LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 11: Ryan Nembhard #9 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on July 11, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
For the second time in the last two months, Gonzaga Bulldogs point guard Ryan Nembhard has been traded. This time, the Atlanta Hawks shipped him off, along with guard Buddy Hield and cash, to the Charlotte Hornets for forward Dorian Finney-Smith, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Charlotte plans to waive Nembhard, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, leaving the 23-year-old currently homeless. That doesn’t mean that the 5-11 primary ball handler won’t have many suitors with an open two-way spot, such as the favorite Denver Nuggets, plus the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, and Washington Wizards.
The Atlanta Hawks are trading Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Dorian Finney-Smith, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/bf3zzlZgVK
In his rookie season, Nembhard averaged 6.6 points on a shooting split of 41.5 field goal percentage/35.6 three-point percentage/80.6 free throw percentage, 5.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes across 60 appearances. He set an NBA rookie record with 23 assists in the Dallas Mavericks 2025-26 season finale against Chicago.
The undrafted lead guard, who has a way of controlling the floor and flow of any offense, averaged 8.0 points, 8.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks over two games with Dallas in the NBA Summer League, before dealing with an unknown illness that kept him out for the final three games.
Nembhard also competed with his home country of Canada during the third window of the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers over the summer.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 22: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Robertson (14) scores a goal against Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson (36) in the preseason NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings on September 22, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Lineups
The Penguins bring out a lot of their big guns and mix in a bunch of players making preseason debuts in Bill Zonnon, Tomas Galvas with Markus and Liam Ruck getting in the lineup too.
Visiting Detroit brings a slightly better lineup tonight than Buffalo did last night, though it’s very much an early preseason road game type of roster.
Egor Chinakhov went to the penalty box for tripping, the Pens not only kill it off they get a goal. Nick Robertson scores on his first shot in a Pittsburgh jersey, bursting around forward Theo Rochette, driving to the net and lifting it past John Gibson. 1-0 Pens early.
Robertson gets tripped and draws a power play. Crosby, Malkin, Chinakhov, Rakell are out there, Sam Girard fills in for Erik Karlsson (not playing).
They don’t score, the following shift the Red Wings do. Arturs Silovs makes a great save but the Pens’ defensive structure is broken down. Detroit regroups and passes it around and tie the game.
🚨BRANDSEGG-NYGARD!!!🚨
Beautiful pass by Nate Danielson to set up MBN for the first goal of the preseason for the Red Wings and now we have a tie game!!!#LGRW#GoGRGpic.twitter.com/nLyGBUbH1Q
Crosby and Marco Kasper get tied up and slash each other enough to both take penalties. While at 4v4 the Red Wings score twice. First, Arturs Silovs coughs up a bad rebound that Mason Appleton bulls through Tomas Galvas to knock into the net. 2-1 Red Wings. They add another on a broken play, Malkin only got a piece of a centering pass, throwing off the timing for a Red Wing to quickly hammer home.
The Pens’ first line turns up the heat with a long shift of pressure. Ilya Solovyov and Sam Girard are all over the puck too. Eventually Girard sends the puck down to the net for Rickard Rakell, the Swede spins and shoots it in to narrow Detroit’s lead to 3-2.
Trey Augustine is in net for Detroit, Silovs remains in there for the Pens.
Rakell gets taken down and Pittsburgh gets their third power play of the night, which comes up empty for the third time.
More tempers flare, Carlile grabs a guy and drops the gloves and ends up with a double minor and 10 minute misconduct. Detroit scores on one of their power plays after Silovs leaves a rebound and Girard can’t clear it away. 4-2 game.
Kaeden Korczak gets on the board in his Pittsburgh debut, wristing in a long shot from the right side. 4-3.
Detroit re-establishes their two goal lead with a deflection goal. 5-3 with over 10 minutes to go.
More bad news, another huuuge rebound that’s kicked out and Chinakhov isn’t quick enough to get to it. 6-3.
The damage keeps coming, off an offensive zone faceoff for the Red Wings, they get a point shot through that hits Girard and flutters into the net. 7-3.
The Pens get one before time runs out. Pretty passing between the Rucks and Rutger McGroarty leads to an open net for the latter to score on. 7-4.
UNREAL PLAY FROM THE RUCK TWINS AND RUTGER MCGROARTY!
Beautiful steal from Liam Ruck, followed by an even prettier give-and-go between Markus Ruck and Rutger McGroarty!pic.twitter.com/DFllJQ1ZSX
It didn’t take Robertson long to flash. As we wrote this weekend, this addition could be a really big deal if the Pens can unlock his talent fully. In his size and quick skating, Robertson is reminiscent of a former Crosby winger in Conor Sheary from a decade ago. Unlike Sheary, whose hands often couldn’t keep up with his feet, Robertson has already demonstrated a higher degree of finishing ability – which was on display tonight. Gotta temper it a little bit but it’s hard to not see this as an exciting and encouraging possibility.
It was probably a lesson that didn’t need to be taught though nice to see Declan Carlile get the memo and charge in after a whistle when a Red Wing got a stick up and was jousting with Crosby after the whistle. He was really mad! The ref had to do the old hug and drag away, with Carlile still trying to get after anyone in red. Small but nice to see.
Tomas Galvas’ debut was unremarkable. He got caught on the ice for nearly a two minute shift on the first DRW goal, roving up in the zone at one point and unable to get possession back. Galvas got a lesson in NHL strength when the 6’2, 200 pound Mason Appleton drove through him to the net on the second DRW goal. Not the end of the world but doesn’t look particularly close to being an NHL regular at a first glance for preseason action.
Atley Calvert has a bit of the ‘Avery Hayes condition’ in him and by that I mean the more you see, the more there is to like. Calvert looks bigger on the ice than the 6’1, 196 he’s listed at. He skates very well. He’s positionally solid and always in the right spot, good along the boards. He’s never going to win a scoring title but is just a good player. Calvert’s surely Wilkes-Barre bound in the near future but he’s showing enough to wonder if there’s something more down the line.
Lowkey but it was smart to see the coaches stick with the Zonnon+Calvert partnership on a line tonight. The two played together extensively in the AHL playoff run last spring. That bit of familiarity had to help the 19-year old Zonnon in his first taste of NHL action. For his part, Zonnon was fine, though he too is clearly going to need a measure of time to grow his game and adapt to the pro speed.
It’s kinda crazy to think this is the fourth decade of Malkin’s life (teens, 20s, 30s and now 40s) that he’s worn a Penguin jersey. Quiet night for the elder statesman, though at one point he was backchecking hard and battling to successfully lift an opponent’s stick and win the puck back. Observing Malkin as long as we all have, seeing a high level of engagement is always a positive indicator of where his form is at.
The Ruck boys too in their first glimpse of NHL action, only getting a handful of shifts from the fourth line but made the most of it, Liam (the first round pick) grabbing two assists and Markus making a really nice play late to add one. Great to see them with Mikhail Ilyin, hopefully in about five years that could be a future NHL line if all the cards come together right. Long way between there and here, of course, just an idle September dream for what could be one day.
Not a very inspiring performance in net from Silovs, but then again the stakes couldn’t be lower. Seven goals on 23 shots is what it is. Besides the sheer quantity of allowing seven goals in a game, the only major problem I had was seeing the costly rebound on three of those goals- all too common a sight last season when his game wasn’t sharp. No need to stew or analyze it too much besides hoping to see him tighten up before next week.
Really liked what we saw out of Solovyov tonight. His moonlighting tonight in Karlsson’s spot suggests Solovyov is in-line to be the seventh defenseman, at least for the moment, and he played really well. Three shots on goal (always forget how active he is in the offensive zone). Two hits, a blocked shot and an assist (ironically he was more influential in the play where he DIDN’T get an assist officially). Solovyov doesn’t do anything great but he does a lot to a nice degree.
The best thing about any preseason game is when it’s over and now this one is in the history books. The Pens will bring a team on the road to play in Columbus on Thursday for their next one.
The Dodgers have Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell in the starting rotation.
But where will Tyler Glasnow fit in the team’s postseason plans?
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow throws against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning of a baseball game. Wally Skalij for CA Post
“If it is the wild-card series, I probably wouldn’t start in one of those games. So, I’d probably be in the bullpen. And then the first series last year, we had four starters ,so I might be in that one,” Glasnow told Chris Rose.
“So I think it’s just going to be like a all-hands-on-deck situation, which I prefer.”
Tyler Glasnow says he'll most likely start and pitch in relief in the postseason pic.twitter.com/eBLJEdlEpe
Glasnow played a versatile role for the Dodgers last October, sporting a 1.69 ERA in the postseason. He will likely be another multifaceted pitcher for the Dodgers in the playoffs.
Since his arrival to LA, the right-hander has never made it through a regular season without injury. While the 2026 season was no different, Glasnow is coming off a bounce-back start just before the regular season concludes.
The right-hander tossed six innings of two-run baseball with 10 strikeouts. It was a much improved performance from his previous start in Miami, where Glasnow allowed four earned runs in four innings.
With Shohei Ohtani’s absence in the rotation, Glasnow’s health is even more crucial heading into October. It appears the right-hander is feeling good and prepared to take on any role the Dodgers ask of him in the postseason.
“I think I feel relatively consistent. It’s just a matter of sometimes I’m not going to feel good, sometimes I will,” Glasnow said after his last start against the Giants.
“Today, I think it was a step in the right direction. I think it’s better than feeling really good for a long time before [the playoffs]. I’d rather kind of feel it, work through some stuff and have a good one right before [the] playoffs. So I think I’m in a good spot right now.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow gets a new baseball against the San Francisco Giants. Wally Skalij for CA PostLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow walks off the mound during the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 22: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals rounded the bases after hitting a solo home run in the second inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After a convincing victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night, the Tigers looked to win their penultimate series of the season on Tuesday night. They’d have to wait another day to try for that, though, as they went down to defeat by a 3-1 score.
Drew Anderson made the start for the Tigers, and he’s been fairly solid recently as a member of the rotation. He’ll usually give you five innings and won’t let things get out of hand; his previous start in Toronto saw him complete five innings and give up a scant pair of hits with nary a run surrendered. It’ll be interesting to see what comes of him next year: rotation, bullpen, why not both?
Making the start for the Nationals was Riley Cornelio, a rookie righty who’s mostly pitched out of the bullpen but has made some starts lasting a handful of innings; he probably wasn’t going to go the distance (not that anyone does these days), as he was going to open for lefty, and fellow rookie, Jackson Kent. Cornelio’s been up-and-down between Triple-A Rochester and Washington a lot, and he was recalled for the fourth time on September 2.
Cornelio’s first inning was very up-and-down: he started off by walking Gleyber Torres on four four-seam fastballs that were nowhere close to the plate, then got two strikeouts. Eduardo Valencia then battled Cornelio for eleven pitches before hitting a 415-foot fly ball to the warning track in right-centrefield for the third out. Remember: Comerica 5/3 giveth, and Comerica 5/3 taketh away.
Washington got on the board in the second with a CJ Abrams leadoff home run just a bit farther than Valencia’s flyout, making it 1-0. (Narrator: he wasn’t done.)
In the bottom of the second, Max Clark singled with one out, and was picked off — he was initially called safe, but after an insanely long replay, that call was overturned.
Cornelio lasted until two outs in the third, giving way to Kent with Hao-Yu Lee on first after a walk. Kevin McGonigle hit a ground-rule double which forced Lee to stop at third; Valencia followed that, sadly, by swinging at strike three in the dirt for the final out, stranding the duo.
In the top of the fourth with one out, Clark made a heck of a nice running catch.
The Tigers got a pair on in the bottom of the fourth as well, via a leadoff double by Ben Malgeri and a one-out Spencer Torkelson walk. Alas, Javier Báez hit a grounder to second to start an inning-ending double play, and Detroit stayed off the scoreboard.
Meanwhile, aside from the solo home run, Anderson was absolutely rolling: after Abrams’ home run and a single following that, he shut the Nationals down very effectively, with a stingy pitch count. He had great command of a whole boatload of pitches, retiring thirteen in a row before James Wood singled with two outs in the sixth. Also, the sixth ended on another nice catch by Clark.
McGonigle led off the bottom of the sixth by striking out, but he reached first on the ol’ third-strike passed ball. He was erased on a fielder’s choice grounder by Valencia to third (which would’ve been a double play if the throw to first hadn’t sailed a mile wide). Valencia himself was erased at second on a Malgeri bouncer to first, but Malgeri scooted all the way to third when Clark singled to right. He came home on a wild pitch to tie the game 1-1, with Clark moving up to second.
Torkelson walked again, but Báez flew out to centre and the score remained knotted at ones.
Abrams struck again in the top of the seventh, though: with Dylan Crews on second, he mashed another long home run on a meatball of a changeup to make it 3-1. That was the end of Anderson’s day, and his final line slightly belied how well he pitched for most of it: 6+ innings, 5 hits, 3 runs, no walks, 5 strikeouts. Heck, if you take out those two home runs by Abrams, that’s a heck of a start… but the last time I checked, that sort of thing is not allowed. Tyler Kinley came on and got the next three outs in fairly quick order.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh the Tigers got another pair of runners on via singles by Lee and McGonigle. That wast the end of Kent’s outing, and righty Jack Sinclair was brought in to face Valencia; he hit a soft grounder to second and that was the end of the inning.
Brant Hurter came on for the eighth and gave up a single and a stolen base but that was all. Beau Brieske was brought in for the ninth and he did exactly the same. The Nationals stole three bases on the evening, and no, Dillon Dingler was not behind the plate, thanks for asking.
Erik Tolman, the visitors’ fourth rookie pitcher of the evening, pitched the ninth. He had some trouble with either his cleats or the pitching rubber, slipping a couple of times. Lee walked with two out; during the at-bat he swung awkwardly and may have strained something in his leg, so Zach McKinstry pinch-ran for him. McGonigle very nearly hit a double right down the left-field line, but he ended up striking out to end the game and Tolman earned his fourth save of the year.
Hao-Yu Lee (who would probably refer to himself as Lee Hao-Yu, using their naming convention), has had one heck of a nice rookie season: 340 plate appearances, .268 batting average, 10 home runs, .757 OPS (110 OPS+), coming into tonight.
Interesting lineup construction tonight: Gleyber Torres led off, and was followed by five rookies. You don’t see that every day.
I can’t be the only one who thought about Beavis and Butt-Head when reading Riley Cornelio’s name. I get it, Riley: you’ve heard it before. Sorry, pal.
Happy 137th birthday to former Tigers pitcher George “Hooks” Dauss. I’ll give you one guess as to which of his pitches was really good. Also, happy much-less-than-that birthday to my dad; no idea if he ever had a curveball of note.
It's no surprise that ever since twins Liam and Markus Ruck were selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2026 NHL Draft, they've been inseparable - both literally and figuratively, in person and in print.
But starting now, their developmental journey will begin to differentiate even the smallest bit.
Both Rucks were invited to NHL training camp and, subsequently, had the opportunity to play on the same line in Pittsburgh's second pre-season game, which came against the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday.
Even though both still plan to play together for Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL - barring they don't make the NHL roster and sign entry-level contracts - next season and then head to the University of North Dakota in 2027-28, Markus is excited to tap into who he is as an all-around player even more, both in tandem with Liam and individually.
And that includes unleashing his shot more.
"For sure. I want to be an all-around player that can do whatever," Markus said. "I don't just want to be known as a passer because guys will start picking those off and reading the pass. So, I'm definitely working on that, and I want to be able to do both."
Of course, he is referring to his reputation as a playmaker, while Liam has developed a reputation as the shooter. As a tandem for Medicine Hat last season, they were first and second in WHL scoring, with Markus posting 21 goals and 108 points to Liam's 45 goals and 104 points.
Markus has a shot that can pop, too, and he plans to use it more as he develops. But, in general, he also wants to continue developing his all-around game, which he believes presents the best path to becoming an effective player at higher levels of hockey.
"That's always really important for me," Markus said. "Just the little details, not cheating the game at all. There will be times where, you know, higher-point guys in leagues will cheat the game a bit, and I definitely want to focus on not doing that and just playing the right way."
And training camp has provided an excellent opportunity for him to hone some of those skills. He has been on Team 3 - the prospect group - for the duration of camp, and he earned an opportunity to suit up in that pre-season game with his brother due to some of those details he showcased within his game. He mentioned that the coaching staff has been very helpful in helping him learn the nuances of the NHL game that aren't necessarily present in lower levels.
In general, there are few better places to learn some of those details than Pittsburgh, too - whether on-ice or off-ice details - considering the NHL veteran players he is sharing the ice and the locker room with during training camp in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson.
"It's really cool seeing those guys in person," Markus said. "Those are the guys that I grew up watching and idolizing. Seeing them around the rink and what they do to take care of their body or how they eat, I'm trying to pick up things like that because they're, obviously, some of the best to ever do it."
He added: "It's unbelievable. There's tons of great players out here and so many staff members that are willing to help out. It's really cool, it's something that I've always dreamed of, to be in this situation. So, I've been having lots of fun and learning a lot."
Both Markus and Liam join a crop of Penguins' prospects who both fans and the organization have high hopes for. There is a lot of belief that the prospects currently developing can help usher in a new wave of talent - and winning - for the NHL club beyond the years of Crosby.
And Markus is excited to be included as part of it all.
"There's tons of great young players here, and the staff, the organization, has done a great job of bringing in lots of great players and good people, too," he said. "It's exciting, and going forward, I think the future is bright here.
"I'm excited to be a part of it, and I've been working towards it every day to, hopefully, help his team win in the future."
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 23: Blake Snell #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks back during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium on August 23, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — It’s the final week of the regular season and the Dodgers are sorting things out as they prepare for the postseason, which they hope will start on October 3 in the National League Division Series rather than September 29 in the wild card round.
Before Tuesday’s game, Blake Snell pitched a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium as he works his way back from leaving last Wednesday’s start with left groin discomfort. Manager Dave Roberts said Snell is in line to start on Saturday in San Francisco against the Giants, with Tarik Skubal — currently on the bereavement list — starting Friday night at Oracle Park.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts Wednesday and Tyler Glasnow Thursday against the Padres.
Also on Tuesday, reliever Will Klein pitched a simulated inning against Dalton Rushing in a battle of players on the injured list. Klein is on the 60-day injured list with elbow discomfort and not eligible to be activated until September 30 at the earliest, but it looks like he’ll be in the stay-hot camp should the Dodgers have room to add him at some point later in the postseason, similar to in 2025 when Klein wasn’t active until the World Series and he pitched five scoreless innings, including four innings in the marathon Game 3.
“With Will it’s more get healthy, show that you’re healthy, throw to some hitters,” Roberts said. “He’ll throw during the week off, then we’ll kind of see if there’s an opportunity later on in the postseason, sort of like last year.”
Rushing is trying to work his way back from elbow discomfort suffered when practicing throwing. His role would be a left-handed bat off the bench, a role currently occupied by Josue De Paula, who has been the designated hitter with Shohei Ohtani out. But Ohtani is expected to be activated Wednesday barring an unforeseen setback.
That essentially sets up a battle between Rushing and De Paula for a postseason roster spot, though Roberts said the plan is to activate Rushing at some point this week to literally get back into the swing of things.
“Quality of at-bat, conducting an at-bat obviously, the ability to swing at strikes, take balls, get on base, get a hit. There’s potential slug with both guys. I think it’s a good debate,” Roberts said. “Hitting off the bench is very difficult so we’re trying to figure out who gives us the best chance.
“And to be quite frank, it’s going to be tougher for Dalton given the time he’s missed, and to think that you have [three] games to get back into playoff form, it’s tough to do. It’s not a knock on him, he’s been great for us, but it’s still tough, right, Given that we talk about having the consistency of at-bats recently from Josue. But we have to have those conversations and make a decision.”
Activating both Ohtani and Rushing this week, when the Dodgers have 14 active position players, would require two corresponding moves to make room on the active roster. If De Paula doesn’t get sent down — “I think Josue has done a fantastic job,” Roberts said Tuesday — that might mean rough news for Alexes Call and Freeland, either this week or next.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 16: Anthony Molina #45 of the San Francisco Giants delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on September 16, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game home series against the Minnesota Twins tonight.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Anthony Molina, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.91 ERA, 2.88 FIP, with 23 strikeouts to five walks in 23 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals last Wednesday, in which he allowed just two hits and a walk with six strikeouts in five and two thirds innings.
He’ll be facing off against Twins right-hander Taj Bradley, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.81 ERA, 3.86 FIP, with 199 strikeouts to 73 walks in 172.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Twins’ 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels last Thursday, in which he allowed three runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and a walk in seven innings.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Jared Jones #17 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on September 22, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tuesday night started as an old school pitcher’s duel as the Cardinals Andre Pallante and the Pirates Jared Jones were throwing a lot of balls that were missing bats. Ultimately, it would be the Pittsburgh and St. Louis bullpens that would decide the winner. The lack of Cardinals offense combined with an epic start by Pirates pitcher Jared Jones would all but seal the deal.
The first real scoring opportunity wouldn’t come until the bottom of the 4th inning when Pittsburgh would load the bases in a somewhat unusual way. With one out, Bryan Reynolds would reach on catcher’s interference. After Oneil Cruz grounded out on a dribbler in front of home plate (thanks to a successful St. Louis challenge), Pallante walked Flores Jr. giving the Pirates runners at first and second. Ryan O’Hearn then hit a hard grounder to Thomas Saggese at third base who seemed to stop the ball with his body, but was then unable to tag out Reynolds who was running to third and also couldn’t manage to get a throw off to first base. Fortunately for the Cardinals, Simon grounded out with the bases loaded to end the Pittsburgh scoring threat.
While Andre Pallante was shutting the Pirates down while pitching out of the occasional jam, Jared Jones of the Pirates was perfect through the first 5 innings. The Cardinals had no hits or baserunners going into the top of the 6th inning. The first Cardinals hit and baserunner was Nathan Church who managed to barely slap a ball out of the reach of the Pirates third baseman Gonzales that Church turned into a one-out double. Unfortunately, St. Louis could not turn that into a run as Masyn Winn lined out to first and JJ Wetherholt struck out.
The Pirates would break the scoreless tie in the bottom of the 6th inning when Oneil Cruz drew a one-out walk. He advanced to second on a groundout by Flores Jr and then scored when Ryan O’Hearn singled to left making it 1-0 Pittsburgh. That would end Andre Pallante’s night as he gave the Cardinals a strong 6 full innings allowing just 3 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 2 and walking 2.
After the Cardinals went down 1-2-3 in the top of the 7th inning, Justin Bruihl started the bottom of the 7th inning, but didn’t finish it. He walked Horwitz to start the inning which almost always leads to trouble. One out later, Konnor Griffin singled to left-center for his second hit of the game giving the Pirates runners at first and second with one out. Horwitz advanced to third as Lowe flied out to center for the second out. Manager Oli Marmol decided to bring in Cade Winquest to face Bryan Reynolds. After Winquest jumped out to an 0-2 count on Reynolds, he bounced the third pitch in the dirt which scored Horwitz for the second Pittsburgh run making it 2-0 Pirates after 7 innings.
Jared Jones of the Pirates pitched an amazing game. Pittsburgh pulled him after he completed 7 innings allowing just one hit, no runs and striking out 9 while walking no one. He was replaced by former Cardinal Luke Weaver. Other than giving up a walk to Thomas Saggese, he had no real problems shutting the Cardinals down in the top of the 8th inning.
Cade Winquest stayed in the game to start the bottom of the 8th inning. He gave up a leadoff double to Bryan Reynolds to start the inning as Pittsburgh looked poised to add to their lead. However, Winquest got Cruz to flyout to center and then struck out Flores Jr. for the second out. Cade then struck out O’Hearn to end the Pirates threat.
The Cardinals would have to hope that their bats would awaken in the top of the 9th as Masyn Winn was leading it off. The Pirates brought in Gregory Soto to close out St. Louis. Instead, he issued a 4-pitch walk to Winn bringing up Pennsylvania native JJ Wetherholt as the potential tying run. JJ worked the count full, but ended up striking out watching a 98 mph sinker go over the middle of the plate for the first out. Iván Herrera was next for St. Louis and he also worked the count full before he struck out swinging for the second out. Herrera struck out 4 times Tuesday night. That left the game in the hands of Alec Burleson who flew out on the first pitch he saw for the final out of the game.
Final score – Pirates 2, Cardinals 0
The St. Louis Cardinals will do battle with the Bucs again at PNC Park Wednesday night. Matthew Liberatore is the scheduled starter for the Cardinals Wednesday night while the Pirates have yet to announce their starter. First pitch is scheduled for 5:40pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin’s tenure as New South Wales coach began in stunning fashion with the Blues knocking off Queensland’s monster total of 358 with an over to spare at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field on Tuesday night.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 15: Brock Rodden #90 of the Seattle Mariners picks off Taylor Trammell #26 of the Houston Astros as he attempts to steal third base during the seventh inning at Daikin Park on August 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With a tragic number of two and still six games to go, all that’s probably left for the Mariners in 2026 is to play spoiler for others. Though the Mariners will be staring elimination in the face Tuesday night (and every subsequent night they can manage to survive), they could still potentially do some damage to the Houston Astros’ playoff hopes in the first of a final pair of games in 2026 between the two teams. The Astros currently trail the Rangers by a game atop the AL West, but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker if they manage to make up that deficit in the final week.
Lineups
Lázaro Montes and Brock Rodden will continue to receive some valuable major league reps as they round out the Mariners lineup.
Game Information
First Pitch: 6:40 p.m. PDT
TV:Mariners.TV, with Aaron Goldsmith, Ryan Rowland-Smith and field analyst Angie Mentink
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs (beginning his final homestand!) and Gary Hill Jr.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres hits a solo home run against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at Petco Park on September 20, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (87-69) at Los Angeles Dodgers (96-60), September 22, 2026, 7:10 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 20: Yainer Diaz #21 of the Houston Astros reacts after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Daikin Park on September 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (77-79) will begin their final road trip of the regular season with the first game of two-game series against the Seattle Mariners (73-83) at T-Mobile Park.
RHP Cristian Javier (2-6, 5.31 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite RHP Logan Gilbert (12-10, 3.69 ERA).
EL REPTIL: RHP Cristian Javier is making his 12th start and 17th appearance of the season tonight. In his last three starts, he’s recorded a 2.20 ERA (4ER/16.1IP) with 15 strikeouts, a 0.98 WHIP and a .161 opponent batting average. Has also had success against the Mariners in his career, posting a 2.87 ERA (12ER/37.2IP) with 37 strikeouts, a 1.09 WHIP and a .165 opponent batting average.
THE POSTSEASON CHASE: The Astros and Rangers are locked in a tight race down the stretch for the AL West with the two teams separated by just one game with six left to play. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with a season series victory (9-4 record).
VS. THE M’S: This is the final series between the Astros and Mariners this season, with the two clubs last seeing each other from Aug. 14-16 at Daikin Park. The Astros have gone 2-9 vs. Seattle this season. The Astros also own an overall regular season record of 134-106 against the Mariners, including a 64-48 record at T-Mobile Park.
ROAD WARRIORS: Tonight is the first game of a six-game road trip for the Astros. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have gone 37-28 (.569) on the road since April 14, which ranks third in the AL in that span.
SUNDAY RECAP: The Astros were defeated the Braves, 4-2 at Daikin Park on Sunday afternoon. RHP Hunter Brown allowed three hits and two walks with a season-high tying 10 strikeouts in five scoreless innings. DH Jose Altuve (2×4, HR, RBI) and C Yainer Diaz (2×4, HR, RBI) provided the offense for the Astros with both of them recording a solo home run.
GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros have hit 209 homers as a team this year and have hit 200-plus homers in a single season for the 10th time in franchise history (last, 222 HR in 2023). The Astros rank second in the AL in home runs this season behind only the Yankees (217).
TWO-OUT MAGIC: The Astros lead the American League in two-out runs with 307 on the season, trailing only the Cubs (329) in the Majors. 3B Isaac Paredes has led this effort, as he is tied for the Major League lead with 44 two-out RBI, with CHC CF Pete Crow-Armstrong.
FOR THREE!: 2B Jose Altuve went 3×4 on Saturday night for his 226th career three-hit game, which is the Astros franchise record. He surpassed Hall of Famer 2B Craig Biggio (225 three-hit games).
THE CASE FOR THE MVP: DH Yordan Alvarez is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award. Alvarez leads the American League in OPS (1.027), slugging percentage (.597), OBP (.430), batting average (.313), total bases (324), walks (105), IBB (32) and extra-base hits (73). He also ranks second in home runs (40), second in RBI (99), third in hits (170), tied for fourth in runs (98), and tied for fourth in doubles (32).
ROSTER MOVES:OF Jorge Barrosa has been outrighted to Triple A Sugar Land. He was designated for assignment on Saturday. Also RHP Mike Burrows was returned from his rehab assignment yesterday.
THE FIREMAN: LHP Josh Hader has converted 26 consecutive save chances to open his season, which is the Astros record. Should Hader finish the season without a blown save, he would become the seventh pitcher in MLB history to post 26-plus saves without a blown save. The last Major Leaguer to do so was RHP Ken Giles in 2018 (26 SV).
RACKING UP K’S: RHP Bryan Abreu has posted 527 career strikeouts, which ranks fourth among relievers in Astros history. He’s closing in on third-place RHP Dave Smith (529), needing only two strikeouts to match the Astros reliever from the 1980s. LHP Billy Wagner (694) and RHP Brad Lidge (557) sit atop that all-time list.
MOVIN’ ON UP: On Sunday, C Yainer Diaz went 2×4 with a solo home run. Marked his 57th career home run as a catcher, surpassing C Martin Maldonado for the third-most home runs as a catcher in Astros franchise history.
STRONG SEPTEMBERS: 3B Isaac Paredes has a .950 OPS this month to go along with a team-leading 17 RBI, which ranks tied for second in the AL. C Yainer Diaz is also having a strong September, as he’s hitting .357 (20×56) with three homers, seven RBI and a .961 OPS in 17 games (14 starts) this month.
TUVE VS. THE MARINERS: 2B Jose Altuve has hit .312 (255×818) with 49 doubles, 21 homers, 99 RBI and an .827 OPS in 201 career games against the Mariners. He already ranks third all-time in hits vs. SEA, trailing only Cal Ripken Jr. (261) and Michael Young (259).
STARTING STRONG: In the Astros 18 games in September, their starters have combined for a 2.90 ERA (28ER/87IP), which is the third-lowest ERA in the American League for the month behind only the Yankees (2.64 ERA) and Rays (2.81 ERA) rotations.
POSTSEASON CREDENTIALS: All media who wish to cover potential Astros postseason home games in the Wild Card Series and ALDS must apply for credentials on MLB’s credentialing system. The events are now open with a deadline set for Sunday, Sept. 27. ALCS and World Series credential applications are also live online.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!: The Astros would like to wish IF Carlos Correa and IF Jeremy Peña a Happy Birthday today.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY:2019 – The Astros clinch their third straight AL West division title on a Sunday afternoon with a 13-5 victory over the Angels at Minute Maid Park. CF George Springer (3×5, 4RBI) led the way, as he smashed his way to just the 14th three-homer game in club history. RHP Justin Verlander picked up his 20th victory of the year by tossing 5.0 innings, allowing just two runs.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, September 22, 8:40 p.m. CT
Location: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
TV: SCHN
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Alex Bregman won’t be going on the injured list after sustaining multiple facial fractures from a foul tip during Sunday’s game against the Reds.
And the Cubs third baseman hasn’t been ruled out of returning for the regular season.
Chicago manager Craig Counsell updated reporters on Bregman’s status on Tuesday, noting that the three-time All-Star does have significant swelling around his left eye and face that will need to improve, but that his vision was in a good place, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Third baseman Alex Bregman runs off the field after getting hit by a foul ball in the fourth inning of the Cubs’ blowout win over the Reds on Sept. 20, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“But all things considered, he’s in a good place,” Counsell said. “So we’re going to just have to progress over the next couple days and see where that takes us.
“I mean, he’s completely himself. He can’t sit still. He’s all over the room. Those are really good signs.”
For Bregman to return, he will need to run the bases, field ground balls, and take batting practice, all of which could take place over the next few days.
A bloodied Alex Bregman walks off the field after getting hit by a foul ball in the fourth inning of the Cubs’ blowout win over the Reds on Sept. 20, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
That would allow him to potentially return to the lineup by this weekend when the Cubs finish the regular season in Boston.
“His pain is in a pretty good place right now,” Counsell added. “He says, ‘I feel really good,’ and you can’t fake that. His mood is good, so his pain is in a good place. … I think Alex is going to be fine, I really do.
“He’s going to do everything in his power, and as long as symptoms don’t increase or happen as he increases activity, I think you’re going to see him play.”
Alex Bregman is seen in a photo posted to his Instagram Story. Alex Bregman/Instagram
Bregman was standing in front of the on-deck circle on Sunday when Michael Busch fouled a ball off that struck the Cubs player in the fourth inning in a wild sequence of events.
The infielder was taken to a local hospital in Cincinnati, but returned to Chicago the same day.
Bregman has been an important piece of the Cubs lineup this season, hitting .292 and posting an on-base percentage of .378 along with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs in the second half.
Right now, things are looking pretty good for Kawhi Leonard.
He agreed to a two-year, $115 million contract extension with the Raptors on Tuesday, including a player option for the 2028-29 season. The 35-year-old, who’s now under contract for three years, is expected to finish his career with the Raptors, according to ESPN.
Meanwhile, the Clippers — and their fans — have pretty much had a limb amputated.
LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard reacts on the court during the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Jan. 7, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Following the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers and Leonard for violating salary cap circumvention rules when the team signed him to an extension in 2021, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year, the Clippers were ordered to forfeit five first-round draft picks and they were fined $30 million, among other penalties.
As for Leonard?
He got a $700,000 fine, which is pretty much a slap on the wrist, as well as having his uncle and former agent, Dennis Robertson, banned from all business dealings and league activities for five years.
Leonard wasn’t suspended. HIs trade to the Raptors went through. So, now he gets a fresh start alongside a team that he carried to a championship in 2019.
Not too bad.
This isn’t entirely over, though. The Justice Department has opened a criminal inquiry into the Clippers’ dealings with Leonard, according to The New York Times.
But as of now, Leonard gets to move forward while his former franchise will trudge through mud for the foreseeable future, an unfortunate situation for a team that has never won a championship while sharing a city with the 17-time champion Lakers.
As for Leonard. there are complaints that he’s getting off relatively scot-free. It’s unclear how much Leonard knew when he profited from no-show sponsorship deals involving Ballmer and the Clippers.
What we do know is Leonard signed a four-year, $28 million sponsorship deal with Aspiration and was given $20 million of equity in the company that went bankrupt. He also signed a deal with Boingo, Daktronics and Lockton, per the NBA’s findings.
FILE – Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer sits on the sideline before an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls on March 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. AP Photo/Ryan Sun
At the least, this raises a lot of questions.
Should Leonard have received a harsher punishment? How much was his uncle to blame? How blameless was he? Does this set a bad precedent for players in the future? Were the penalties leveraged against Ballmer and the Clippers enough to prevent this kind of thing from happening again?
Without being privy to every interview in the NBA’s lengthy investigation of the matter, it’s impossible to know the answer to these questions.
But all of it raises eyebrows.
In the meantime, one of the best two-way players of the last decade will be able to finish his career with dignity.
Instead of being mired in scandal, he’s going to be focused on carrying a franchise that hasn’t made it past the first round of the playoffs in the last six years back to relevance.
The same can’t be said about the Clippers, whose fans are the biggest losers in all of this.
They lost Leonard. Their future was dealt a debilitating blow. Their owner has been temporarily banished.
The Clippers’ curse continues.
And Leonard escaped its throes in the nick of time.
Chris Spatola, a former Duke staffer from 2007 to 2012 and the son-in-law of legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, died suddenly at age 47 on Monday, Sept. 21, Duke and ESPN confirmed in separate statements.
Spatola, who was also a college basketball analyst for ESPN and SiriusXM for more than a decade, played college basketball at Army, where his father-in-law got his coaching start. Spatola was a four-year starter who served in the Army upon his graduation before joining Coach K's staff. The Blue Devils won a championship in that span, in 2010, with now-Duke head coach Jon Scheyer as part of that team.
We write to you to share the incredibly difficult news that Chris Spatola passed away unexpectedly yesterday. Many of you have gotten to know Chris over the years as our funny and sharp witted K Academy emcee and hugely passionate and dedicated coach.
Chris was married to Coach K and Mickie's daughter, Jamie, and they shared 3 bright and delightful children. Chris served for the US Army, was a former member of our coaching staff, and a truly gifted basketball commentator. Chris was a huge part of our Duke Basketball and K Academy family.
Please see below for a statement from the Krzyzewski Family:
“There are no words to adequately express our heartbreak over the loss of our beloved Chris Spatola. Chris served our country, was a devoted husband and father, and was such an important part of our family. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, thoughts, and prayers we have received during this incredibly difficult time. We respectfully ask for privacy as our entire family, particularly Jamie and her three beautiful children, grieve and process this unimaginable loss.”
ESPN also published a statement on Spatola's passing.
“Chris Spatola brought a unique perspective to ESPN’s college basketball coverage, shaped by his experiences as a student-athlete, Army veteran, coach and broadcaster," the network wrote. "He was thoughtful, prepared and passionate about the sport, earning the respect of colleagues, coaches, players and fans alike. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time.”
