Jun 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) breaks his bat on the ground after a pop fly against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves suffered another blow on the injury front, and yet again, Ronald Acuña Jr. is the subject. Acuña exited Tuesday night in the fourth inning after limping on his way to first base.
Ronald Acuña Jr. was limping after running hard down the first base line.
The club later reported that he exited the contest with hamstring tightness. Best case scenario for Atlanta is that he is considered day-to-day; however, this is the same hamstring he strained earlier this season.
The bad news doesn’t end there, as the Braves went on to suffer an extra-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox, 6-5.
In some ways, it is quite hard to believe that it's already been 17 years since Jordan Staal scored a key shorthanded goal in Game 4 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings to help turn the tide of the series and lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to their third Cup in franchise history.
That moment proved that Staal - already an elite two-way center at 21 years old when the Penguins won that year - had that clutch gene in him. It proved that, on the NHL's biggest stage, he had the ability to come through for his team and be the catalyst it needs.
Fast forward to 2026, and Staal might be wearing a different uniform. But he is doing the same exact thing.
In the four games to open the Stanley Cup Final this season, Staal has scored in every one, and he netted two in Game 4 - including the game-winner during the third period - to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights and tie the series. The 37-year-old center is now up to seven goals and 11 points in 17 playoff games this postseason, which include five goals and six points in the Final series alone.
Of course, anyone who has followed Staal's 20-year NHL career knows that he's always had a knack for coming through in big moments. He seems to have ice in his veins when the stage becomes the biggest, and that has always been the case.
JARVIS MISSES A GOLDEN CHANCE, BUT THEN STAAL WITH A DIVING GOAL TO TAKE THE LEAD 😱🚨
During the Stanley Cup Final in 2009, the Penguins went down in the series, 2-0, and they managed to pull off a win in Game 3 at home. They were back at home for Game 4, and they found themselves on the penalty kill and trailing, 2-1, midway through the second period.
And that's when Staal - already well-known for his impact shorthanded - took the puck up ice on a shorthanded opportunity, splitting the 'D' and bodying his way around all-time great defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom to power one past Red Wings' goaltender Chris Osgood and tie the game.
The last time Jordan Staal played in a Stanley Cup Final was 2009! 17 years later, the age of 37 has 3 goals in the last 4 games! Let’s go Canes pic.twitter.com/ON41o8BM3T
Staal finished with two goals and three points in that series. The Penguins went on to win that game, 4-2, and they won the series in seven games. This also capped off a revenge tour for the Penguins, as they were beaten by Detroit in the Final in 2008.
And Staal had already played a part in that revenge tour earlier in the season, when the Penguins played the Red Wings on Nov. 11, 2008, for the first time since they had lost the Cup Final to them the spring before. Staal put his team on his back, recording a third-period hat trick and pickpocketing Pavel Datsyuk in overtime to set up Ruslan Fedotenko's game-winner in what was one of the more memorable individual performances of Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby era.
He was, ultimately, dealt to the Hurricanes in the summer of 2012 - during his wedding, nonetheless - and has spent the last 14 years of his NHL career in Raleigh, registering 22 goals and 48 points in 106 playoff games since. He had 23 goals and 36 points in 73 post-season games with the Penguins, and he has 318 goals and 747 points dispersed across 1,403 regular season games in his NHL career.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound center's play for the Hurricanes in this year's final serves as a reminder to Penguins' fans just how important Staal was to the Cup run back in 2009 and to the Penguins' former core of players that helped build their foundation for success in the mid-late 2000s. Without Staal to anchor down that third-line center position during those years - and without him as a suitable injury replacement for Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for pockets during that time - the Penguins may never hae reached the pinnacle they were able to during the Crosby era.
In the present, Staal is enjoying the best playoff performance of his career. And if the Hurricanes are going to win two of these last three games in the Cup Final, he will need to find a way to continue elevating himself when the stakes are the highest.
Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) celebrates a three run home run against Minnesota Twins with second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) and shortstop Zach McKinstry (39) at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Byron Buxton kicked the game off with a homer, his 19th of the year, to put the Twins up 1-0. Taj Bradley had a really rough start again, as Dillon Dingler tied the game in the bottom of the first with a solo homer of his own. Then, in the 2nd, Riley Greene hit a solo shot to make it 2-1, Detroit.
Josh Bell tied the game at 2 with a solo blast in the top of the 3rd inning, and that’s home run number 200 for his career. But, a lead-off walk from Taj scored on Greene’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half, putting the Tigers back on top.
After both teams took a pass on scoring in the 4th, Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens hit solo home runs in the 5th to give the Twins a 5-4 lead. It would be the last lead the Twins would get tonight, as Kerry Carpenter’s two run shot in the bottom of that inning would put the Tigers up for good. A 3-run homer by Dingler in the 6th off of a Taylor Rogers down-and-in sweeper would let us all go to bed early, pretty much.
In the 7th, the Twins had Royce Lewis at the plate with the bases loaded, representing the tying run, but he flew out to the warning track in left. That was the Twins last gasp, and the Tigers tacked on 2 more in the 7th, giving us our 10-4 final score.
Studs:
Brooks Lee: 2-4, HR, BB
Josh Bell: 2-5, HR
Royce Lewis: 2-4, 2B
Buxton and Clemens: Hit a homer, you get a stud, it’s my rule.
Duds:
Taj Bradley: 4.1, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 3 HR
Victor Caratini: 0-5, K
Tristan Gray: 0-4, 3 K
The bullpen except for Cody Laweryson: 2.2 IP, 5 ER
Jun 9, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) reacts to his two run home run in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Few things are more satisfying for the Colorado Rockies than trouncing the Chicago Cubs, and tonight, they got to bask in the glow of the Cubs flying the L as the Rockies hit their way to a 7-3 win.
Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) gave the Rockies five good innings with the bullpen sealing the deal and putting the Rockies back in the win column.
Their Cubs have lost 21 of their last 28 games.
The Rockies offense comes alive
The Rockies got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first when Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer (18) to score TJ Rumfield, and the Rockies had a nice 2-0 lead.
By the time the second inning ended, the Rockies had a 5-0 lead.
The Cubs got on the board in the third after Sugano loaded the bases with one out, and Alex Bregman hit a sacrifice fly. However, Sugano managed to limit the damage, and the Rockies left the field with a 5-1 lead.
In the third inning, the Rockies scoring continued, starting with a Goodman lead-off walk, a Troy Johnston double, and a Kyle Karros walk. After that, Julien singled to make the score 7-1.
taco’s anyone?
Things settled down after that.
However, it would be negligent not to show you Cole Carrigg’s first MLB hit, a triple.
He was the first Rockies to have a triple and a walk in his major-league debut.
“Just pure joy, and it couldn’t have been a better hit for a young player like that,” Warren Schaeffer said. “That was vintage Cole Carrigg.”
After Carrigg’s triple and Kyle Karros ground out, Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea was removed from the game. He finished the evening with 4.2 IP, allowing seven runs (earned) on seven hits. He walked through and struck out two.
The Cubs offense made an appearance in the sixth inning as Michael Busch hit a home run (7) followed by a Bregman single.
And that was it for Sugano. Seth Halvorsen finished the inning, allowing one run to score, but he got the job done with the Rockies leading 7-3.
And then, there was no more scoring.
The Rockies finished the game seven runs (all earned) on 12 hits. They walked six times and struck out four. (You read that correctly: more BBs than Ks.)
Willi Castro had three hits, but did not score while Julien went 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Schaeffer noted that Tovar is taking better at-bats, and he pointed to Goodman’s walks as well.
He also praised Castro: “It seems like he always finds his way on base.”
Tomoyuki Sugano does Tomoyuki Sugano things
In a starting rotation wracked by injuries and underperformance, Sugano has been a mainstay, and tonight’s game was no different until the sixth inning when a Busch home run followed by a Bregman single chased him from the game. It was his fifth start of giving up no more than three runs.
Even though that was the 12th home run he was surrendered, Sugano yet this year to give up a multi-run homer.
His final line was 5.0 IP, allowing three runs (earned) on six hits. He struck out three and walked two on 93 pitches. Sugano has a 4.08 ERA.
For those keeping score at home, he relied primarily on his four-seamer (34%) followed by his slider (19%) and splitter (16%).
“Maybe some abnormally deep counts, but he made pitches when he had to,” Schaeffer said. “I thought he battled without getting ahead like he normally gets ahead.”
After the game, Sugano said, “It’s been a while since I last pitched at Coors, but I was able to keep my pitches down.”
He added, “I definitely felt like they were taking the splitter down.” But he was able to compensate with his four-seamer. He also noted that his slider was “moving really well.”
He gave the Rockies a chance to win.
The bullpen finishes the job
A well-rested bullpen picked up where Sugano left off.
Halvorsen entered the game in relief of Sugano and got the job done after walking the first batter he faced. His final line was 1.0 IP with one walk, one strike out, and no runs. Halvorsen has a 2.35 ERA.
The seventh went to Brennan Bernardino as the left-handed part of the Cubs order came to the plate, but he handled them with ease, retiring the side on 11 pitches. He currently has a 4.44 ERA.
Antonio Senzatela entered the game in the eighth inning He allowed one hit but no runs, striking out one and walking one. He has a 1.93 ERA.
For the ninth inning, Schaeffer turned to Jaden Hill who allowed a lead-off hit, but then shut the Cubs down. He currently has a 5.01 ERA.
Up next
Tomorrow night, the Rockies will meet the Cubs in Game 2 with first pitch at 6:40 pm. Shonta Imanaga will pitch for the Cubs while Michael Lorenzen toes the rubber for the Rockies.
Alarm bells will be sounding in the Australian camp following a crushing loss to Bangladesh in Dhaka, where the tourists were torn apart by a tall speedster exceeding 150km/h.
Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) celebrates a three run home run against Minnesota Twins with second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) and shortstop Zach McKinstry (39) at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Storms moving through southeastern Michigan delayed the start of the opener of a three-game home series against the visiting Minnesota Twins, who’d swept the Tigers in a frustrating four-game series in April. Well, the Tigers got a fair amount of revenge on Tuesday night as homers flew fast and furious over various fences for both teams, with the home team prevailing by a 10-4 score. Apparently all that needed to happen was a flip of the calendar to June. Who knew?!
Troy Melton made his fourth start of the season for the Tigers, and he’d been sensational so far. His previous outing, an eight-inning, four-hit, tw0-run victory against the Rays, built on a seven-inning start against the White Sox. By this trend he should be going about thirteen innings per start by the All-Star Break, and no, I’m not a mathematician, thank you.
Facing the Tigers tonight was Taj Bradley, who started off this season with a great stretch of starts but has run into trouble recently. In his previous two starts he didn’t finish the fifth, giving up four runs each time. But he was very successful against Detroit in a start on April 7 during that four-game sweep, striking out ten in 6 1/3 innings.
Byron Buxton turned Melton’s first pitch of the night around and deposited it into the visitors’ bullpen for a 1-0 lead. Dillon Dingler didn’t like that too much, so he took a middle-middle curveball just inside the left-field foul pole for a solo home run to tie the score at one in the bottom of the first.
In the second Melton got into enough hot water with one out to make a Jacuzzi envious: a hit-batsman followed by a couple of singles loaded ‘em up with Twins. Chris Fetter paid Melton a visit, mumbled some secret, ancient incantation and gently waved his arms; Melton then struck out the next two batters, including the aforementioned Buxton, to get out of trouble.
Riley Greene saw what Dingler pulled off, and did exactly the same thing to lead off the bottom of the second with an up-and-away fastball to put the Tigers up 2-1. Josh Bell returned the favour by smashing a line-drive home run to straightaway centre in the third to re-tie the score. The balls seemed to be flying out of the park; the warmer, humid weather was partly to blame, I’d imagine.
Starting in the second and carrying into the third, Bradley’s control seemed to elude him; the first pitch of the bottom of the third soared over the home-plate umpire. Kevin McGonigle walked to lead off the inning, and Dingler followed with a single to put runners at the corners; with one out Greene hit a liner to left that was deep enough to score McGonigle and put the Tigers up 3-2.
(When I was a kid, Global TV had this half-hour nightly sports-highlights show called Sportsline, and it was great for someone like me that didn’t have cable. On that show, Jim Tatti used to sardonically refer to a sacrifice fly as “the most exciting way to score a run” or something along those lines. I think about that line a lot.)
The Tigers got runners on second and third with one out in the fourth via a walk, a single and a wild pitch in the dirt. But Gleyber Torres struck out and McGonigle ripped a line drive right at the shortstop, and that was that.
Brooks Lee hit a slider for the fifth solo home run of the game to knot the score at threes. On the next pitch Kody Clemens hit his own solo home run to put the Twins up 4-3.
The slugfest continued in the bottom of the fifth: Dingler doubled to lead off, and Kerry Carpenter hit a non-solo home run to right to put Detroit up 5-4.
After Greene smoked a 112-mph line drive that was caught by Buxton, Bradley and his multiple splitters-to-the-backstop departed. Melton did the same after five innings, and his final line was pretty weird: 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 HR, 0 BB, 5 K.
Brenan Hanifee was brought in for the sixth and it wasn’t great: with one out a fly ball was misplayed by both Carpenter and Matt Vierling. The next batter got plunked, and that was the end of Hanifee, who was replaced by Drew Anderson. He threw a great full-count changeup to strike out Tristan Gray for the second out, bringing the dangerous Buxton up — who also struck out on a changeup. That was one gutsy performance by Anderson there.
Zach McKinstry hit a one-out triple to right-centre on the ninth pitch of his sixth-inning at-bat. Torres was plunked to put two runners on, and Dingler stepped to the plate with two outs and he didn’t miss an inside sweeper from Taylor Rogers.
He needed a triple for the cycle at that point, but I think we’re all satisfied with his result. That was his fourth hit of the night, and the Tigers were up 8-4.
Tyler Holton came into the game after Anderson walked a batter to start the seventh, and his outing didn’t turn out so hot either: Clemens struck out, but a single and yet another hit-batter loaded the bases. Holton handed this hot mess off to Kyle Finnegan, who struck out Victor Caratini for the second out. Royce Lewis lifted a fly ball to left and Greene caught it at the wall — on a night on which balls were flying out of the yard everywhere.
The Tigers started the bottom of the seventh with a pair of walks. With two out McKinstry walked to load the bases, and Torres’ grounder to the left side went right past two infielders to score a pair of runs and put the Tigers up 10-4 there, good buddy.
Enmanuel De Jesus, who was last seen finishing up a game in Tampa in which he went four innings, pitched the ninth, which was pleasantly boring, as ninth innings in such games should be.
Riley Greene leads the Tigers with an OPS of .844 (.305 batting, .396 on-base, .448 slugging). That’s an OPS+ of 136, or 36% above league average.
The interesting thing about that is that he’s nowhere close to the team lead in home runs: he has six, but Dillon Dingler had 14 coming into tonight (and added another pair, as you well know). Greene’s 16 doubles certainly helped his cause.
Johann Galle was born on this day in 1812; he was the first person to identify the planet Neptune, after a suggestion about where to look was given by fellow astronomer Urbain Le Verrier. That’s nice, but have you seen Venus and Jupiter in the western sky after sunset lately? Holy moly, are they close to each other!
June 8, 2026 2026 NBA Finals – Game 3: New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden – San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle #5 defends...
The number is somewhat stunning, considering how well Karl-Anthony Towns has performed up until recently in the NBA Finals.
He has logged 30 minutes across the fourth quarter of the three games of the series, and the Knicks center hasn’t scored a point.
Not a single field goal or free throw. He has only taken six shots and tallied one assist.
Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns drives with the ball against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“It’s extremely important that he’s getting touches, that he’s involved, not just in the fourth quarter, but obviously throughout the ballgame,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said Tuesday. “I got to continue trying to do a better job of getting him involved throughout the course of the game, as well as late.”
Lately, Towns hasn’t been involved much, taking just 11 shots over the past five quarters. In that span, the Knicks have been outscored by 12 points.
When asked about his fourth-quarter donuts, Towns mostly sidestepped the question.
“We have a game plan, and we want to execute it,” he said. “So just trying to execute our game plan, especially when we get in the fourth, is vital, and just doing what I can to execute it at the highest level.”
Towns’ emergence has been a major storyline of the postseason for the Knicks, ever since Brown tweaked the offense to run more through Towns midway through the first round against the Hawks. The Knicks are 12-1 in the playoffs when Towns has four or more assists.
Spurs forward Julian Champagnie defends against Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
In Game 3, he had only one assist. An involved Towns typically means a productive Knicks offense. Their attack was not at its best in that loss, too stagnant and overreliant on isolation. They shot 36 percent from the field in the second half and notched a playoff-low 18 assists.
On Monday, the Spurs went away from using Victor Wembanyama on Towns and guarded him with smaller defenders. It worked for them. Now the Knicks have to adjust.
“Execute our game plan and get back to what’s made us special — that ball movement and getting the ball zipping around the court, and allowing it to judge who shoots the ball,” Towns said. “So I think we have to get back to the details and our fundamentals that made us special in the 13-game winning streak.”
Jun 9, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Dbacks dropped the series opener in Miami on Tuesday 10-6 as the Arizona pitching was unable to keep any momentum this whole game long. The Dbacks offense would score, and then the pitching would immediately cough the lead right back up. The offense would come back, and then the pitching would give the lead right back.
Zac Gallen started the game for the Dbacks and he looked very much just ok. Certainly not the player the Dbacks spent 20 million dollars on this offseason, and certainly not a player who is raising his stock and betting on himself to get a big contract. He was just ok going 5.1 innings allowing 4 ER and getting just 3 strikeouts. Despite just the 3 strikeouts, the one positive from this outing was Gallen was able to get 14 swings and misses which is a good sign. However, his struggles to put guys away with 2 strikes persisted as he would dance around the corners of the zone hoping for chase and the Miami hitters much like every other team were simply not fooled.
The Dbacks offense tonight was much improved with Ketel Marte, Carroll, Gabi, and Perdomo going a combined 7-15 with 6 RBI. These are the guys that this team needs going and it is kind of a shame that when you got this kind of production from this core tonight, you still weren’t able to come away with a win. Carroll hit a big home run in the first inning to put the Dbacks on the board that went 400 feet and hit off of the upper deck. Gabi also launched a long ball going 417 feet, a really encouraging sign after the team really needed him to step up into the 3 hole. Perdomo looks much like the move down in the order has gotten him back on track as he was able to look much more like the Perdomo we all know working 3 walks and getting 2 hits. Just great at bats all game long from him, a really encouraging sign. It is also worth noting that Ketel responded to the drama in a big way tonight going 3-5 with 3 RBI as he continues to prove to everyone that he is a leader of this offense and of this team.
Unfortunately even after all of this offense, the bullpen was also not able to maintain any of the momentum. Taylor Clarke came in in relief of Gallen and immediately allowed his inherited runner plus 2 more to score. A guy that usually can spot the ball almost anywhere and had only walked 5 guys all season proceeded to walk the 9 hole batter for the top of the order. Hopefully this is just another weird 1 off like he had in the Dodgers series to start the season and he locks it back in and goes on another run. Garcia also had an uncharacteristic clunker as he gave up some contact on some fastballs that just caught way too much of the center of the zone giving up the lead again to a 7-6 ballgame. Torey brought in Ginkel in the middle of the inning to try and get out of it, and Ginkel proceeded to give up a single and a double allowing Garcia’s runs to score and for the Marlins to blow open the game for a final time in the 8th inning. A rare clunker for these guys and hopefully a strange blip on the radar for a couple of guys who have been really solid lately.
The Dbacks will look to get back on track tomorrow and even the series by sending Ryne Nelson to the mound. Getting Meyer out of the way the rest of the Marlins starters for the rest of the series look to be gettable, but this pitching needs to rebound in a big way and maintain momentum.
The five-time All-Star and former NL MVP exited in the fourth inning after appearing to suffer an injury while attempting to make it safe to first base.
Atlanta led 4-2 at the time of his injury but lost 6-5 in extra innings. The White Sox won on a walk-off home run from call-up Braden Montgomery, who was making his MLB debut.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is exiting the game after suffering an injury running to first base pic.twitter.com/iJfDcF1BCV
Braves manager Walt Weiss addressed the Acuña injury with reporters after the tough loss. He indicated the Braves think they lucked out with their star’s injury, saying Acuña's previous hamstring injury earlier this year (suffered on May 2 against the Colorado Rockies) was worse.
With that, Weiss said that Acuña won’t be placed on the injured list and his status remains “day-to-day."
Ronald Acuña will not be placed on the injured list at this time. He’s day-to-day for now. Walt Weiss also added that they don’t think it’s “as bad as the last one” (referring to his hamstring injury earlier this year)
The Braves have the best record in baseball at 45-22. Acuña has contributed to their success, hitting .254/.373/.798. He has 49 hits, 22 RBIs and seven home runs so far through the 2026 season. Through nine seasons with the Braves, he’s compiled 193 home runs and is nearing his 1,000th hit with 962 total. His career splits are .287/.383/.901.
DENVER, CO - JUNE 09: Cole Carrigg #16 of the Colorado Rockies runs the bases during his Major League Debut during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS — The Carolina-Vegas series was largely expected to be a Stanley Cup Final in which goals were at a premium and each shift felt like a march up a well-defended hill.
Yeah, that isn’t this.
Another two-goal lead went the way of the landline on Tuesday night, the go-ahead shot came from a 37-year-old on his stomach on one of the great runs in Cup final history, and the winning goalie made his first start in two months and doesn’t know if that will be his last one this postseason.
None of it makes sense and yet it all somehow does in this series that is now even after four games — probably aptly so — because of Jordan Staal’s second goal at 6:32 of the third period that came while sprawled on the ice in what became a 5-3 Hurricanes victory over for the Golden Knights.
“It’s a wild ride, isn’t it?” Staal said. “There’s a lot of emotion, lots of ups and downs.”
Now the series heads back to Carolina for Game 5 on Thursday night. The Hurricanes will potentially have two games on home ice to win their first Cup in two decades. Coach Rod Brind’Amour captained that 2006 team, and though he’s not ready to look at the big picture, he recognizes this is a unique final.
“I know I need to (appreciate it) because this doesn’t come across very often,” Brind’Amour said. “But it is pretty stressful.”
The same applies at the other end, where the 9-year-old Golden Knights chase their second championship in four years. Their position isn’t all that different from when the day started — two more wins and they’re there — but now they need to win at least once more on the road.
“We need to flush it and get ready for our next game,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “I don’t think we should be looking any farther than just the next game.”
Whichever team winds up losing can point to a number of moments that could have changed the outcome.
Jordan Staal scores his second goal of the night while outstretched on his stomach during the Hurricanes’ 5-3 Game 4 win over the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final on June 9, 2026 in Las Vegas. Getty Images
Each game until this one was decided by one goal. It appeared this one would as well until Nikolaj Ehlers deposited an empty-net goal from 187 feet.
A two-goal lead has disappeared in all four games in what has been a remarkable series in which momentum often changes at a moment’s notice. Each team has led by at least that many twice.
The 33 combined goals are tied for the third highest in a Cup final with the Islanders-Flyers series in 1980.
Staal became the first player in 44 years to score at least one goal in each of the first four games of the final and the ninth overall. Mike Bossy in 1982 with the New York Islanders against the Vancouver Canucks was the last player to score in the first four games of a final.
Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi makes a save on Jack Eichel during the third period of the Hurricanes’ 5-3 win over the Golden Knights in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 9, 2026 in Las Vegas. Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Ehlers’ goal was part of a three-point night for him, Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist and Logan Stankoven scored a goal.
Brandon Bussi started in place of Frederik Andersen in goal and made 18 saves, and including his work in relief in Game 2, Bussi has 36 saves on 40 shots. Brind’Amour said that Andersen, who did not dress, needed the rest. Pyotr Kochetkov was the backup goalie with Andersen serving as the emergency goaltender.
“If you’re going to give him a break, you need to give him a break,” Brind’Amour said. “So to me, him dressing and going through all that does not really give him a night off.”
Mark Stone, William Karlsson and Brett Howden scored goals for the Golden Knights, and Carter Hart made 23 saves. Karlsson also had an assist.
The Hurricanes came out blazing, taking a 3-1 lead in the first period. Vegas nearly cut it to one, but Brayden McNabb’s goal came right after the period ended and didn’t count.
Vegas scored twice in the second to tie the game, and the Golden Knights have now outscored Carolina 9-1 in that period.
But the Golden Knights failed to add to that total, shifting home-ice advantage back to the Hurricanes.
“We knew it was going to be a tight series,” Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson said. “We’re playing a really good team and 2-2, best out of three and fly out to Carolina (Wednesday) and take care of business in Game 5.”
Jun 9, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Seattle Mariners players celebrate a win against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images
5,000 light years from Birdland But I’m still preachin’ the Trident Long-gone, uptight years from Birdland And I’m still watchin’ it with ’em
Years from the land of the Bird And I am still feelin’ dispirit 5,000 light years from Birdland But I know we still hear it
Goms named it Goms made it Goms heard it Then played it Well-stated! Birdland- It happened down in Birdland
Oh!
The Mariners needed Logan Gilbert to go deep on Tuesday. The team is down a reliever because they ditched the ham sandwich for a six-man rotation, for reasons I do and don’t agree with. But regardless, it means they’re short in the bullpen for a bit. After leaning on the leverage arms the last few games, this would have been the time for Gilbert to snap out of his funk, go deep in the game, secure a Mariners win, and help reset things for the week ahead.
That seemed unlikely early. Gilbert threw 31 pitches in the first inning. He loaded the bases, but allowed just one run on a sac fly (which could have been much worse without a great catch from Julio). He threw 27 pitches in the second inning. He put a couple runners on but escaped without a run (thanks to a great throw from Cole Young). This felt like a disaster in the making.
And from there, Gilbert was perfect. He set down the side in order the third, fourth, and fifth innings. I began writing in this very recap that Gilbert’s day ended after five at 96 pitches, then whoa, he stepped out of the dugout for the sixth. He got Pete Alonso to line out on a first pitch slider. He worked a full count against Colton Cowser but dropped a slider on the black for strike three. Then he got Leody Tavares to ground out to first, racing to cover the bag, stomping down for the final out. Six innings, five strikeouts, three hits, two walks, one run. This was roughly the vibe by the end.
I don’t even really know what to say about Gilbert at this point. His FIP still begins with a 4. So many of his outings this year have looked like Tuesday. Well, he’s typically dominated early and struggled late. But every game there’s a handful of batters he can’t quite sit down or even simply move on from, throwing full-count pitch after pitch after pitch. It’s just weird. The arsenal metrics suggest Gilbert should have some resistance to these specific issues. Like, his stuff is sharp, hard, diverse, and deceptive. He got Alonso to whiff so bad he threw his bat into the stands, giving us one of the all-time Brad Adam in-game interviews with Craig from Richland. (Craig kept the bat despite cash offers from Orioles fans! Nice. An all-time Logan Gilbert trophy, in the hands of a Mariners fan.) So I don’t know. I think there’s something to be said for Gilbert tonight. I gave up on this one. He didn’t.
It’s a good thing he didn’t, because the Mariners won 6-5 in extras in what turned out to be a ridiculous, sloppy, fever-dream of a game that the Mariners had no business winning in Birdland.
In the middle of that hub I remember one ball club
Where we went to try and sweep Down on Eu-taw street
Some ornithology nerds That they named it for a Bird
Where Ayala swooped and swirled And League made me want to hurl
Adam Jones was sent there To the distance we stared
The lineup the Mariners together tonight was… uh… not the plan from Spring Training. They’re dealing with a rash of injuries at the moment, and so it’s been the, “We need some guys to step up” time of the season. And step up they, ultimately, kinda, in a way, did.
Randy Arozarena led off the third inning with a line drive single, and Rob Refsnyder followed with one of his own. Mitch Garver fell behind quickly, but laid off a few great pitches out of the zone. Trevor Rogers came back in with a fastball, and Garver was ready, giving us the latest Mitch Garver Exasperated Bat Drop.
This was huge to give the Mariners a 3-1 lead. Again, Gilbert was clearly not long for this game, and they were going to need some runs to survive a shallow bullpen. After the homer, the vibes were roughly here:
Once Gilbert miraculously cleared six with the game still 3-1, the lineup did well to scratch across some cushion. Victor Robles beat out a squibber with two outs, and Julio rocketed another single through the infield. That brought up Arozarena, who picked up a third-straight, two-out single, scoring Robles on a close play the plate.
Unfortunately, the Orioles would get that run right back. An error by Cole Young, a single, and a double play put a runner on third. Alex Hoppe brought him home with a spiked pitch to the backstop. 4-2. The walls of Birdland were closing in.
Jose Ferrer got the ball in the ninth. He threw 42 pitches.
Ferrer quickly got ahead of Tavares leading off. But Tavares battled, working the count back to 2-2. Ferrer threw him a fastball way outside for ball three. Tavares thinking it was ball four started toward first and began to derobe, unbuckling his elbow guard. He tried to play it off cool once he realized, slowly returning to the box. But he’d forgotten about the pitch timer, and when it expired, the umpire called him out. Vibe check:
Still, this is Birdland. Coby Mayo immediately homered to make it 4-3. Jeremiah Jackson singled, and Tyler O’Neill nearly ended the game with a barrel to right. But it landed short and skipped over the wall, crucially, for a ground rule double.
Samuel Basallo then hit a ball just three feet. Ferrer went charging after it down the first base line. He grabbed it and made a desperate, tumbling throw for home that was neither accurate nor on time, scoring the tying run. He probably should have thrown to first.
Ferrer walked Taylor Ward to load the bases. Again, there was still just one out in the ninth inning of a tie game. Gunnar Henderson pounded a one hopper to third. Patrick Wisdom, playing in, leaped high to snag it and made a strong throw home to get the lead runner.
Up stepped Pete Alonso. Ferrer threw him six sinkers to work the count full. He went to the sinker again. It caught the center of the plate and Alonso rocketed a grounder up the middle. Right there was Bliss, who snagged it and raced to the bag to get the runner by a step. The Mariners, somehow, survived.
Arozarena took the lead right back in the 10th. With the Manfred Man on second, he poked a slider way out of the zone to right. It looked like a fly out off the bat, but it just carried and carried and carried the Mariners to a 6-4 lead. It can’t be state enough: What a season he’s having.
Nick Davila got the 10th with a 6-4 lead and the Manfred Man. It didn’t start well. Hoppe hit Blaze Alexander with the first pitch of the inning to bring the winning run to the plate. Tavares followed with a hard grounder through the right side to make the game 6-5 with nobody out.
Davila got Mayo to pop up to Bliss, who made a tremendous diving effort near the foul line for the first out. Jackson then hit a chopper to third. Wisdom, again playing in, cut the ball off perfectly with a backhand ranging toward the third base line. He contorted his body to get off a quick throw, which was right on target to Garver, who slapped down the tag to deny the tying run.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JUNE 9: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox bats in the top of the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on June 9, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Aroldis Chapman was warming up in the top of the ninth inning with the Red Sox down a run just in case he was needed for the bottom half of the frame; but with the way this offense has performed all season, that felt like ownership drawing up World Series parade routes for the fall, just in in case.
Unsurprisingly, the Red Sox went down like church mice for the final three outs to fall to:
11 games under .500 for the first time since 2020
0-27 on the season when trailing by three runs or more at any point in the game
0-35 when trailing after eight innings
Perhaps the most surprising stat to go along with that last bullet is that the Red Sox actually lead all of baseball in runs scored in the ninth inning in 2026 with 40. They just never score when they actually need the runs to tie the game or take the lead. Yes, the offense is bad, but it’s specifically abysmal when the game is on the line in a way that’s all but mathematically impossible.
Tonight was just another verse in the same rancid, repeating song that is the 2026 Red Sox season. The twist on this particular stanza is that the bottom third of the lineup actually performed pretty well while the top six guys when 2-24 with zero walks.
Nowhere was this more evident than in the bottom of the eighth inning when right after a Marcelo Mayer double cut a 4-1 Rays lead to 4-3. In this moment, the first three guys of the inning reached, the top of the order was coming up, and the Rays still had six outs to negotiate before the end of the game. How did the top six guys in the Sox lineup handle the opportunity? They went 0-6 and blew a golden opportunity to avoid all three deadly bullet points above.
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve never seen a team quite like this one. It’s not just that they’re the worse offense in baseball in high leverage situations (batting .214 with a .609 OPS), it’s that they’re 11th in baseball in medium leverage spots to go along with that. For instance, they actually have a higher OPS than the Yankees in medium leverage spots, but are almost 200 points behind them in high leverage situations.
One of the reasons this season feels like such a joyless slog is because there’s never any nights where they randomly come through in a big spot and mix in a comeback win amid the flood of loses and other deficiencies. Those are the beautiful breaths of fresh at the surface that keep you coming back in a season where you’re otherwise drowning. Even most bad teams with bad lineups find a way to sprinkle them in every once in a while, but not this group.
I keep thinking this has to change somewhat just by random chance, but maybe I’m just an idiot. (On a related note, I’ll be going to Boston to catch the games this weekend.)
Three Studs
Marcelo Mayer: One nice thing about tonight is that there’s more signs Marcelo Mayer’s new toe tap might be paying dividends. Not only did he follow up yesterday’s home run with a big eighth inning double, but he also had a nice at bat in the third inning with a runner in scoring position where despite making an out, he got the ball in play with 107mph exit velocity.
Caleb Durbin: 1-3 at the plate, and he also flashed some leather with this wonderful double play in the field in the first inning, which felt really important in the moment:
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: The only man in the Red Sox lineup with a multi-hit game, which is pretty much an automatic ticket into the stud section of the game wrap in 2026.
Five Duds
Ceddanne Rafaela: 0-4 with the lowest WPA in the lineup tonight.
Willson Contreras: 0-4 with the second lowest WPA.
Masataka Yoshida: 0-4 with the third lowest WPA (and boy has he looked awful over the last month).
Mickey Gasper: 0-4 with the fourth lowest WPA.
Together, these four went 0-16 and had a -0.58 WPA.
NESN: They didn’t get back in time from commercial to show the first pitch of the bottom of the third inning. Under no circumstance can this be allowed to slide!
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 09: Jordan Staal #11 of the Carolina Hurricanes lays on the ice after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period of Game Four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 09, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by RJ Forbus/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Jordan Staal had two goals including an iconic moment that old time hockey fans will recognize, The Hurricanes survived another rough second period, Brandon Bussi got his first playoff start and win, and Carolina will hop the plane back to Raleigh with the Stanley Cup Final tied at two.
Rod Brind’Amour had managed to keep his decision of starting goalie under wraps for the last two days, even joking with the media about it when he was asked. Players wouldn’t bite, and neither would Bussi as the only goalie who would speak to the media. However, when the Canes skated out to warm up not only was Brandon Bussi starting, but for the first time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Pyotr Kochetkov dressed and was the backup. During the game, Brind’Amour explained to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan that playing Kochetkov as backup was about giving Andersen “a full amount of rest.”
Quickly the story of the game shifted from who was between the pipes to the puck once again getting into the net. For the second game this series, the Hurricanes quickly skated out to a 2-0 lead. The first goal came with only about a minute gone from the game, as Logan Stankoven was able to take a shot from Jalen Chatfield that bounced off the wall behind the goal and easily backhand the puck behind Carter Hart.
Carolina kept pushing, and it led to a quick penalty on Vegas. Shea Theodore was sent to the box for tripping Taylor Hall, and Carolina’s resurgent Power Play controlled the action during those two minutes. With the penalty winding down, Vegas made a poor clearing attempt that saw the puck get back in the hands of Alexander Nikishin. Nikishin quickly passed it back to Nikolaj Ehlers, who whipped it over to Hall. Hall then skated in front of Hart and with Hart paying too much attention to the puck, Hall whipped it over to Jackson Blake. Blake burried the shot in the open net and Carolina was again off to their 2-0 lead.
Just like the other games, though, the action wouldn’t calm down and despite making a couple of great stops, Vegas would eventually get one back thanks to Mark Stone and a bad change by the Canes. Stone did what several Golden Knights have done this series, sit at the blue line and wait for a chance to streak in and was able to out wait Bussi. After that, though, Bussi would stop the rest of the shots in the period, while the Canes would get another Power Play with a Vegas too many men penalty. This one was just Jordan Staal being big in front of Hart. Shayne Gostisbehere shot it on net and Staal was able to get the rebound from Hart and stuff it back in.
Carolina would have to kill a penalty at the end of the first, and Vegas would get a puck past Bussi at the end of the period—but the clock had clearly hit 0.0 before the puck even entered the paint, let alone clear the line. Carolina took a 3-1 lead to the locker room with a 14-6 lead on shots.
Unfortunately for Carolina their second period woes carried over even with a different goalie in net. The good news for the Hurricanes is that they ended the period tied at three instead of trailing like they had in others. The bad news was that once again Vegas just completely dominated play during the period. The Golden Knights set the tone early with the Mitch Marner line scoring again. This time, Marner was able to draw the Carolina defense deep behind Bussi, which left the rest of the team scrambling. That eventally led to William Karlsson being all alone as Stankoven had lost him, and Karlsson blasted the shot by Bussi. Carolina would get a Power Play that was easily their worst of the game, and then Vegas would dominate the Canes on a late power play that did everything but score. Like other times in this series, that Power Play gave Vegas momentum, and about 30 seconds after it finished Brett Howden shot it between K’Andre Miller’s legs and over Bussi’s shoulder.
The second period ended tied, and somehow Carolina ended with more shots than the Golden Knights, but much like Game 1 when the Canes hit the locker room, they found themselves tied with Las Vegas. But as much as Vegas has dominated the second period, the Hurricanes have dominated the third, and that script played out again with a goal that can only be described as iconic.
Vegas started the period trying to reverse the trend, dominating play, but the defense was able to block shots and Bussi made a few key saves. Then Carolina flipped the script and what can only be described as a grinding play, Seth Jarvis was able to get loose and get a breakaway. Hart made the initial stop, but the chaos threw Vegas all out of sorts as three players collapsed on Jarvis to try and recover the puck. Instead the puck rolled over to Ehlers, who flexed a pass over to Staal. At the same moment Staal was legally pushed down, but he perfectly timed swinging his stick as he was going down to direct the puck past Hart and give the Canes a 4-3 lead.
The goal evoked memories of Bobby Orr 56 years ago, a goal so iconic a statue of it sits in front of the home of the Boston Bruins.
From there, Vegas would push but Carolina’s defense held firm in perhaps their most complete effort of the Cup Final so far. The Golden Knights would pull Hart with a little under two minutes left, but Carolina held firm and then it was their turn for a good bounce off the boards. Nikolaj Ehlers would simply try to clear the puck, but it bounced off the wall, and as Vegas had collapsed to try and score, they were unable to get to the puck in time as it trickled into the empty net.
The horn would sound and Carolina claimed a 5-3 victory. Vegas actually outshot Carolina 9-5 in that period, but the Canes would win the period 2-0.
There’s no rest for either team as they’ll hop on a plane and head back to Raleigh. Game Five will be in Lenovo Center Thursday Night at 8 PM. Don’t expect any answers about who’ll be in goal for Carolina before then, and what is being called one of the best Stanley Cup Final series in history will go at least six games. No doubt the arena that Ray Ferraro called the loudest he’s been in will be dialed up even higher.
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 09: Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana (37) is congratulated by Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi (44) after making a defensive play to end the fourth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians on June 9, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Cleveland Guardians fell to the New York Yankees, again, tonight. Dropping game two in this series gives New York the series win and puts the Guardians five games above .500.
Slade Cecconi had a strong outing and is looking like he is hitting a groove. Cecconi went 5.0 innings, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. He struck out two batters.
The Guardians scored 2 runs on 10 hits and 4 walks. Both runs came in the bottom of the third inning.
With two quick outs to start the inning, José Ramírez hit a single to center, then reached second on his 24th stolen base of the season. Chase DeLuter singled to center, scoring José from second. Kyle Manzardo drew a walk and Rhys Hoskins was hit by pitch to load them up. Angel Martínez singled to Paul Goldschmidt at first base who made a diving catch. Goldschmidt lobbed the ball to the pitcher with just enough arch that Angel was able to slide into first and beat out the tag.
In the top of the fourth, Travis Bazzana made a great sliding catch to end the inning.
The Guards bullpen did their best to hold it down, all things considering. Colin Holderman walked a batter in his inning of work. Tim Herrin gave up a run in his second inning of work, a solo shot to Jazz Chisolm Jr. He fell to 0-2 on the season, recording the loss. The home run was the only hit he allowed. Matt Festa finished the eighth inning, allowing only one other hit. Shawn Armstrong closed the game, keeping the Yankees at bay, but the damage was already done
This team is going through a funk that seems like it could be easily fixed with a couple of pieces or strategic moves. Tonight they left 13 runners on base and were 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. While the hot start to this season is providing the buffer they need for these sorts of slumps, something needs to improve soon or the White Sox will be taking ahold of first place in the AL Central before we know it.
