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The Short Porch is loving the World Cup and baseball vibes in Boston

The world’s biggest sporting event is underway across the continent and the sports vibes are elite. We’ve already seen some classic World Cup upsets with Spain unable to score against Cabo Verde. We saw a thriller between Netherlands and Japan that ended 2-2. But I think my favorite thing that has happened in the World Cup so far was visible at the only ballpark in the country that rivals Wrigley Field as Scottish fans descended on Fenway Park over the weekend creating an environment at a Rangers vs. Red Sox game in June that rivaled the postseason and reminded me of my experience at the World Baseball Classic in March.

The Red Sox made one of the best marketing decisions any baseball team has made in years when they decided to offer a Scotland kit Red Sox giveaway while the Scots were playing in Boston. The Scots might have shown up at Fenway Park anyway, but this ensured they would. And boy, did they ever show up:

Not only did they show up, they were ready to party. With all due respect to the midwest and tailgate culture, Boston isn’t exactly a slouch when it comes to drinking culture. Boston bars indicated they were well-stocked, having ordered three times the inventory they normally anticipate for St. Patrick’s Day. The Scots drank the the bars dry:

Noelle Somers, chief operating officer at Hennessy’s Bar in central Boston, highlighted the scale of the phenomenon, stating that trade following the Scotland v Haiti match had tripled that of St Patrick’s Day.

She told the Boston Globe: “We’ve been here for over 30 years and we’ve never seen anything like it.”

The bar ran out of beer on Sunday night before being restocked on Monday morning. Another delivery is due on Thursday, ahead of the Scotland vs Morocco match on Friday evening.

Brewing company Sam Adams has also seen its Boston taproom running dry over the weekend as demand for its Boston lager was four times higher than during a holiday period.

The result was an incredible night at Fenway Park, and everyone understood the assignment. The Red Sox organist researched Scottish chants and songs before the game. Yes, you absolutely need to see the results:

The full stadium sing-a-long is an unrivaled experience, and filling up a baseball park with soccer fans turns out to be the perfect storm for a lot of full stadium sing-a-longs. I’m talking about more than “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” A couple of seasons ago when the Cubs looked like they might almost make it to the playoffs, but were flirting with elimination late in the season the DJ at Wrigley Field started playing Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” late in games. Every now and again everyone would sing along. It was great. Fenway already has “Sweet Caroline” in the eighth inning, but on Sunday night they also had this:

The Scots were pretty clearly cheering for the home team, but the atmosphere was so electric, even the Rangers were appreciative of it:

Baseball needs more of this. I hope other host cities have giveaways planned to include their guests at the ballpark in similar ways during the World Cup. If they don’t already, they would be well-served to do it immediately. I can’t imagine there’s a Scot alive who won’t be a Red Sox fan for life after all of that.

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GameThread: Detroit Tigers vs. Houston Astros, 2:10 p.m.

Jun 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Hao-Yu Lee (50) bats during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Detroit Tigers (30-43) vs. Houston Astros (34-41)

Time/Place: 2:10 p.m., Daikin Park
SB Nation Site: The Crawfish Boxes
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Casey Mize (2-3, 2.27 ERA) vs. RHP Peter Lambert (5-4, 3.47 ERA)

Lineups

TIGERSASTROS
Kevin McGonigle – SSJeremy Pena – SS
Dillon Dingler – DHYordan Alvarez – DH
Riley Greene – LFChristian Walker – 1B
Spencer Torkelson – 1BIsaac Paredes – 3B
Kerry Carpenter – RFJose Altuve – 2B
Colt Keith – 3BCam Smith – RF
Matt Vierling – CFJoey Loperfido – LF
Hao-Yu Lee – 2BJake Meyers – CF
Jake Rogers – CChristian Vazquez – C

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Red Sox News & Links: Finally some good injury updates on Roman Anthony, Garrett Crochet?

Boston, MA - June 14: Boston Red Sox outfielder Anthony Roman. The Boston Red Sox played the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park on June 14, 2026. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images

This Red Sox season has been an exercise in one-step-forward-two-steps-back. And that rubric doesn’t just apply to the game-to-game results, but to the injuries as well. How many times have we gone from “minor injury, hopes to avoid the IL,” to “recovery progressing, hopes to begin rehab assignment soon,” to “RIP, gone but not forgotten”? Roman Anthony has already gone through that cycle, but we may have gotten good news recently. Anthony underwent yet another MRI this week — but this one was apparently one of the good MRIs, performed just to check in on how things are going. ““Everything looked good, healing properly,” Chad Tracy said. Of course we still don’t have any timeline on his return, but hey, we’ll take what we can get. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

We also got some promising news on Garrett Crochet, which came with a bit more specifics. He’s been cleared to start some “light throwing of weighted plyometric balls, which, y’know, aren’t the kind of balls they use in MLB, but they’re better than no balls at all. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

Unfortunately, we may have reached the point where it’s too late for Anthony and Crochet to save the season. And if that’s the case, we can blame the Sox’ performance against the rest of the AL East. “The Sox have a horrendous 6-15 mark against divisional opponents – the second-worst record by any AL team within its own division. (Only the Tigers, with a 6-16 mark against the AL Central, had an inferior mark.)” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

The primary reason why the season may already be over is, of course, the Sox’ terrible offense. With so many individual hitters struggling, we’re starting to see something interesting at Fenway Park: private hitting instructors who do not work for the team. While the optics of this aren’t great, it’s not necessarily something novel. “At this level, players have had a lot of coaches throughout their careers. When they get to this level, there’s a lot of people who have helped them have success,” says Sox interim hitting coach John Soteropulos. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

And with the season slipping away, it’s no surprise that the Red Sox are involved in so much trade speculation. ESPN ranked the top-25 trade candidates for the upcoming deadline and included 4 Sox players on the list, led by Aroldis Chapman at number 8. (Kiley McDaniel, Jeff Passan, ESPN)

But despite all the trade chatter — and the, uh, standings — CBO Craig Breslow isn’t yet prepared to surrender the ship. Yesterday he appeared on the NESN pregame show and said he was “absolutely not” giving up on the season yet. “Right now, given we’ve got six weeks or so before the deadline, our focus is on doing everything we can to give ourselves a chance to win the game each night.” (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)

But while Breslow is probably prudent to wait for as long as he can before going into sell-mode, the fact that the only noise at Fenway is being made by traveling Scottish fans in town for the Wold Cup tells you all you need to know about the direction of this season. (Justin Turpin, WEEI)

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Blue Jays vs Red Sox Prediction, Odds & Home Run Pick for Today's MLB Game

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Boston Red Sox starter Jake Bennett draws a tough matchup tonight against the Toronto Blue Jays lineup that profiles extremely well against his pitch mix, making his Over 2.5 earned runs my favorite play of the night.

Find out more in my Blue Jays vs. Red Sox predictions and MLB picks for Wednesday, June 17. 

Blue Jays vs Red Sox predictions

Blue Jays vs Red Sox best bet: Jake Bennett Over 2.5 earned runs (-120)

Jake Bennett owns a 5.28 ERA through three starts and has struggled to miss barrels, allowing hard contact at a 42.3% clip.

That sets up poorly against a Toronto Blue Jays lineup that has handled his primary mix of four-seamers, sinkers, and changeups well this season — batting .269 with a .420 slugging percentage against that mix.

The matchup points to another difficult outing for Bennett. I'd play Over 2.5 earned runs allowed down to -130.

Covers COVERS INTEL:Toronto owns a 114 wRC+ against Bennett’s pitch mix since June 1.

Blue Jays vs Red Sox same-game parlay (SGP)

The batter who profiles best against Bennett is Kazuma Okamoto, who owns a .324 average and a .622 slug-rate against Bennett’s pitch mix.

Since I anticipate a busy day on the base paths for Blue Jays batters, I’ll take Over 0.5 RBI for Okamoto. He’s eclipsed this total in four of his last five games.

Davis Schneider is red hot at the plate with four hits in his last three games since being recalled, including back-to-back games with a home run.

Additionally, he profiles well against Bennett, with a high barrel rate and a solid batting average against the sinker and changeup, two of his most-used pitches.

Blue Jays vs Red Sox SGP

  • Jake Bennett Over 2.5 earned runs
  • Kazuma Okamoto Over 0.5 RBI
  • Davis Schneider Over 0.5 hits
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Get the best Jays ML odds at BET99 — every game.

Blue Jays vs Red Sox home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+425)

As mentioned, Okamoto profiles extremely well against Bennett, owning a 57.7% hard-hit rate against his primary pitch mix.

The Boston rookie doesn't generate much swing-and-miss, which should allow Okamoto plenty of opportunities to put the ball in play with authority.

There is some risk here, however. Bennett generates plenty of topped contact and ground balls, which can suppress home-run production. That's why I'm limiting this to a half-unit wager despite the strong matchup.

2026 Transparency record
  • Best bets: 34-36, +3.05 units
  • SGPs: 13-57, +2.35 units
  • HR picks: 11-59, +0.9 units

Blue Jays vs Red Sox odds

  • Moneyline: Toronto +110 | Boston -130
  • Run line: Toronto +1.5 (-175) | Boston -1.5 (+150)
  • Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-115) | Under 9.5 (-105)

Blue Jays vs Red Sox trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the game total Over in 11 of their last 16 games (+5.60 Units / 32% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Red Sox.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Red Sox and game info

LocationFenway Park, Boston, MA
DateWednesday, 6-17-2026
First pitch6:45 p.m. ET
TVSportsnet 1, NESN
Blue Jays starting pitcherMax Scherzer
(1-4, 10.23 ERA)
Red Sox starting pitcherJake Bennett
(1-2, 5.28 ERA)

Blue Jays vs Red Sox latest injuries

Blue Jays vs Red Sox weather

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Braves vs. Giants Game 1 restart: Chat and Discussion

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 16: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves rounds third base after hitting a home run during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Truist Park on June 16, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images

On the last episode of Dragon Ball: Braves, the Atlanta Braves made a curious decision to start a baseball game in the middle of a downpour. In their efforts to predict the weather, the weather proved to be, in fact, unpredictable. While they were treated to Drake Baldwin hitting the longest home run in Major League Baseball so far this season, it cost them Michael Harris II’s back acting up on him again and three runs given up by Grant Holmes while he admirably tried to pitch through the atrocious conditions.

With the rain being unrelenting, the teams were forced to stop play. Despite an admirable effort from the grounds crew at Truist Park, the rain had done its job and the field was deemed unplayable for the night. So now here we are, just a few hours later and it’s time to pick up where we left off in the bottom of the second inning with Atlanta down 3-2 to San Francisco.

Will the Braves take this as an opportunity to pull off yet another come-from-behind victory? Will the Giants and their beleaguered bullpen be able to hold the Braves at bay? Can Atlanta’s bullpen succeed in dry conditions when Grant Holmes faltered in a downpour? We’re about to find out!

UPDATE [1:56 p.m ET]: James Karinchak is reportedly going to be on the mound once it’s Atlanta’s turn to pitch in the top of the third. The GIants are going with Robbie Ray.

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Este Haim reveals details about ‘magical’ Knicks Game 4 with Taylor Swift

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows (L-R) Alana Haim, Taylor Swift, and Este Haim react in the first quarter during Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026. , Image 2 shows (L-R) Alana Haim, Este Haim, Taylor Swift, AND mariska Hargitay react in the first quarter during Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026. , Image 3 shows A woman with long blonde hair and a dark jacket speaks into the camera, with a Netflix logo and
Singer Este Haim said she, sister Alana Haim and Taylor Swift were surprised by the mass attention that their matching blue and orange shirts received at Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 10.

Singer Este Haim said she, sister Alana Haim and Taylor Swift were surprised by the mass attention their matching blue and orange shirts received at Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 10.

During a Tuesday interview with Variety, Este shared the behind the scenes of their “magical” night on Celebrity Row at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks pulled off the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history over the Spurs in Game 4.

“I mean I think it surprised all of us,” Haim told Variety while at the Los Angeles premiere of “Voicemails for Isabelle” on Netflix on Tuesday. “I just went into being like were going to go to a basketball game and have fun, thats literally it.

“Taylor invited me and Alana. I’ve never sat courtside ever, so it was a magical experience.

“I’ve never heard the Garden be that loud in my life. It was amazing. I had the best time.”

The Haim sisters and Swift sported blue shirts with Knicks-coded puns on the front in orange.

Swift’s shirt said “Stevie Knicks,” which was a nod to the legendary singer, who she’s been friends with for some time.

(L-R) Alana Haim, Taylor Swift and Este Haim react in the first quarter during Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
(L-R) Alana Haim, Este Haim, Taylor Swift, and Mariska Hargitay react in the first quarter during Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Este’s shirt, “Knickole Kidman,” was a reference to actress Nicole Kidman.

Alana donned a shirt with “Knickelback,” a twist on Canadian rock back, Nickelback.

They were courtside with actress “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay — a close friend of Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson — who also donned a “Stevie Knicks” shirt.

Taylor Swift and Este Haim celebrate after Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks on June 10, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NBAE via Getty Images

Swift, Este and Alana were seen jumping up and down in the back hallways of MSG with the Knicks’ Seventh Ave Squad — the team’s entertainment team — after the Knicks rallied from a 29-point hole in the third quarter to beat the Spurs 107-106.

Swift, who owns multiple properties in New York City, and her fiancé, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will tie the knot at MSG on July 3.

The couple reportedly paid nearly $3 million to rent out the world’s most famous arena for three days.

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Knicks’ Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Breen to emcee City Hall championship ceremony

From left: Jalen Brunson, Mike Breen and Rick Brunson talk after the Knicks' NBA championship win on June 13, 2026.
From left: Jalen Brunson, Mike Breen and Rick Brunson talk after the Knicks' NBA championship win on June 13, 2026.

The voice of the Knicks will be the voice of their championship commemoration.

Mike Breen, the Hall of Fame broadcaster, will emcee Thursday’s ceremony at City Hall, The Post has learned.

Breen, 65, will also be part of the parade down the Canyon of Heroes after calling play-by-play for Knicks either on the radio or TV since 1991.

From left: Jalen Brunson, Mike Breen and Rick Brunson talk after the Knicks’ NBA championship win on June 13, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images

For his national gig on ESPN, Breen called the title-sealing Game 5 in San Antonio.

“It’s over! It’s over! Knick fans, this is not a dream!” Breen said as the clock ticked down on the Knicks’ 94-90 win, a victory that gave them their first title since 1973. “Your long, long wait is ended. Go ahead and cry: after 53 years, the Knicks are finally NBA Champions once again!”

Breen, who grew up a Knicks fan as a Yonkers product and Fordham alumn, understood the moment before it happened.

“I do know what it would mean to the city and to the fans of the city,” he said during a pre-Finals conference call. “It might be one of the great moments in the history of New York sports if they win because of what the fan base has gone through and how loyal they’ve been to the team.”

The parade is set to kick off at 10 a.m. at Battery Park. It travels down Broadway and ends at City Hall, where Breen will take the microphone.

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Game Discussion for St. Louis Cardinals vs San Diego Padres Wednesday

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 30: Kyle Leahy #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium on May 30, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The St. Louis Cardinals wrap up their short homestand vs the San Diego Padres Wednesday afternoon. Kyle Leahy will start for the Cardinals while the Padres will send Bradgley Rodriguez to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15pm at Busch Stadium.

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Flyers Get Best Possible News As Owners of Maple Leafs First-Round Pick

Owning the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2027 first-round pick, the Philadelphia Flyers could not have asked for better news to start their Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday, the Maple Leafs announced that they had hired former Los Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller as their new head coach, marking a stark departure from more accomplished candidates such as Peter Laviolette, Patrick Roy, and even Jay Woodcroft.

This comes on the heels of even stranger hiring, where John Chayka took over the Maple Leafs as general manager after being out of the NHL for years.

Hiller, 57, has three years of head coaching experience at the NHL level, guiding the Kings to a 93-58-24 overall record under his watch and going just 3-8 in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Hiller was dismissed by the Kings 59 games into the 2025-26 season, when the Kings were struggling to a paltry 24-21-14 record.

The only full season Hiller coached at the helm of the Kings was the 2024-25 season, when the team went 48-25-9, thanks in large part to their 203 goals against, which ranked second in the NHL.

Those Kings were also just 14th in the NHL in goals for (249), and without the elite goaltending he got from Darcy Kuemper, Hiller's head coaching resume looks wholly unimpressive.

Flyers Trade Acquisition from Maple Leafs Could Play Even Bigger Role: 'Why Not?'Flyers Trade Acquisition from Maple Leafs Could Play Even Bigger Role: 'Why Not?'The Philadelphia Flyers swung a big trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and one of their new additions could play an even bigger role than advertised.

The Flyers just pried Joseph Woll away from the Maple Leafs at the cost of Emil Andrae, Sam Ersson, and a third-round pick, which leaves Hiller and Toronto stuck with the injury-prone Anthony Stolarz and the unproven Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov.

Now, the Flyers were already in a good spot with the Maple Leafs' 2027 first-round pick, as Toronto had sold off veterans Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, and Nicolas Roy ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline.

A Maple Leafs team with a lower-tier head coach, gutted forward depth, and uninspiring goaltending doesn't look like it's on the path to some great success, and certainly leans closer to a rebuild than contention.

While we don't know which of the Flyers and Boston Bruins get the Maple Leafs' 2027 and 2028 first-round picks, assuming it lands in the top 10, there is a very real possibility that both of those draft choices end up being high selections.

And, we can reasonably assume that the Maple Leafs would not choose to give the Bruins the 2027 pick if it falls in the top 10, as they are a direct division rival, and a hated one at that.

The trade conditions benefit the Flyers in virtually every scenario, and if Hiller's hiring tells us anything, the Maple Leafs won't be seeing much success any time soon.

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Knicks legends Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing joining team for championship parade

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (l.) and legend Walt Frazier (r.) celebrate after the team's NBA championship win on June 13, 2026, Image 2 shows Karl-Anthony Towns (c.) and Patrick Ewing (r.) hold up the New York Post cover after winning the NBA championship on June 13, 2026

Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing will finally get their parade.

The Knicks’ biggest legends, among other team alumni, will travel down the Canyon of Heroes during Thursday morning’s championship parade in lower Manhattan, The Post has learned.

Frazier led the Knicks to two titles more than 50 years ago, but he and his teammates never partook in a parade. In 1970, the Knicks were honored with a ceremony at Gracie Mansion.

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (l.) and legend Walt Frazier (r.) celebrate after the team’s NBA championship win on June 13, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / NY Post

In 1973, roughly 2,000 fans joined them at a celebration at City Hall.

During this run that broke the franchise’s 53-year championship drought, the Knicks welcomed back several former players to games at Madison Square Garden, including Bill Bradley, Bernard King, Larry Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby, Jeremy Lin, among many others, including Ewing, John Starks and Allan Houston, who are each currently employed by the team.

Karl-Anthony Towns (c.) and Patrick Ewing (r.) hold up the New York Post cover after winning the NBA championship on June 13, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Ewing, who brought the Knicks within one win of a championship in 1994, will now be showered with confetti on Broadway, a quarter-century after that long-awaited moment seemed lost to history.

“It means everything to the city,” Ewing said after the Knicks clinched the championship in San Antonio. “It was a magical run, all the things they were able to accomplish.”

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Mike Dunleavy outlines Warriors' philosophy for second round of 2026 NBA Draft

Mike Dunleavy outlines Warriors' philosophy for second round of 2026 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With the 2026 NBA Draft approaching, there are many questions surrounding who the Warriors will take at No. 11 overall.

But what does Mike Dunleavy have in store for Golden State’s second-round pick, locked in at No. 54?

“I think the approach on the second round for us has been not to overthink it, you’re looking for a guy that can just make it,” Dunleavy told reporters during his Wednesday press conference at Chase Center regarding the upcoming draft. “You don’t worry about position, you don’t worry about size, you don’t worry about age, you’re picking, for example, late 50s, it’s hard to make it to the NBA that far back in the draft.”

The Warriors have found recent success in the second round, drafting players such as Gui Santos, Quinten Post and Will Richard.

“If there’s a guard that we think could make it and it’s just going to mean we have more guards, you just got to do it because the rest of the guys if you try and pick for position at that point you could go wrong,” Dunleavy told reporters. “So I think the focus is just, which guy has the best chance to make it, let’s get him in our program, develop him, get him to Santa Cruz a little bit and see where it goes.”

That development path is exactly what turned Santos, a No. 55 overall pick in 2022, into a real contributor. He spent his entire rookie season in the G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors, averaging 13.7 points per game over two seasons there before earning a consistent role in Golden State.

With Stephen Curry entering what could be one of his final seasons, every value pick matters more than usual for a Warriors roster trying to maximize what’s left of his prime — even one as far down as No. 54.

While the second round might not hold all the answers to the team’s recent struggles, Dunleavy’s philosophy suggests there could be a diamond in the rough waiting to join the Warriors in 2026.

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Knicks champs Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart bring NBA title celebration to Yankee Stadium

For the foreseeable future, the Knicks are New York's team. It's not surprising, then, that the Yankees want to get a piece of that action.

The ballclub announced Wednesday, June 17 that NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and teammate Josh Hart will throw out the first pitches at that night's game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium.

The ceremonial tosses will come a little more than 12 hours before the Knicks will be feted with a parade through Lower Manhattan's so-called "Canyon of Heroes," proceeding north on Broadway to City Hall.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson talks to Aaron Judge before a 2024 game at Yankee Stadium.

Brunson averaged 32.8 points during the Finals as the Knicks won 15 of their last 16 playoff games, losing only Game 3 against San Antonio at Madison Square Garden. Brunson has pulled off first pitch duty in the Bronx as recently as 2024.

Brunson, Hart and Mikal Bridges, famously, were teammates at Villanova during the late 2010s.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks champs Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart to throw out Yankees first pitch

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Former Blue Jackets Forward, Cleveland Monsters Captain Named Head Coach Of Vegas Golden Knights

Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward and Cleveland Monsters Captain Ryan Craig has been promoted by the Vegas Golden Knights to be their next head coach. He replaces John Tortorella, who just took the VGK to the Stanley Cup Final. It was announced on June 16 that Tortorella would not be back to coach Vegas. 

Craig has spent the last three seasons as head coach for the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights. Before that, he was an assistant coach for Vegas from 2017 to 2023. He was hired by Henderson just after the VGK won the Stanley Cup in 2023. 

Craig's Silver Knights missed the playoffs in two of his three seasons before winning a round in this year's Calder Cup Playoffs against San Jose. They then lost to Colorado in the Pacific semifinals. 

Ryan Craig actually captained multiple Columbus Blue Jackets affiliates. From 2012 to 2015, he was the Captain for the Springfield Falcons. When the Lake Erie Monsters became the AHL affiliate in 2015, he wore the "C" until his retirement in 2017. 

He played a total of 198 games in the NHL for the Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He played 8 games for Columbus and wasn't able to earn a point. 

The hire of Craig is completely out of character for a Vegas franchise that loves to take chances and swing for the fences. They fired Bruce Cassidy with only eight games left in the season and brought in John Tortorella for a new coach bump going into the playoffs. It worked, as Vegas would go on to lose in 6 games in the Cup Final to the Carolina Hurricanes. 

What will Craig be able to do with an always star-laden roster? How long will the Golden Knights keep him around? Stay tuned. 

Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.   

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San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 16: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres hits a two-RBI single against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium on June 16, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images

San Diego Padres (37-35) at St. Louis Cardinals (40-31), June 17, 2026, 11:15 a.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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MLB Expert Picks & Baseball Predictions June 17

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It's Wednesday, and you know what that means. MLB expert predictions!

Our MLB analysts have looked over the slate and are highlighting a couple of games, including what appears to be a mispriced Cleveland Guardians underdog play in Milwaukee.

Bolster your MLB picks on Wednesday, June 17, with this slate of selections.

  • UPDATE: Added a Cleveland Guardians ML pick from Jon Metler.

MLB expert picks for today

PickOdds
Josh Inglis Josh Inglis: PIT/A's: Over 10.5+108
Jon Metler Jon Metler: CLE ML+113
Joe Osborne Joe Osborne: TB/LAD: Under 7.5-122

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Josh Inglis' expert pick: Pirates vs A's - Over 10.5

Price: 48¢ (+108) at Polymarket

It was just last weekend that games in Sacramento were carrying totals as high as 14.5. Tonight, the Over 10.5 is paying plus money, even though the hitting conditions are once again ideal with double-digit winds blowing out to the home run alley in right-center field.

Last night's game produced another four home runs at Sutter Health Park, and there is plenty of reason to expect more offense today.

Pittsburgh Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft struggles to keep the ball on the ground (39% ground-ball rate), while Athletics starter Aaron Civale is coming off the IL and owns the eighth-worst ground-ball rate among MLB starters, along with the 28th-worst HR/9.

If the starters don't give up runs, the bullpens can help. This matchup features the fourth- and fifth-worst bullpens in baseball by ERA over the last two weeks.

  • Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
  • How to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, NBC Sports California

Jon Metler's expert pick: Guardians moneyline

Price: 47¢ (+113) at Polymarket

The Milwaukee Brewers are expected to roll out six left-handed hitters against Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams, but that apparent platoon advantage may be more illusion than reality. 

There's a reason lefties are hitting just .199 with a .666 OPS against Williams this season, and his skill set is particularly well-equipped to neutralize this lineup.

The key is Williams' four-seam fastball, which features exceptional riding life at the top of the strike zone. That pitch consistently gives left-handed hitters trouble, especially those looking to pull the ball with authority. Instead of driving it, they often get underneath the fastball, resulting in weak pop-ups and harmless fly balls.

At first glance, Milwaukee's left-handed-heavy lineup appears to be a favorable matchup against Williams. Dig a little deeper, though, and the numbers suggest otherwise. That's why I believe the Guardians should be priced more like a 53-cent favorite than a 47-cent underdog.

  • Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
  • How to watch: Guardians.TV, Brewers.TV

    Joe Osborne's expert pick: Rays vs Dodgers - Under 7.5

    Price: 55¢ (-122) at Polymarket

    Shohei Ohtani has been dominant at Dodger Stadium, allowing one earned run or fewer in all 12 of his regular-season home starts since joining the team.

    He has a minuscule 1.06 ERA on the season and faces a Tampa Bay Rays lineup that ranks 26th in OPS against right-handed pitching over the last two weeks.

    On the other side, Shane McClanahan has surrendered one earned run or fewer in six of his last nine starts and now faces a Los Angeles Dodgers lineup that's 28th in OPS versus lefties over the same two-week span.

    Add in the Rays going Under in seven of their last eight road games, and this profiles as a pitchers' duel.

    • Time: 3:10 p.m. ET
    • How to watch: Rays.TV, SportsNet LA

    More MLB best bets for today

    PickOdds
    Mets ML-135
    Read analysis in our Mets vs. Reds predictions
    Brewers ML-121
    Read analysis in our Guardians vs. Brewers predictions
    Rays ML+140
    Read analysis in our Rays vs. Dodgers predictions

    Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
    Not intended for use in MA.
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