to Giannis and the rest of the Bucks roster since his hiring became official.
“Great communication with Giannis, he’s expressed tremendous excitement for me and my family. Even only being here for one season, he and I established a really good relationship and maintained that respect even from a distance. It’s been amazing to be able to communicate with all of these guys, over the phone, and now in person. So yes, I’ve had conversations with Giannis, but I’ve been able to touch base with the entire roster.”
Why Jenkins, and what does he bring to the table?
Right from the get-go, the Bucks were laser-focused on bringing in Jenkins, with Horst even saying that this was all about hiring him. They did have a list of candidates, but Horst said that the first step of their process was to reach out to Jenkins and then go from there. As for why Jenkins opted to take up the helm, it was all about people for him.
“Obviously, I know Jon, for many years now, so I have high regard and respect for him, not just professionally, but also personally. As I got to spend time with Jimmy and Wes, intimately at our home it became very clear these are individuals that I want to partner with. I’m obviously very familiar with many other members of the Bucks organization, so when this opportunity became available, I was like, I know the people, I know what they stand for, I know what their standards are going to be on a day-to-day basis.”
Jenkins spent a year out of coaching after being fired by the Grizzlies toward the end of the 2024–25 season. During that time, Jenkins not only spent more time with his family but also studied a ton of different teams across the association. When it came to the Bucks, in his eyes, there were some things they he liked quite a bit.
“A lot of it was to grow as a basketball coach, but when I did tune in on the Bucks, and especially when they said we [the Bucks front office] want to spend time with you and I dove in deeper, I love the depth of this team. Even in small sample sizes, not just seeing the amazing talent, but there’s a competitive nature there and that’s what I want to unlock even more.”
“When we talk about building a culture and identity, those aren’t just loose terms that we’re gonna throw out there, it’s going to be the embodiment of who these guys are and as coaches, who we are as teachers. I can’t wait to unlock even more, the versatility both offensively and defensively.”
The Bucks have struggled to find any identity since they fired Jenkins’ former boss, Mike Budenholzer. The cultures that Jenkins’ two predecessors tried to build didn’t work out well. Especially under Rivers, there was no clear picture of what kind of team Milwaukee would be. There was also a lack of accountability, with Doc at times deflecting blame and responsibility onto the players. Based on what Jenkins said about how he wants to start his culture with the Bucks, it’s a breath of much-needed fresh air.
“In my time in Memphis, my mentality was always ‘we’re building something.‘ We’re trying daily to get better and that’s me. If I’m going to lead the charge here with these guys up here [points to Horst and Haslem] I’ve got to look in the mirror first and figure out how I’m going to get better every single day, because I want them to feel that from me. It’s the day-in, day-out working and living together that I’m going to make top priority number one and that’s what we’re doing right now. I want (the players) to know I’m going to be on them from the get-go and how we’re going to build this together.”
Plans for the NBA Draft
With four days until the NBA Draft lottery, the Bucks currently have the 10th-best odds of winning the lottery (though that pick would go to Atlanta in a swap). It will be the first time Horst, in his tenure as GM, has a lottery selection, with his previous highest picks at no. 17 in 2017 and 2018, selecting forward D.J. Wilson and guard Donte DiVincenzo, respectively. Horst discussed the excitement about this selection and potential plans for its use.
“There’s a lot of exciement for what it can do for the orginzation, this oppurtunity represents Taylor talked about, to add a player to our roster who can make a big impact quickly. It’s also an oppurtunity to have an asset that we can consider using to build the team another way. I think the position we’re in, wether it ends up being two or it ends up being 11, it’s going to be important having that asset no matter what. It’s really exciting to go through that process. Taylor and I we’re just talking about on the way over here, to say we’re going to be very intentional about the person.”
As for the kind of player they will bring in, whether it’s a draftee or a trade, Jenkins said that they are still having meetings on how they’re going to build this team and the style of play that they want. Yet Jenkins echoed Horst’s sentiment about bringing in the right type of person to the organization.
“I watched a fair amount of college basketball and acutally a little of international basketball as well, over the course of last season. We’re having meetings on-going right now in coming weeks as Jimmy said to sit down and talk about what is the vision, what is the playstyle, what are the type of people we want to bring into this orginzation to represent this city. Those are ongoing dialogues, I’m getting emails left and right, getting downloads on players and I’m excited about that. I can’t put a crystal ball out there and say this is going to be the person who we’re targeting, we’re doing our due diligence to study every part of the player and the person because we want this to be an important addition to a great roster. We want to get this right.”
What did you think of what Jenkins, Horst, and Haslem had to say? Do you think that Jenkins can turn the Bucks’ ship around? Let us know in the comments below.
NEW YORK (AP) — Mitchell Robinson did not play for the New York Knicks on Wednesday night in Game 2 against Philadelphia because of an illness, leaving each team without a center.
The 76ers ruled Joel Embiid out earlier Wednesday with a sprained right ankle and a sore right hip. The Knicks added their backup center to the injury report later in the day and said shortly before tipoff that he wouldn't play.
Robinson is a key for the Knicks because of his offensive rebounding and defense, along with giving them the ability to use a big lineup when he plays alongside All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns.
Robinson has made an incredible 17 of 19 shots (89.5%) in seven games thus far in the postseason, averaging 5.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in just 13.6 minutes per game. He is a poor free-throw shooter, going just 5 for 17 thus far, and the 76ers intentionally fouled him twice in the first quarter of Game 1. Robinson missed all four shots.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s trickery and imagination gave Konrad Laimer a torrid time in Munich. Arsenal, beware
Well, it was never going to be quite the same. You only get one all-time high, one first kiss, one Catcher in the Rye, one loved-up alien-ball dreamscape of a game like the first leg between these two teams.
In the event Bayern Munich never really laid a glove on Paris Saint-Germain at the Allianz Arena. They trailed from the third minute to Ousmane Dembélé’s goal, drew level on the night through Harry Kane at the death, but looked in between like a team trying to generate energy from a standing start, always kept at one remove by the extended arm, the palm on their forehead, fists whirling in the empty air between.
Michael Augello and Ryan O’Hara are live on the thread to bring you every detail from tonight’s opening game of the Second Round Stanley Cup Playoff series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres.
The Fans Are Pumped
Until this season, the Sabres had not reached the playoffs since 2010–11, when Ryan Miller was still their starting goaltender—the year after Team USA fell to Sidney Crosby and Team Canada in overtime of the Olympic gold medal game at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
With that said, there’s every reason for Sabres fans to be excited — and, in this case, to have the celebratory balloons ready. But by no means will this be an easy series. The Canadiens proved in their opening-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning that they can win even while generating limited offense, though they will likely need to produce more shots on goal if they hope to reach the Eastern Conference Final.
Opening Period
That may have been one of the quickest penalties to start a playoff game in recent memory. Lane Hutson was called for tripping Zach Benson just 10 seconds into the game. It marked the ninth minor penalty Benson has drawn this postseason.
We’ve returned to 5-on-5 action after Buffalo failed to convert on the power play, though the Sabres generated several quality opportunities. There was also a brief stoppage after Josh Doan fired a wrister from the doorstep that knocked Montreal goaltender Jakob Dobes’ mask clean off.
Goal
Hutson endured an unfortunate start for the Canadiens. First came the penalty, then he rang a shot off the crossbar after his wrister deflected off Alex Lyon’s pad. Things got worse when he tripped and fell at center ice, leading to an odd-man rush for the Sabres. Josh Doan capitalized on the chance to give Buffalo an early lead.
Buffalo is doing a fantastic job, especially Logan Stanley, at clogging up lanes in front of the net. Montreal will have to get creative if they want to get some quality shots on net.
Injury?
The aforementioned Stanley went down the tunnel after blocking a shot earlier in the period and the Canadiens are struggling to remain disciplined as their captain, Nick Suzuki, has gone to the box for tripping Bowen Byram.
Power Play Goal Sabres 2 Canadiens 0
Ryan McLeod scored his first goal of the playoffs at 13:26, with Doan once again showing his playmaking ability by finding him in the slot to make it a 2–0 game. Montreal is getting overwhelmed by the relentless pressure.
Penalty Kill
Buffalo will have to kill off a penalty in the final 2:02 of the frame as Rasmus Dahlin was called for interference after sending Alex Newhook into the crossbar. Montreal will get an opportunity on the power play, but their star forward, Cole Caufield took a big hit from Jordan Greenway and was slow to get up.
But Montreal responded with a power play goal and it was Suzuki, their captain making up for his earlier penalty to put the Canadiens on the board.
The Sabres took a 2–1 lead into the dressing room at the end of the first period.
Takeaways
Montreal outshot Buffalo 10–6 in the opening frame, but the Sabres did a better job controlling the puck and generated the more dangerous scoring chances. The Canadiens struggled to stay out of the penalty box, and Hutson’s costly mistake at center ice led directly to Buffalo’s 2-on-1 opportunity.
The team that makes the fewest mistakes will likely win this game.
Second Period
We’re underway in Period 2.
Jordan Greenway made it a 3–1 game with his first goal of the postseason, restoring Buffalo’s two-goal advantage. The tally came moments after the Canadiens likely should have been penalized for too many men on the ice, but no call was made. It didn’t matter, as Greenway snapped a wrister through traffic that caught the edge of Dobes’ glove.
Following the goal, Dobes had now allowed three goals on nine shots. Greenway added the insurance marker despite managing just one goal in 40 regular-season games.
Buffalo earned its third power play of the game just past the seven-minute mark after Kaiden Guhle was called for cross-checking Tyson Kozak.
Another Power-Play Strike
This Buffalo team is dangerous.
A second power-play goal pushed the Sabres’ lead to three. Josh Doan provided a beautiful screen in front, and Bo Byram — who scored three goals in Buffalo’s first-round series win over the Boston Bruins — ripped a scintillating shot through traffic to make it 4–1.
At this point, Buffalo was making Montreal pay for every mistake.
Montreal Fights Back
The Canadiens weren’t done yet. With 3:29 remaining in the second period, Kirby Dach batted in his own rebound while falling to the ice, capping off a beautiful individual effort to pull Montreal within two.
The Sabres took a 4–2 lead into the third and likely final period.
Third Period
The Sabres grabbed the lead four-and-a-half minutes into the game and never gave it back. The final period was far more subdued compared to the opening two, but Buffalo wasn’t complaining. Four goals on 16 shots had them comfortably ahead with 2:50 remaining in regulation — but there was still some late drama.
Rasmus Dahlin headed down the tunnel and appeared to be limping, raising concern on the Buffalo bench after blocking a shot, but later returned. Montreal then pulled Dobes with 2:50 to play, and about 1:20 later, Lyon took a shot off the mask just before Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis called a timeout.
But time ultimately ran out, and the Sabres skated away with a 4–2 victory.
May 6, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Atlanta Braves infielder Matt Olson (28) is short on the tag at first during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
All good things must come to an end.
This finally applies to the Braves’ series winning streak to start the 2026 season, which came to an end Wednesday in Seattle.
After blowing a lead in Monday’s loss and winning Tuesday on Matt Olson’s ninth-inning homer, Atlanta’s bats fell flat in a 3-1 loss in the series finale vs. the Mariners. After winning 10 of their first 11 series and splitting a four-game set in the other, the streak finally ended in the middle series of the longest road trip of the Braves’ season.
It would appear the Braves (26-12) just missed the ideal time to face Seattle (18-20) right-hander Bryan Woo. After he had allowed 13 runs on 16 hits — including six home runs — in his last two starts, Woo (2-2) allowed just three baserunners (one hit, two walks) through six innings against the Braves’ potent lineup on Wednesday, striking out nine.
The Braves’ only hit off Woo was Mauricio Dubon’s two-out single in the fourth inning. That prevented them from being held hitless through four innings for the first time this season, but they were largely stifled by the Seattle starter.
The only saving grace was the Braves fouled off enough pitches that they drove Woo’s pitch count and chased him after six innings.
Martín Pérez (2-2) did well to keep the game tight and give the offense a chance to wake up throughout his start. His day ended on a somewhat sour note when he hung a 3-1 changeup which Julio Rodriguez smashed out of the park to center field. But it wasn’t a bad day by any means for Pérez, who allowed two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking one.
The Braves finally broke onto the scoreboard into the eighth against Eduard Bazardo, putting runners on the corners with no outs on back-to-back singles and plating their first run on a Dominic Smith sacrifice fly.
A brutal pickoff from pinch runner Jorge Mateo, who represented the tying run, derailed the rally attempt. A bad mistake was made that much worse when Drake Baldwin followed with a single which would have put Mateo in scoring position with one out and the strong part of the Atlanta lineup coming up.
Seattle tacked on an insurance run in the ninth off Didier Fuentes, who struck out four and allowed one run on two hits over two relief innings. That wound up being unnecessary when the heart of the Braves order was retired in order in the ninth.
The Braves finished with just four hits and two walks while striking out 12 times. That included two strikeouts each by Baldwin, Olson, Dubon and Austin Riley. Jim Jarvis, called up Wednesday morning for his major league debut, was 0-for-2 with a strikeout before Smith pinch hit for him in the eighth.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 06: Julio Rodríguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates his home run during the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park on May 06, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mariners 3 Braves 1
Seeing José Ferrer once every three business days: Bryan Woo, .35 WPA
A major piece of the Buffalo Sabres’ depth could be nearing a return just in time for the second round.
According to NHL.com, veteran center Buffalo Sabres welcomed back Sam Carrick to practice Tuesday at KeyBank Center ahead of Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night. It marked Carrick’s first full session with the club since suffering a left arm injury during a fight with Anders Lee of the New York Islanders on March 31.
The injury, which Carrick later described as a “freak accident,” originally came with a projected recovery window of four to eight weeks. Tuesday landed exactly five weeks from the date of the injury, and while he skated in a reserve role alongside extra forwards Tanner Pearson and Josh Dunne during line rushes, his return appears to be getting closer by the day.
“He’s out there right now getting some contact, and his fitness levels are good, everything. His return to play (plan), he’s worked really hard to be ready,” coach Lindy Ruff said. “So, it will be just a day-to-day decision on him now.”
For the time being, Buffalo appears set to roll with the same lineup that closed out its first-round series against the Boston Bruins in Game 6. Alex Lyon is expected to remain between the pipes, while Logan Stanley stays on the third defensive pairing.
Carrick, now 34 and skating for the fifth organization of his NHL career, credited Buffalo’s training and development staff for helping accelerate his recovery. He specifically pointed to assistant athletic trainer Michael Adesso and skating coach Mike Ansell for keeping him sharp while sidelined. Watching the postseason from afar, however, wasn’t exactly relaxing.
“Really figured [Boston] out after a few games, so credit to the guys,” said Carrick, who appeared in 10 playoff games with the 2024 Edmonton Oilers. “It was stressful for me to watch, but they did a great job.”
Why Carrick Matters To Buffalo’s Bottom-Six
Even in a small sample size after arriving from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline, Carrick quickly carved out a meaningful role in Buffalo’s bottom six. In his Sabres debut against the Nashville Predators on March 7, he delivered two critical late defensive-zone faceoff wins to preserve a 3-2 victory. One night later, he chipped in a key goal during Buffalo’s wild 8-7 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
His impact extended well beyond scoring. Carrick posted a team-best 57.3 percent faceoff rate over 13 games with Buffalo, including an impressive 60.3 percent mark in the defensive zone. His right-handed presence down the middle gives the Sabres another option after relying heavily on left-shot centers like Dunne and Tyson Kozak during Round 1. That detail could become even more important against a Montreal squad that controlled 55.6 percent of faceoffs in its opening-round series against Tampa Bay.
Offensively, Carrick found another level after the trade, scoring five times in 13 games with Buffalo after managing just four goals in 60 contests with New York. His hot stretch included a two-goal performance against the San Jose Sharks and a third-period game-winner days later versus the Los Angeles Kings.
“I think all the goals were probably a bonus,” Ruff said, “but a real good bonus.”
Carrick also seemed to click almost immediately alongside winger Beck Malenstyn. No matter who rotated onto the opposite wing, the pair consistently tilted the ice in Buffalo’s favor. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Sabres outshot opponents 62-33 and outscored them 8-2 during their 104 minutes together at five-on-five.
“Sometimes things just gel good, and we were able to connect for a few goals, which helps the confidence, for sure,” Carrick said of that instant chemistry. “I think we just play similar games. He can fly around, get in on the forecheck early, and I can play my game as a centerman where I’m trying to be in good spots for him.”
Buffalo believes Carrick’s return could provide a meaningful boost in a series where depth play and possession battles may prove decisive.
“It’s always tough, especially getting traded to a new team and then getting hurt,” Jason Zucker said. “But he was a huge impact for us when he got here, and we’re looking forward to having him back whenever he’s ready.”
The Sabres also had another young face back on the ice Tuesday, as 2024 first-round pick Konsta Helenius joined the club for practice duties. Helenius recorded four points in a nine-game NHL stint earlier this season before producing a strong sophomore campaign in Rochester, where he totaled 63 points. He has since joined Buffalo’s playoff group as a Black Ace and, notably, has been the only extra forward skating regularly with the team.
When asked about Helenius’ presence, Ruff cited the need for another center at practice with Noah Ostlund sidelined by a lower-body injury. Still, the situation could become more relevant if another injury opens the door for the highly regarded prospect later in the series.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 27: Cole Ragans #55 of the Kansas City Royals pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning of the home opener at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Winners of their last five games and ten of the last thirteen, the Royals are looking to continue erasing the early struggles and get to the top of the AL Central. Today will be the third game of the Cleveland series that is going to be at worst a split for the boys in blue. A victory today would put Kansas City above the Guardians in the standings and a win over the series over the weekend could also catapult them past the now Skubaless Tigers.
Thoday’s lineup is an interesting one. Vinnie Pasquantino is in the fifth slot and Lane Thomas is batting third. Both Caglianone and Jensen will be taking the day off, at least until possible pinch hitting situations later in the game.
The big question of the day is which Cole Ragans will the team see today. His early exit after Jose Ramirez lined one off of is hand the last time he faced Cleveland has set Ragans on an odd trajectory in 2026. For two starts after that, Ragans walked a lot of batters and struggled to get his typical strike outs, both on the road. Then he came back to Kauffman and dominated the Angels with 11 Ks only to go back on the road last start and look a little uncomfortable again. Dominant or command issues, which will it be?
Opposite Cole will be Joey Cantillo who gave the Royals a very hard time in early April. He has struggled a little with walks all year but has been mostly effective. Kansas City’s offense has been much better in the last couple of weeks relative to when they saw Joey before, so hopefully they can get to the big lefty this time.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 04, 2026: Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics throws a pitch during the first inning of a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Hohokam Stadium on March 04, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The A’s got smacked last night in the first game of the series last night. They now get another chance to get a win in Philadelphia and set up a potential series-deciding contest for Thursday evening.
It’ll be left-handed Jeffrey Springs on the mound tonight. He recently got through a rough patch that included a shorted start due to a hip issue but it seems he’s been able to put that in the near view mirror. Let’s hope we get early-season Springs this evening.
An interesting bottom third of the lineup tonight. New catcher Jonah Heinz gets his first start with the team catching Springs this evening. And we’ll get a Zack Gelof sighting at third base as well. Most of the rest of the lineup is in their usual spots.
It’s Zack Wheeler going for the Phillies tonight. He’s only just returned from his injury but has looked like his old dominant self through his first two starts. Let’s hope the A’s can handle him in his third outing of the year.
And the Philly lineup tonight for the middle game:
Apr 18, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren (29) follows through on a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
One night after taking down the Rangers and two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, the Yanks are at it again in the Bronx, with the chance to win their sixth consecutive series. It’s been a torrid start to the 2026 season, driven in large part by outstanding starting pitching. One of the hurlers who’s led the way takes the ball in the Boogie Down Bronx tonight.
Will Warren had a perfectly cromulent campaign for New York in ’25, but I don’t think anyone expected him to make the early leap he has thus far. Through 37.2 innings, his ERA is a sparkling 2.39, as he strikes out well over a batter per inning (10.99 K/9) and limits traffic on the bases behind him (1.062 WHIP). He’s mainly a three-pitch pitcher, with his four-seam fastball, sinker, and sweeper. But against lefties, he also features a curve and a change that have proven effective – hitters have ah combined two hits against the offerings, none for extra bases.
Meanwhile, old friend Nathan Eovaldi makes the start for Texas. If it feels like you just saw him, it’s because you did. His last start was against New York in Arlington, when he spun seven innings of shutout ball en route to victory, which also happens to be the Yankees’ last loss. Throw out his season numbers because the more pertinent information might be how well he pitches against New York. Eovaldi has a career 3.91 ERA but in 132.2 innings versus the Yankees, he’s pitched to a 3.05 mark. He’s allowed one run across his last 21 innings against New York, dating back to the start of 2025. Be prepared to be frustrated tonight.
The Yankee lineup tonight is about what you’d expect to see with no Giancarlo Stanton or Ben Rice, with Jasson Domínguez and Paul Goldschmidt filling in for them. Everyone in the lineup tonight has faced Eovaldi before, so they should have a reasonable idea of what to look for. Keep an eye on Aaron Judge. He’s historically hit Eovaldi well (.864 career OPS in 40 at-bats) and is on one of those Judgian tears at the plate – hitting .308/.459/.712 with 12 homers and 27 walks in his last 30 games.
Win tonight and clinch the series with the finale tomorrow afternoon. After that, the Yankees leave the friendly confines of the Bronx to head on the road. Let’s do it with momentum.
How to Watch:
Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, NY
First Pitch: 7:05 pm EDT
TV broadcast: Amazon Prime Video, Rangers Sports Network, MLB Network
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 / 105.3 The Fan, KFLC 1270
DETROIT, MI - MAY 5: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 5, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers had plenty of chances to steal Game 1 against the Detroit Pistons, but careless turnovers, an inability to secure defensive rebounds, questionable coaching, and overall bad offensive process kept them from doing so. Whether or not they can turn around will determine how this series goes.
Winning Game 2 will be tough. J.B. Bickerstaff-led teams are 5-1 in the playoffs. The lone Game 2 loss came when he was leading James Harden and the Houston Rockets in 2016.
Cleveland hopes to break that trend in Game 2. Heading back to Cleveland down 2-0 would mean they would have to win four of the last five games of the series. That isn’t an impossible task, but far from ideal.
Overall, the Cavs have struggled on the road in the playoffs. Since trading for Donovan Mitchell, they’re just 4-12 away from Cleveland. That trend needs to end if they want to make a deep postseason run.
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May 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) talks to center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the fourth quarter of game one of the eastern conference semifinal round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Tonight, the New York Knicks (1-0) host the Philadelphia 76ers (0-1) at Madison Square Garden in Game Two of the Eastern Conference semifinals. New York obliterated Philly in Game One and can seize firm control of the series with another win at the Mecca. The Sixers have too much talent and pride to roll over and die, so they’re sure to come out swinging tonight. As of this writing Joel Embiid is listed as probable for Philadelphia (ankle). The Knicks appear to be fully healthy.
Game’s at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN. This is your game thread. This is Liberty Ballers. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Show those Philly fans what good behavior looks like. And go Knicks!
