The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder’s matchup in the 2026 Western Conference Finals is destined to go down as an all-timer. Game 1 was a double-overtime instant classic that saw the Spurs take control with an incredible performance from Victor Wembanyama, including a logo three-pointer to tie the game from Steph Curry range. How can Game 2 live up to its predecessor? Well, San Antonio guard Stephon Castle did his best by dropping one of the best dunks you will ever seen in the NBA Playoffs.
During the second quarter, Castle took a kickout pass from Wembanyama and attacked the paint with force. He sized up Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein and ripped a vicious tomahawk slam on his head. Poster dunks don’t get any better than this. Watch the play here:
Castle doesn’t have a reliable jump shot, he’s battled turnover problems throughout his career (with 11 in Game 1), and his handle can be shaky. It doesn’t matter because he plays with so much damn force on both ends of the floor, and he put it all on display with this dunk.
Wembanyama isn’t the only young stud on the Spurs. Castle is a great young player, and he’s proving it in this series.
“That’s always difficult, watching it on the bench,” Hart said after Wednesday’s practice. “Obviously, I want to be out there. I want to help my guys win, but at the end of the day, for me, I don’t have an ego to it. I approach this game with extreme humility.
“I’m here to serve these guys … [to] make sure they’re in the best position to be successful. I put the success of the team over the success of myself any day.”
Hart’s enthusiasm was evident as he stood alongside his teammates on the sideline, celebrating each of Shamet’s 3-pointers that allowed the Knicks to claim the historic victory.
Mike Brown had little choice but to emphasize shooting and spacing after Hart badly missed multiple 3-pointers (1-for-5) — and posted a team-worst minus-23 rating — while Cleveland left him open on the perimeter.
Josh Hart takes a jump shot during Knicks practice on May 20, 2026 ahead of a Game 2 matchup vs. the Cavaliers. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Shamet made each of his three 3-pointers, finishing with a team-best plus-20 rating. Hart, who shot a career-best 41.3 percent of 3-pointers this season, has only gone 26.7 percent in the playoffs, and anticipates the Cavaliers again daring him to beat them from deep.
“For them, this is the same game plan that put them up [22]. … So they’re probably gonna do the exact same thing,” Hart said. “I’m gonna shoot the exact same shots. I’m gonna shoot it with confidence, play my game.
Josh Hart talks with reporters during a Knicks practice on May 20, 2026 ahead of their Game 2 matchup against the Cavaliers at the Garden. Robert Sabo for New York Post
“I shot good shots. I just didn’t make them … I’m gonna continue to shoot. I’m working incredibly hard on my shots.”
Hart was back at it during Wednesday’s practice, taking numerous corner 3-pointers in the brief window open to the media.
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At one point, he hit eight straight. Six touched nothing but net. The other two barely nudged iron before falling through.
Game 2 will be different from a day at the driving range, but Brown expects Hart’s impact to be felt again, just as Mikal Bridges’ benching in the first round led to him becoming one of the most impactful players in the postseason.
“When you are in the position that Josh was in or Mikal was in in the Atlanta series … they sacrificed their minutes willingly and they were great about it while keeping themselves ready,” Brown said. “Mikal was fantastic … and I don’t see anything different from Josh going forward.”
SAN DIEGO — Playing both ways in the same game for the first time in almost a month, Shohei Ohtani needed just one pitch to notch his latest bit of MLB history.
After being held out of the Dodgers’ lineup in each of his past three pitching appearances, the two-way star was back in as the Dodgers’ designated and leadoff hitter Wednesday night at Petco Park.
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani watches his leadoff home run in the first inning Wednesday against the host Padres. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
That meant, toeing the rubber for the first time, he came up to the plate to begin the game.
On the first pitch he saw, he hit a home run of unprecedented proportions.
In Game 4 of last year’s National League Championship Series, Ohtani became the first pitcher to hit a leadoff home run in an MLB game — marking the start of what became an iconic three-homer, 10-strikeout performance.
By doing so again Wednesday, Ohtani recorded the first leadoff homer by a pitcher in regular-season MLB history.
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Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers against the host Padres on Wednesday night. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Not that there has ever been much competition for such a distinction, of course. In MLB’s modern era, according to league researcher Sarah Langs, only three other pitchers have ever occupied the leadoff spot in a batting order.
Starting pitchers to bat leadoff since 1900:
Shohei Ohtani 27x reg, 4x post 9/22/68 Cesar Tovar (played all 9 positions) 9/27/53 Al Dark (moved to 3B after the 1st, only career game pitched) 9/30/1901 Jim Jones (1 of 2 career pitching app)
And lately, he has started looking like himself once again at the plate.
While Wednesday’s blast, which came on an elevated fastball from Padres right-hander Randy Vásquez, was only his eighth of the season (far off the 50-plus homer pace he has set the past two seasons), it marked his 13th hit and seventh extra-base knock in his last seven games offensively.
Before that stretch, Ohtani had been mired in a monthlong slump in which he batted only .200.
It was part of the reason the Dodgers had limited him to three consecutive pitching starts without hitting.
He made sure to make a statement in his return to two-way duties Wednesday.
DETROIT, MI - MAY 20: Matt Vierling #8 of the Detroit Tigers hits a sacrifice fly ball to drive-in Kevin McGonigle (not in the image) against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning at Comerica Park on May 20, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hey, we’re back, still playing the Guardians. Let’s just roll right into the recap. The Tigers had a bullpen day going because they have no healthy pitchers left to use, so the starter was Drew Anderson, while the Guardians were leaning on Tanner Bibee. While Bibee hasn’t had a bad season, he also hasn’t recorded a win, so perhaps that bodes well for the Tigers? Guess we’ll see.
With two outs in the first, rookie Chase DeLauter got a single, but the Guardians left him stranded. The Tigers didn’t put much into getting an early lead, however, as they went 1-2-3 in the home half.
Steven Kwan got a two-out single in the second, so he’s been on base every game of this series so far. A pop-out from the Guardians’ newly acquired catcher Patrick Bailey ended the inning, though. The Tigers had another three-up, three-down inning to leave the game scoreless after two.
Anderson continued into the third inning and finally got the Guardians out in order. The Tigers finally got a baserunner in the third with a two-out single from Jake Rogers, and while he didn’t score, at least they got someone going.
Drew Anderson was totally dialled in by the fourth, getting the side out 1-2-3 again, and actually looking very good while doing it. The Tigers unfortunately did the same in the bottom of the inning.
David Fry took a leadoff walk in the fifth. Then, with two outs, Brayan Rocchio walked as well, and that was it for Anderson, who had a really decent start, going 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K on 63 pitches. He was replaced by Kyle Finnegan who got the final out of the inning. In the home half, the Tigers went down in order. Not really the best approach if you want to win a single game ever.
With one out in the sixth, DeLauter singled for the second time in the game. He then stole second with ease, his first steal in the majors. Rhys Hoskins singled down the third base line, and while Gage Workman got the ball across the infield in good time, it was well wide of first, forcing Colt Keith off the bag and allowing Hoskins to reach safely. After the second out of the inning, Finnegan’s night was done and he was replaced by Brant Hurter, taking on a pinch-hitting Travis Bazzana. Hurter got the final out of the inning and the game was still scoreless. In the home half Hao-Yu Lee singled, but tried to leg out a double and got caught at second. Two outs ended the inning without any real potential for a run.
Kwan walked to start the seventh, but was eliminated in a double play off the bat of Bailey. Another out ended the inning without any major threat. Kevin McGonigle got a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning, then with one out, Riley Greene singled to put men on the corners. A sac fly from Matt Vierling did the impossible: finally scored a run in this game. They just got the one, but that feels impressive enough in this game.
Kenley Jansen was on for the Tigers in the eighth. With two outs, DeLauter walked. Kyle Manzardo then came in to pinch-hit. DeLauter stole second, but Jansen was tuned in and got the final out of the inning, keeping the Guardians scoreless. In the bottom of the eighth Zach McKinstry singled. Lee then reached on a fielder’s choice, which should have eliminated McKinstry, but thanks to an error by Bazzana, both runners found themselves safely on base. McKinstry ended up getting eliminated anyway as Jake Rogers showed bunt, McKinstry had a big lead off second, and then didn’t make it back in time when Bibee made the pickoff. Bibee got the next two outs as well, so the Tigers would need to defend their slim lead in the ninth.
Will Vest got the nod for the ninth. Daniel Schneeman and Travis Bazzana hit back-to-back singles to start the inning, which is an inauspicious start. A sac bunt by Kwan advanced the runners. A groundout by Bailey was placed just right to allow Schneeman to score, and just like that it was a tie game. While Vest did end up getting the final out of the inning, the Tigers were going to need to come up with a last-minute miracle to walk off the game as winners.
Bibee’s day was finally done and he was replaced by Erik Sabrowski. He gave up back-to-back walks to McGonigle and Dingler. Greene struck out, and that was it for Sabrowski who was replaced by Colin Holderman. The Tigers just couldn’t make it happen, even with two runners on, and the game was heading for extras.
Tyler Holton was the Tigers’ man for the moment in the tenth. The game didn’t stay tied for long. Angel Martinez tripled, scoring the ghost runner, then right on his heels, Jose Ramirez doubled to score Martinez. DeLauter then reached on a fielder’s choice that saw Ramirez tagged out at third. The Tigers did get the final two outs of the inning but the situation was pretty bad, let’s be honest. Cade Smith came out for the Guardians and he gave up a leadoff single to McKinstry, who scored the ghost runner, and suddenly it was a one-run game again. While the Tigers were able to make it close, it wasn’t enough, and they dropped the third game in the series. If you want any positives from this game, at least Tanner Bibee still has no wins.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 20: Dominic Smith of the Atlanta Braves hits a three run home run during the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on May 20, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Thanks to another big night at the plate (including huge hits from Dominic Smith and Austin Riley) for Atlanta’s lineup and a dominant outing from Chris Sale, the Atlanta Braves were able to take firm control of the series against the Miami Marlins as they sauntered to a comfortable 9-1 victory.
In the preview for this one, I expressed a tiny bit of concern at the fact that the Braves had not given Chris Sale a ton of run support over his previous two starts. All of that concern was washed away like the waves on South Beach nearby as Atlanta absolutely tagged Janson Junk in this one. I did mention that there was a possibility that the Braves were catching Junk at a good time and as it turned out, Atlanta was indeed able to extend Junk’s misery.
The Marlins actually did go ahead first in this one with a sacrifice fly from Heriberto Hernández plating Xavier Edwards but that ended up being as good as it got for Miami as the Braves eventually responded at the first time of asking. Once the second inning rolled around, Austin Riley came up to the plate with two on and one out and he got a curveball that he liked from Junk that was right in the zone and begging to be crushed. Riley didn’t miss it and hit it onto the grassy batters’ eye in center field for a big three-run shot that put the Braves ahead by two.
The Marlins nearly responded in their half of the second inning after Leo Jiménez got a hold of a four-seamer and sent it flying. Had Jiménez hit it a bit harder, it may have gone for a dinger. Instead, Michael harris II was eventually able to get under it and make a spectacular jumping catch in order to prevent it from finding the grass — either in the outfield or past the fence.
From that point forward, Chris Sale got into the ol’ rocking chair and the Marlins couldn’t do much to him after that. Sale ended up going seven innings and to tell you how things ended up going for Sale in this one, he left the game having retired 10 straight batters. The line for Sale finished at seven innings pitched with one run allowed on four hits while striking out eight batters. This was vintage Chris Sale.
While Sale was cruising, the Braves delivered the finishing blow to both Junk and Miami’s chances of realistically making a comeback in this one. The sixth inning proved to be eventful as Atlanta came out swinging against Junk and didn’t let up until they had run him from the game. The first five batters of the sixth inning all reached base, which included Ronald Acuña Jr. going from first-to-third on a seeing eye single from Michael Harris II, Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies both delivering back-to-back RBI singles and then Dominic Smith capping off the rally by winning a 12-pitch battle in emphatic fashion.
Once again, the curveball got Junk in trouble and Smith was able take it and drive it clear over the fence in right-center for a three-run dagger.
Although reliever Tyler Phillips retired the side in order following the rally, the damage had been done and the Braves were seven runs clear of the Miami at this point in the contest. From the big Dominic Smith moment onwards, it was only a matter of either adding on or simply making sure that the Marlins didn’t come any closer. They were able to add on in the eighth inning thanks to another big knock from Dominic Smith. This time, he didn’t have to hit it over the fence in order to take a round trip across the basepaths.
Smith got another hanging curveball (this time from Phillips) and drove it out towards right-center field. While trying to field the fly ball, Esteury Ruiz and Owen Caissie collided (with Caissie getting the worst of it after he took Ruiz’s elbow to the face). Dominic Smith made it into third base pretty easily but ended up getting to hustle all the way home after after Ruiz’s throw from right field went awry. Just like that, Dominic Smith had himself a little league homer and the laugher continued for the Braves.
After Victor Mederos pitched a scoreless inning for the Braves, Miami waved the white flag by sending third baseman Javier Sanoja out there to soft toss. Sanoja pitched a scoreless inning but that was the tiniest amount of solace for the Marlins in this one as Mederos closed it out for Atlanta and the Braves ended up winning in dominant fashion.
I mentioned in the series preview that the Braves should’ve been going into this series thinking about a split being the bare minimum. Even though it’s a bit of a cliché to say that the road team should always be satisfied with a spilt of a four-game series on the road, the Braves definitely should’ve had their sights set a bit higher. They’ll now have an opportunity to go for that series win tomorrow evening as we’ll have a big-name pitching matchup with Spencer Strider going pitch-for-pitch against Sandy Alcantara starting at 6:40 p.m. ET.
May 20, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Zach Thornton (49) pitches in his major league debut against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The Mets continued the youth movement tonight, giving another young player their major league debut. However, the highest scoring team in baseball continued to score a lot of runs and the Mets’ bullpen couldn’t keep the club in the game. The Nationals beat the Mets 8-4, and while there were some valiant attempts at comebacks—mostly from Juan Soto—the Mets looked flat for the second straight game.
Zach Thornton made his big league debut tonight, and the 24-year old was greeted rudely in his first inning of work. After retiring the first batter of the game, Curtis Mead singled to right-field. Andrés Chaparro drew a walk that featured at least one challenge-able call that the Mets didn’t pull the trigger on, which made sense with one out in the first inning. However, CJ Abrams turned on flat cutter and all of a sudden it was 3-0 Nationals.
The Mets began to claw back in the top of the second when Mark Vientos led off the inning with a double against Nats’ starter Zack Littell. Vientos would eventually score on a Brett Baty single, but the Washington lead returned to three when Keibert Ruiz singled in Nasim Nuñez who had walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a bad throw from Hayden Senger.
The Mets would add their second run of the day on a towering Juan Soto home run that hit off the facade in right field to make it 4-2. From there, Thornton settled in, having perfect third and fourth innings, but was pulled with one out in the fifth after Ruiz doubled to left field. Austin Warren was first out of the ‘pen and, assisted by Carson Benge’s fantastic arm, was able to get through to inning when Benge threw a one-hopper from right field to nail Ruiz at the plate.
Warren, who has been fantastic for the Mets, had a less than effective sixth inning, allowing back to back singles by Abrams and Dylan Crews, followed by a Daylen Lile sac fly, and the three-run lead was back. Jacob Young would double, pushing Crews to third, and that would do it for Warren. Craig Kimbrel was up next, and a successful sacrifice bunt scored Crews and it was 6-2 Washington.
Andrew Alvarez pitched multiple innings of relief for the Nats, and looked strong until the eighth, when Bo Bichette singled with two outs, and scored when Soto hit his second 400+ ft. home run to bring the Nats’ lead to just two. But after that home run, Alvarez settled down, looking impressive in his long relief role.
Kimbrel got the first seven batters he faced out, making his performance tonight officially the longest of his career. It came apart in the bottom of the eight when Kimbrel allowed a double to Lile and then a two-run shot to Young, putting Washington up 8-4.
The Mets sent up a trio of righties to attempt to get something going in the ninth, but Alvarez collected a four-inning save by striking out pinch hitters Nick Morabito, Tyrone Taylor, and inducing a line-out from starting second baseman Marcus Semien to end the game.
The Mets close out the series tomorrow in a matinee where David Peterson will pitch against Cade Cavalli and the team will attempt to split the series.
Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +9.0% WPA Big Mets loser: Zach Thorton, -23.0% WPA Mets pitchers: -31.0% WPA Mets hitters: -19.0% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto’s first home run of the game, 7.7$ WPA Teh sux0rest play: CJ Abrams’s three-run dinger, -21.1% WPA
The Mets found themselves in an early hole and didn't have enough offense on Wednesday night, falling 8-4 to the Washington Nationals.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Zach Thornton had a rough start to his MLB debut, letting up a three-run home run to CJ Abrams on a cutter he left over the middle. The left-hander was able to settle down and get the next two outs, including his first career strikeout.
A walk by Thornton and a throwing error by Hayden Senger gave the Nats a runner on third with one away, as Keibert Ruiz took advantage with a single to push the lead to 4-1. Thornton got some help from Carson Benge on a catch against the wall to rob extra bases from James Wood and then recorded his second strikeout on his 58th pitch of the night. Luckily, the 24-year-old got in a groove and tossed two straight 1-2-3 innings in the third and fourth, retiring eight straight.
Thornton's debut came to an end in the fifth inning after giving up a double to Ruiz and getting Wood to fly out. The lefty, who's Joe DeMayo's No. 13 overall prospect in the Mets’ system, allowed four runs on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk over 4.1 IP (80 pitches).
-- Mark Vientos got the offense going in the second inning with a leadoff double that took a funny bounce down the left field line. He advanced to third on a flyout and then scored on Brett Baty's single to right field, cutting Washington's lead to 3-1. A.J. Ewing recorded the team's third hit of the inning to make it a first-and-third situation for Sengerwith two outs, but the backup catcher went down swinging against Zack Littell to end the scoring chance.
-- After coming close to a home run in the first inning, Juan Soto made sure he got enough of it in the top of the third inning. The solo homer, his second of the series and eighth of the year, smacked off the deck in right field and made it a 4-2 game.
Soto stayed hot and launched a two-run blast in the eighth inning to right field, cutting the Nationals' lead to 6-4. It's his 29th career multi-home run game.
-- Benge made another great defensive play in the bottom of the fifth, throwing out Ruiz at home to keep another run off of Thornton's line. The perfect throw was Benge's first career outfield assist.
-- Austin Warren replaced Thornton on the mound and got through the fifth, but allowed two runs in the sixth inning. Craig Kimbrel had to come in to get the final two outs of the sixth as the Mets trailed, 6-2. He stayed through the eighth inning, retiring seven straight before things unraveled with a two-run homer to Jacob Young, making it an 8-4 game. It was the longest outing of Kimbrel's career at 2.2 IP and 32 pitches.
Game MVP: CJ Abrams
Abrams' three-run HR set the tone for Washington and put him in a four-way tie for the NL lead in RBI with 42.
SEATTLE, WA - MAY 20: Jhonny Pereda #5 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates after hitting a home run in the seventh inning during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Connor Jalbert/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Jhonny Pereda picked off the go-ahead run then slugged the go-ahead homer to will the Mariners to a much-needed 5-4 win on Wednesday.
With the game tied 2-2 in the sixth, Chase Meidroth picked up a one-out single off Cooper Criswell. Tristan Peters followed with what looked like an RBI double, but the ball got lodged in the wall down the first base line, keeping runners at second and third. It’d been a frustrating game for the Mariners to that point, with the lineup struggling to string hits together once again. It wasn’t an ideal showing after Tuesday night’s excruciating, hard-feelings loss, of which there have been many in recent weeks. With the White Sox threatening to take the lead on a couple weak, seeing-eye hits, the wheels seemed ready to come right off the bus.
Then Drew Romo squared to bunt on the first pitch he saw. It was well outside, prompting him to pull the bat back. Meidroth either took too big of a lead at third or was expecting a safety squeeze — either way, he was well off the bag. After receiving the pitch, Pereda noticed Meidroth in no man’s land and fired to third. A pickle ensued, and Pereda eventually tagged Meidroth out a few feet from home. It was Pereda’s fifth caught stealing on eight attempts with the Mariners this year, in just his sixth game with the team.
Pereda was focused on simply getting the batter out and it was all reaction from there, he said after the game.
“I saw him take two steps forward, and I took my chance,” he said.
With the game still tied at 2-2, Pereda stepped to the plate to leadoff the seventh. Again, the Mariners offense to this point had been frustrating. Cole Young leadoff the game with a walk, and was promptly thrown out trying to steal second. Young later picked up a double in the third inning but was stranded. The Mariners even loaded the bases in the fifth with nobody out, only to go down quickly without a run. It was that kind of day for the first six innings.
To be fair, they had scratched across a couple runs. In the second, Randy Arozarena leadoff with a hit by pitch, stole second, and scored on a double from Dominic Canzone. In the fourth, Arozarena leadoff with a walk and later scored on a double from Patrick Wisdom. But two runs and a bunch of stranded runners proved not quite enough as the White Sox clawed their way back, eventually evening the score.
Back to Pereda: He stepped to the plate to leadoff the bottom of the seventh. Sean Newcomb threw a first-pitch fastball up and in, and Pereda fouled it back. Newcomb returned with a big, slow slurve that hung over the plate, and Pereda saw his chance. He turned on the pitch and slugged it 106.7 mph on a line, zipping it just over the wall in left.
It was Pereda’s first homer in the majors at 30 years old. The ball is already authenticated, labeled, and displayed in a glass box on the shelf in his locker. He said after the game he wasn’t trying to do much and stay in his approach, wanting to get the ball in the air to the pull side every time up.
“And then it happened,” he said. He could tell off the bat. “That was so special. As soon as I hit the ball I was like, ‘Oh my god, my first homer.’ I couldn’t believe it.”
It seemed to start something for the Mariners. Julio Rodríguez followed with a double, ripping a hard liner down the left field line. That brought Arozarena to the plate, who got every bit of a hanging sweeper from Jordan Hicks, blasting it 105.1 mph out to left-center and extending the lead to 5-2. In some ways, this was The Randy Arozarena Game, but he’s had a plenty of those in 2026, now with a 150 wRC+ on the year (top 20 in the majors).
Of course, the Mariners refused to make this one easy. Eduard Bazardo pitched the eighth and allowed back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with one out. Peters then hit a double-play ball to Young at second, who flipped to Emerson at the bag, who made a low-ish throw to first. The ball ticked off Josh Naylor’s glove and squirted back toward the dugout, allowing a runner to score.
It was that kind of day for the Mariners in the field, too. Emerson Hancock got the start and was sharp as ever in the first inning. But things got dicey in the second. He completely lost the zone and issued three straight walks to load the bases with nobody out. Hancock bounced back, however, getting Peters to punch out, before getting Romo to ground into a double play.
That was the extent of Hancock’s command issues for the day, though he did eventually give up some runs. The White Sox got a run in the third on a pair of singles. They got another in the fifth on a trio of singles. Hancock’s final line was five innings, five hits, three walks, two runs, and four strikeouts on 10 whiffs. It wasn’t his best start, but most of the bad parts came and went in the second.
José Ferrer took the mound with a 5-3 lead in ninth, assuming the closer role while Andrés Muñoz got a day off following Tuesday night’s snafu. The first pitch he threw was a sinker up and out of the zone to pinch hitter Randal Grichuk, who poked it out to right field to make the game 5-4. Things were dicey once again.
And then, they weren’t. Strikeout. Strikeout. Strikeout. Ferrer set down the next three in order to finish off a series victory.
Greeting him on the mound and taking part in the infield’s victory dance was Pereda. It’s been a long time coming for the journeyman backup catcher. Pereda signed with the Cubs at 17 and started in Rookie Ball way back in 2013. He bounced around the minors from level to level, organization to organization, before finally making his big league debut in 2024 with the Marlins. But even then, he struggled to find any sort of regular playing time, with just 118 plate appearances in the majors when he signed with the Mariners in January.
As Zach Mason noted in our 40 in 40 series, “if we see him in Seattle at any point this year, there’s a good chance something has gone horribly wrong.” And yeah, that’s essentially why Pereda is here. Cal Raleigh was placed on the injured list last week with a side injury, and Pereda joined the team as a backup to Mitch Garver.
For Pereda, though, it doesn’t matter why he’s here now, only that he is. How does it feel to play in the majors?
“Perfect. Beautiful. It took me a long time to get here so I have to enjoy every moment.”
Still, it can be a tough transition for even a veteran newcomer to the bigs. The Mariners have helped ease the way for Pereda by encouraging him to be himself and just have fun. That’s simply who he is, bringing a joyous personality to the club — one reminiscent of former Mariner and countryman Eugenio Suárez.
“I like to play that way, I like having fun, I like to be joking around during the game. So that meant a lot for me, because, like I said, it took me a long time to get here, so I gotta enjoy it. That’s why I always have fun during the game.”
And as Kate Preusser noted when talking with Pereda after the game, he and Suárez might even share a motto.
“I assume they’re not gonna get mad if I do that (play with energy and have fun). I’m going to do it all the time, because that way I can do my 100%.”
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 22: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers soaked with water during celebration after the game against the Boston Celtics on October 22, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
No surprise here, the Sixers’ rookie is getting recognized for his stellar inaugural season as a pro.
Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe has been named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, the league announced on Wednesday night. The other First Team rookies for this season are Cedric Coward (Memphis), Cooper Flagg (Dallas), Dylan Harper (Spurs) and Kon Knueppel (Hornets).
The last Sixer to make the All-Rookie First Team was Ben Simmons, way back in 2017-18.
Just about a year ago, Edgecombe was selected third overall in the 2025 Draft by the Sixers, and he’s been showing off the capabilities and personality of a star ever since — of course, starting with his 34-point career debut against the Boston Celtics to open the season. Sure, he didn’t end up doing quite that every single game, but there’s very few rookies that showed more league-ready promise than Edgecombe did on a consistent basis, even in some big moments. In 75 games as a rookie, the 20-year-old averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Not only that, but he proved that he’s already ready to be relied upon by his teammates in the clutch, with Edgecombe posting a number of incredibly-timed, massive buckets (and performances overall) throughout his first campaign in the NBA.
All 100 votes for VJ Edgecombe were to the All-Rookie First Team. 0 Second-Team votes.
The only other players with the same vote distribution were Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel. https://t.co/rFDfWjnlJP
Though a distant third to Rookie of the Year-winner Flagg and runner-up Knueppel, Edgecombe was the clear-cut selection by voters for third place in that race. Edgecombe actually joined Flagg and Knueppel in receiving all First-Team nods from the 100 voters surveyed for the All-Rookie selection. Certainly not bad company to be in the mix with, and a display of how highly Edgecombe’s play is being regarded, even outside of the Sixers-specific orbit.
Seeing the players that made the First-Team alongside Edgecombe down throughout the Second-Team — and even some that didn’t make the cut for either — really makes you appreciate the talent that has already been shown by the 2025 draft class. And it’s only the beginning for this crew, with a number of guys on the list having not even hit their 21st birthdays yet.
Edgecombe is one of them. So, let’s hope this rookie season was a sign of many more brilliant things to come for the Sixers’ boy from Bimini.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 19: Head coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks reacts during the third quarter of a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026 in New York City. 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. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mike Brown of the New York Knicks and Kenny Atkinson of the Cleveland Cavaliers are facing off in the Eastern Conference Finals in a showdown of former Golden State Warriors assistant coaches. Game 1 went to Brown’s Knicks thanks to lessons he learned facing James Harden in the playoffs with the Warriors.
Mike Brown:
“When I was in GS and we played Houston, we counted James Harden’s dribbles. We told our guys he's dribbling close to 1000 times a game. Keep picking him up full court and making him dribble. At the end of the game, it would wear him down.” pic.twitter.com/FU7aIbA6Fj
— Mark Jackson’s Burner (@casualtakeking) May 20, 2026
After the Knicks made an improbable comeback from 22 points down to win Game 1 in overtime, 115-104, Brown credited the approach the Warriors took when battling Harden in the 2018 and 2019 playoffs.
“We played Houston in the playoffs. We counted Harden’s dribbles,” Brown told reporters after the win. “He’s dribbling 1,000 times a game. [Kevin Durant] was at 300 or right below, so keep picking him up at full speed. Because at the end of series, at the end of games, it’ll wear him down.”
Brown did acknowledge that the strategy may have only given his players a “psychological advantage,” but the approach did play a big part in Tuesday’s Knicks comeback. Jalen Brunson started forcing switches to get matched on Harden and went on to shoot 7-for-9 with 15 points in the 4th quarter, while Harden shot 1-for-6 and missed his only attempt in overtime.
Meanwhile, Atkinson coached more like former Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, playing Harden the entirety of the 4th quarter and OT and keeping Donovan Mitchell in for the final 17 minutes of the game.
He also took Steve Kerr’s frequent “no timeout” approach to the end of games to an extreme. Kerr does it to get looks against a defense that doesn’t get a chance to set up, which worked when Harden hit a turnaround jumper with 31 seconds to play. However, Kerr doesn’t hoard timeouts for no reason! Atkinson waited until the Knicks had gone on a 16-1 run before calling a timeout in the fourth, waited out a 9-0 run before using a timeout in overtime, and ended regulation with two timeouts in his pocket.
Here’s some other elements Brown may have taken away from the Warriors.
Unnecessary help defense
The Knicks defended corner threes like the Warriors have for the last few seasons. Cleveland built their big lead thanks to the Knicks over-helping and leaving players like Sam Merrill and Max Strus wide-open behind the arc.
Going small
You know who would have loved the guard-heavy lineups the Knicks went to during their epic comeback? Steve Kerr, baby! Five different guards saw the floor in the fourth quarter. Three of them were 6-foot-2 or shorter. And Landry Shamet, who sank two threes in the comeback, has hair that’s almost as crazy as Brandin Podziemski!
Running the offense through a front court player who commits a lot of turnovers
The Knicks confounded the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers by using Karl-Anthony Towns as a passer, running their offense through the big man. In Game 1, that led to Towns committing seven turnovers, though unlike a certain Warriors big man, he did grab 13 rebounds.
Leaning on a guard whose father played in the NBA to bail you out
When in doubt, give the ball to Jalen Brunson or Steph Curry in crunch time and you’ll look like a genius.
Beat the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Warriors went 8-1 in the playoffs against the Cavs while Brown was on the bench. Now’s 9-1 against his old team. That’ll teach Cleveland to fire him twice!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 04: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on May 04, 2026 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The weather may not be bright, but the Yankees’ spirits are probably a little brighter after taking the first two games of this series against Toronto. They haven’t been pretty, but after the abysmal road trip New York suffered, back-to-back wins could be just the thing to jumpstart them back into high gear, and they could further that momentum with their ace on the mound tonight.
Cam Schlittler takes the mound having tossed another stellar game in his last outing, pitching 6.2 innings of two-hit ball against the Mets on Friday. The 25-year-old has collected four starts already this season where he’s limited opposing offenses to two hits or less, and in the process owns MLB’s best ERA with a 1.35 mark in 60 innings. Any way you slice it, Schlittler has been one of if not the best pitcher in the league thus far, and he’ll look to continue that trajectory with his first chance at revenge for last year’s ALDS.
His opponent on the night is Trey Yesavage, a fellow phenom who needs little introduction after he devastated the Yankees’ lineup in Game 2 of their postseason clash en route to a World Series run that he played a big part in pushing to seven games. Yesavage had just three regular season starts on his resume prior to that trial by fire, and his first full season got off to a delayed start after a shoulder injury put him on the IL to begin the year, but he was activated in late April and has been on a tear ever since. Yesavage has gotten four starts in 2026 and done well to limit the damage in all of them, pitching to a 1.40 ERA in 14 innings. He hasn’t flashed the big swing and miss potential that he capitalized on against the Yankees and Dodgers in that postseason, however, collecting six K’s in each of his last three starts as a season-high.
The Yankees will shift Ben Rice up to the leadoff position against the 22-year-old righty and give him a half-day as the DH, with Paul Goldschmidt entering the lineup in the five-hole after the core of Judge, Bellinger, and Chisholm Jr. Trent Grisham slides down to the sixth spot in center, and Austin Wells will get his second straight start behind the plate as Ryan McMahon and Anthony Volpe continue to man the left side of the infield and command the bottom of the lineup.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY
First pitch: 7:10pm ET 9:10pm ET (post-rain delay)
TV broadcast/Streaming: Amazon Prime Video, SN1, MLB Network
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280, SN590 THE FAN
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 18: Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 18, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Spurs won’t have a third consecutive Rookie of the Year, as the Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg claimed that honor, but that doesn’t mean Dylan Harper’s excellent play will go unrecognized. The second overall pick of the 2025 draft got a spot in the All-Rookie First Team, the league announced.
Harper received 93 first-place votes and seven second-place votes, trailing only Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and VJ Edgecombe, who all got 100 first-place votes. Rounding up the top five is Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward. Out of the five, Harper is the only one to come off the bench for most of the season. He also played the fewest minutes per game, but his impact was undeniable, and his spot was deserved.
Had Harper landed on a non-contender, he would have likely had better numbers and potentially been a Rookie of the Year finalist, at the very least. In San Antonio, he was asked to provide bench scoring while sharing the ball with an All-Star veteran like De’Aaron Fox and the 2024 Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle. Harper was impressive in his role and has shown his tremendous potential with standout performances both in the regular season and now in the playoffs. The 2025 class looks like a strong one, but Harper still has a chance to be the best player to come out of it as he grows into a bigger role and rounds out his game.
The second team features New Orleans’ Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, Sacramento’s Maxime Raynaud, Utah’s Ace Bailey, and Toronto’s Collin Murray-Boyles.
The Spurs’ other first-rounder in 2025, Carter Bryant, was among the other players receiving votes, but his three second-place selections didn’t get him close to a spot on an All-Rookie team. Like Harper, Bryant would have probably received more minutes in a rebuilding team, but has been brought along slowly in San Antonio, showing flashes of potential and elite athleticism at the wing.
Harper averaged 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 50 percent from the floor and an encouraging 34 percent from three on 22.6 minutes a game during the regular season.
In addition to getting just one hit in 11 at-bats — plus six strikeouts — in the Chicago Cubs' three-game series against the NL Central-rival Milwaukee Brewers, Crow-Armstrong made a defensive blunder during Wednesday night's game that led to a "Little League home run" by the Brewers' David Hamilton.
In the top of the second inning at Wrigley Field, the Brewers' Sal Frelick and Joey Ortiz were on base when Hamilton came to the plate against Cubs starter Edward Cabrera. Hamilton hit a line drive to center field, where Crow-Armstrong whiffed on collecting the ball for the fielding error. It was a costly blunder by Crow-Armstrong. The speedy Hamilton was off to the races around the bases and scored sliding head first into home plate to give Milwaukee an early 3-0 lead.
Hamilton, who hasn't gone yard yet this season, is still looking for his first official home run of 2026. He was credited with a single on the play, which helped the Brewers win, 5-0.
Hamilton was acquired by the Brewers in the offseason in a trade with the Boston Red Sox in which third baseman Caleb Durbin was the headliner. The Brewers' winning pitcher on May 20, left-hander Kyle Harrison, also was part of that six-player trade. Harrison improved to 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA after striking out 11 and allowed just two hits over seven innings of work.
Brewers move into first in NL Central after sweep of Cubs
The Brewers swept the Cubs in the first series of the season between the two expected NL Central contenders. That vaulted Milwaukee atop the NL Central, with a game and a half lead over the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals in the standings.
The Brewers host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series at American Family Field on May 22-24. The reeling Cubs, meanwhile, host the Houston Astros over Memorial Day weekend.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 16: Brent Rooker #25 of the Athletics hits a three run home run during the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Sutter Health Park on May 16, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After briefly falling below .500 the A’s got back to the even mark yesterday evening when they beat the Angels in the second game of this four-game series. They remain a half-game over the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West so a win tonight sure would feel good in order to remain atop the division all alone. Time to put two together and make this the start of an extended winning streak.
One of the A’s better pitchers will be taking the ball for them tonight. Right-hander Aaron Civale has been tabbed to make it two straight for the Athletics as he’ll be getting the ball for the 10th time this year. The 30-year-old has continued to be a revelation for the A’s as he’s leading the starting staff with a 2.70 ERA in his first season in the Green & Gold and he’ll try to lower than number even more with a strong performance against a division rival tonight. In five career starts against the Halos Civale owns a 4.28 ERA so he’ll be hoping for better results now that he’s in a new uniform.
Here’s the A’s starting nine for the game tonight:
New leadoff man tonight as Carlos Cortes draws the start in right field in place of Lawrence Butler. Other than that it’s the rest of the starters tonight with everyone in the batting order moving down a spot. That means Langeliers in the 2-hole, Kurtz batting third with Rooker hitting cleanup. Sodey behind him, followed by the hot-hitting Zack Gelof at third, McNeil at the keystone, Bolte back in center field, and Hernaiz handling shortstop.
Meanwhile the Angels have righty Jack Kochanowicz getting the start for them this evening. The third-year starter got hit hard in his first appearance this season before settling into a groove. He’s recently fallen out of said groove as he’s allowed six runs in each of his previous two outings. Can the A’s take advantage of a struggling pitcher and make it three straight with six runs allowed?
And the Angels’ starting nine courtesy of old friend and current Halos manager Kurt Suzuki:
Los Angeles Angels Lineup 1. Zach Neto (SS) 2. Mike Trout (CF) 3. Nolan Schanuel (1B) 4. Jorge Soler (DH) 5. Vaughn Grissom (3B) 6. Jo Adell (RF) 7. Oswald Peraza (2B) 8. Logan O'Hoppe (C) 9. Josh Lowe (LF)#Angels#MLBhttps://t.co/6cc8yXYAlj
Save for a bit of shuffling it’s mostly the same batters from last night except in left field, where former Ranger Josh Lowe will replace Jose Siri tonight. Can Civale handle the lineup and keep them off the board tonight?
After a successful April the A’s have lost four of their five series this month. If they lose tonight they’ll guarantee at best a split and put themselves in a big situation tomorrow for the series finale. Let’s avoid that scenario, shall we? Let’s go A’s!
Brandon Clarke's fiancée made her first public statements since the NBA player's passing.
Amber Suchomel, who goes by Amber Hana Lorraine on social media, published an Instagram post on Sunday, May 17 expressing her grief at losing Clarke, according to multiple outlets. Suchomel has since made her Instagram profile private.
"There are no words to describe this feeling,” Suchomel said, as People reported. “I never thought I’d have to live life without you. I’m not really sure how to do this without you by my side. You were the most special person, with the biggest heart. You made an impact on so many people, but most of all me. I have never felt so loved and cared for, you made me feel like the most special girl in the world.”
Suchomel went on to praise the Memphis Grizzlies forward, who died on May 11, for being "so impressive" in "everything you were passionate about," including his seven-year basketball career and his venture as a music artist.
The Sun adds that Suchomel posted an Instagram gallery of several photos of her and Clarke, including when he proposed to her and a note of when he asked her to be his girlfriend.
“All I want is to hug you and kiss you and to hold you in my arms. I don’t know how to process that you aren’t here anymore. I love you always Brandon, forever and always," she continued. "Please keep watching over me, I need you.”
When the news of Clarke's death broke, tributes poured in from across the NBA, including from commissioner Adam Silver and Clarke's Grizzlies teammate Ja Morant, who said the 29-year-old was "gone way too soon."
