PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers have laid off employees as new owner Tom Dundon cuts costs.
The exact number of employees who were let go was not made public, but they included staff in both the business and basketball operations.
"These changes impacted talented people who have helped shape the Trail Blazers over many years,” Dewayne Hankins, the Blazers' president of business operations said in a statement. "We are deeply grateful for their contributions, their leadership and the care they showed every day for our team, our fans and the Portland community.”
Dundon leads the group of investors who bought the NBA franchise from the estate of Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft who died in 2018. The NBA's Board of Governors approved the sale, worth a reported $4.25 billion, in April. Dundon also owns the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.
Blazers employees learned of the layoffs during a Tuesday morning video call. Among the employees impacted was digital reporter Casey Holdahl, who had been with the team for 18 years. He announced his fate on social media, thanking fans for engaging with his work.
The move comes as the new owners negotiate with both local and state officials over funding to renovate the Moda Center and secure a long-term lease that would keep the team in Portland.
The Oregon Legislature approved funds for the renovation of the Moda Center in early March. The measure gives the state joint ownership of the 30-year-old arena with the city, and provides a mechanism to secure $365 million for the building’s renovation ahead of the women’s NCAA Final Four in 2030.
The new owners group includes Dundon, Portland-based Sheel Tyle, the co-founder of investment firm Collective Global; Marc Zahr, co-president of Blue Owl Capital; the Cherng Family Trust, the investment firm of the co-founders of Panda Express; Stan Middleman of Freedom Mortgage who also owns a stake in the Philadelphia Phillies.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: The sneakers worn by Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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
May 20, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Ryan Vilade (26) reacts after escorting a run against the Baltimore Orioles in the eighth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Orioles were four outs away from staving off a sweep at the hands of the Rays and maybe fending off the feelings of impending doom around this team for a couple more days. They had a two-run lead, the tying run was only at the plate for the Rays, and then it all fell apart. The disaster was not averted. Almost before you could blink, the Rays had scored four runs to take a 5-3 lead, the Orioles were retired in order in the ninth inning, and the game was over, yet another stupid Orioles loss in the last two seasons.
As is generally the case in these affairs, there is a lot of blame to go around. That’s not to say that every player deserves blame equally. Several Orioles played well today, starting with Shane Baz collecting what could have been a fun Revenge Game in his first start against his former team, the Rays.
Baz has been one of the Orioles problems in 30% of his starts to date. That wasn’t the case on Wednesday afternoon, with Baz allowing one run on two hits and three walks over six innings. Sure, the fact that the lone run he gave up was the first career MLB home run hit by Rays catcher Hunter Feduccia in his 71st career game is an annoying thing. That homer, hit in the second inning, gave the Rays a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Overall, Baz was good. We would all feel better about the trade made for and extension given to him if he was regularly putting up games like this.
The Orioles quickly tied up the game in the third inning, with Pete Alonso driving in Taylor Ward with a two-out base hit. Neither Ward nor Alonso deserves too much of the blame today either. The walk machine, Ward, picked up two more. Alonso and Samuel Basallo each homered in the sixth inning to give the Orioles a 3-1 lead that, for a little while there, looked like it might hold up. Baz was on the way to leading the team to a nice win. The bullpen happened instead.
Specifically, Anthony Nunez happened. The Rays game-winning rally started off innocently enough, with the same pesky Feduccia from earlier in the game dropping a bunt to the third base side of the field. The defense was shifted away from that location, enough that even with a slow catcher bunting, he could beat out the attempt to field and throw to first base. Nunez retired the next two batters, Taylor Walls and Chandler Simpson, though Simpson stayed on base as he grounded into a forceout at second.
All he had to do was get the next guy. Problem: The guy was Junior Caminero, one of the better young players there is in the game right now. He is what we wish Jackson Holliday was and what we hope Basallo will continue to be. Nunez got to a 1-2 count, failed to entice Caminero to swing at two pitches way outside of the zone, then left a hanger in the middle that Caminero sliced into right field for a single.
Even still: There were two outs and all Nunez had to do was get the next guy. Problem: The guy was Jonathan Aranda, a classic Rays late bloomer who broke out at age 27 last year and is keeping an OPS over .800 this year. Nunez got two strikes on him too and then couldn’t put him away, with Aranda fishing out of the zone for what was actually not all that bad of a changeup. Aranda launched a line drive that hit the gap in right-center.
Substitute Orioles center fielder Colton Cowser had to run a long way to get it, and once he got there, he bobbled it not once, but twice, before picking it up and throwing it back in. Let’s be clear: Both runs were always going to score on this play, no matter what Cowser did with that baseball. The game was going to be tied. Cowser just made the act of the game going from a 3-1 lead to a 3-3 tie look even worse than it already was. And this was the defensive replacement!
Nunez walked the next guy before he got the hook. Rico Garcia was brought in to try to hold things steady. Folks, he failed. Blame who you like. Towson product Richie Palacios got a go-ahead hit off of Garcia, just the fifth hit he’s allowed all year.
As far as the game’s outcome was concerned, that fourth run sealed it. Nothing else needed to happen and the Orioles would have lost. What they really specialize in for 2026 is the way they kick you, specifically you the fan who dares to believe in them even after everything you’ve witnessed since about July 1, 2024, after things have already gone badly.
Here’s what I mean on Wednesday afternoon. After Palacios’s go-ahead hit, the Rays had men on first and third. During the next at-bat, Palacios took off for second base, drawing a throw from Adley Rutschman. After Rutschman threw the ball, the man on third, Ryan Vilade, raced home. Jackson Holliday, who pinch hit, played third base, and later second base, came in to cut off the throw and made a high throw home. Vilade stole home as Palacios safely stole second.
They can’t even get the little things right. If it was just the Nunez meltdown, whatever. Relievers have bad days. It is perhaps even more likely that a reliever will have a bad day if he’s maybe not good enough to be an MLB reliever. There is a reason that the Mets made Nunez one of three players the Orioles received for Cedric Mullins last July, and the reason is not that he was guaranteed to be a good late-inning reliever for six years to come. Nunez now has a 5.16 ERA, the latest of Mike Elias’s bright ideas to not look all that bright.
It’s not even about Nunez. The Orioles have to get stomped on in ways that it’s honestly kind of embarrassing for a major league team. This is “cat playing with its food” territory from the Rays. They knew they could do something crazy and the Orioles didn’t have the wherewithal to execute something basic and stop them.
The Orioles are now a season-worst eight games below .500 at 21-29. Quotes about how they all know that they have to do better are meaningless now. They have to actually do better, or else this thing will be over only a week later than last year’s season was over. It continues to feel like the players assembled should be better than this. They continue to not be better than this. No one who has influence over their actions has been able to prevent this.
We all get a day off from the Orioles on Thursday before they’re back in Baltimore on Friday to face the Tigers. Chris Bassitt is scheduled to pitch. Tough luck for anyone who spent their money and that’s what they get. Good luck for anyone who doesn’t subscribe to Apple TV: You can’t watch the game and get at least two days off from these jokers.
May 20, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) checks a runner against the Cincinnati Reds in the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Phillies and Reds played the rubber game of their series on Wednesday afternoon. The offense wasn’t great, but the main problem was that Aaron Nola and the bullpen simply couldn’t keep the Reds from scoring. The result was a 9-4 loss and the team’s first series loss under manager Don Mattingly.
The Phillies scored a first inning run thanks to Trea Turner walking, stealing a base, advancing on an error, and then going home on Bryce Harper’s sacrifice fly. It was a solid start and not at all representative of how the rest of the day would go.
Nola got the start for the Phillies and did Aaron Nola things. He had a clean first inning, but allowed a series of hits in the second. A double, single, and double and the game was tied.
Thanks to an RBI groundout and another single, the Reds were off to a 3-1 lead.
After Nola pitched out of trouble in the third, a leadoff triple by Blake Dunn and single by Higgins extended the lead to 4-1.
Nola pitched a clean fifth to end his afternoon. It wasn’t a disastrous outing, but it certainly wasn’t good either, and far too similar to most of his previous starts this year.
The bullpen didn’t fare much better. Back-to-back doubles in the sixth against Tim Mayza gave the Reds their fifth run.
The Phillies bats woke up at this point, and tried to make a game of it. Andrew Abbott kept the Phillies’ offense in check most of the day, but Alec Bohm chased him with a solo home run.
Going against reliever Brock Burke, Brandon Marsh singled, and Edmundo Sosa got the Phillies within one.
Mayza started the next inning, but after a single, Don Mattingly tried a mid-inning pitching change. Orion Kerkering was notoriously bad with inheriting runners in 2025, and he wasn’t good at it again on Wedneaday.
After giving up a single, he was on the verge of escaping unscathed, but an RBI double ended that dream.
The Phillies didn’t do much offensively after that, and it didn’t even matter that Jose Alvarado gave up a two-run home run in the ninth.
After an off day on Thursday, the Phillies will welcome the Guardians to town. Cristopher Sanchez will be on the mound, so there’s hope that the Phillies will be a little better at run prevention than they were on Wednesday.
The Carolina Hurricanes are set to kick off their Eastern Conference Final series against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. The Hurricanes will be looking to stay perfect this post-season by defeating the Habs in Game 1.
The Hurricanes have undoubtedly had an excellent start to the playoffs. After finishing this season at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, the Hurricanes swept both the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers this post-season.
Due to this, it is not surprising that they are viewed as the favorites heading into their series against the Canadiens.
ESPN certainly has high hopes for the Hurricanes heading into the Eastern Conference Final. This is because 21 out of 23 ESPN staff members have picked the Hurricanes to defeat the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final.
With the Hurricanes having an incredibly deep roster and having such a hot start to the playoffs, it is understandable that they are being viewed as favorites by ESPN right now. While this is the case, the Canadiens cannot be taken lightly, as they have knocked out two very good teams in the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres this post-season.
It will be interesting to see if the Hurricanes can knock out the Canadiens from here.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 10: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 10, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals made it abundantly clear that we are clearly in the Victor Wembanyama era in the NBA.
Few players have been as impressive at such a young age as he has been. To qualify it as just impressive, though, is underselling what he’s doing. Dominating a playoff game against the defending champions at just 22 years old is rarefied air.
One of the few players with a relatable trajectory that early in their career was Kobe Bryant. At the age of 22, Bryant was also dominating the playoffs, including a 48-point, 16-rebound performance to sweep the Kings in the second round before a 45-point, 10-rebound showing in Game 1 of the conference finals.
It makes sense, then, that Wemby and his team are interested in Kobe’s mindset at that age. On Wednesday, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN wrote a feature on Wemby, which included an anecdote about Wemby’s agent, Bouna Ndiaye, reaching out to Rob Pelinka, who was Kobe’s agent for the vast majority of his career.
Last April, he called Los Angeles Lakers general manager and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, who represented Kobe Bryant for much of his career, and scheduled a lunch.
The reason was simple.
“The way they think is different,” Ndiaye told ESPN. “The way they play, the way they stretch themselves. Just their curiosity. How they study and watch things. They’re both very creative on how to solve a problem.”
Wemby and those around him were looking for ways to improve physically without simply bulking up. To the surprise of no one, Pelinka was very willing to talk and shared plenty of stories about Kobe.
Ndiaye nodded along as Pelinka recounted these stories, both men delighting in the intellectual curiosity each of their star clients brought to their craft.
“I wanted to understand how Kobe did things,” Ndiaye told ESPN. “So that we could learn from him. Victor is not like anybody else. We have to be creative to build programs that are unique to him.”
If there’s any criticism about Pelinka divulging stories and wisdom to a conference rival, remember Kobe’s final tweet after watching LeBron James pass him on the all-time scoring list.
Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother 💪🏾 #33644
It’s awesome to see a young player ascending as Wemby is currently doing. Even if it comes with a tinge of fear that the Lakers will have to go through him to win a title, continuing to move the game forward remains the goal.
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The Yankees continue their four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays tonight, May 20.
Tonight’s game will air exclusively on Prime Video for anyone living in the Yankees’ TV market, including New York City.
The Yankees are currently leading the series 2-0; both wins so far have been by just one run. Ben Rice scored a two-run home run that put the Yankees ahead for good in the fifth inning of yesterday’s game.
blue jays vs. yankees: what to know
When: May 20, 7:05 p.m. ET
Where: Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York)
Channel: streaming exclusive
Streaming: Prime Video (try it free)
Here’s everything you need to know about streaming tonight’s Yankees game on Prime Video.
Blue Jays-Yankees start time
First pitch at the Blue-Jays vs. Yankees game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET tonight, May 20.
What channel is tonight’s Yankees game on?
Tonight’s (May 20) Yankees vs. Blue Jays game is exclusive to Prime Video in New York State, northern and central New Jersey, Connecticut, and northeast Pennsylvania.
How to watch the Blue Jays vs. Yankees game for free:
Subscribers in New York State, northern and central New Jersey, Connecticut, and northeast Pennsylvania can watch tonight’s New York Yankees game exclusively on Prime Video. The game won’t be airing on the YES Network, as it’s exclusive to Prime Video.
If you aren’t a Prime Video subscriber already, you can get started with a 30-day Amazon Prime free trial, including Prime perks like free two-day shipping, exclusive deals, and more. After the free trial, Amazon Prime costs $14.99/month or $139/year.
TRY PRIME VIDEO FOR FREE
All 18-24-year-olds, regardless of student status, can sign up for a discounted Prime for Young Adults membership as well. After a six-month free trial, you’ll pay 50% off the standard Prime monthly price of $14.99/month — just $7.49/month — for up to six years.
Blue Jays vs. Yankees starting pitchers
Trey Yesavage (1-1, 1.40 ERA) will start for the Blue Jays. Cam Schlittler (6-1, 1.35 ERA) will be on the mound for the Yankees.
When is the next Yankees game on Prime Video?
The Yankees will be on Prime Video again next Wednesday, May 27 at 7:40 p.m. ET when they face the Kansas City Royals.
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
The Vegas Golden Knights face the Colorado Avalanche, in the opener of the NHL’s Western Conference finals. The Golden Knights advanced to the West finals by beating the Anaheim Ducks in six games. The Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild in five games. The Avalanche are favored with a -193 moneyline compared to the Golden Knights' +160.
How to watch Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd and Lakers superstar Luka Doncic during the third quarter of a game at American Airlines Center on April 9, 2025, in Dallas. (Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
Jason Kidd signed a four-year, $40-million contract extension after the 2024 season, seemingly cementing him as the Dallas Mavericks head coach for the foreseeable future.
Instead, he was abruptly fired Tuesday, prompting Charles Barkley to exclaim live on the ESPN set, “Oh my goodness! Jason Kidd was just fired. Wow. That’s a shocker.”
Why? It seems that despite Kidd repeatedly asking everyone to “move forward,” his presence was a constant reminder of the Mavericks’ ill-fated trade of superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers in February 2025.
The executive who made the deal — Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison — was fired in November. For a long time it wasn’t clear whether Kidd was an advocate of the deal in which Dallas acquired oft-injured center Anthony Davis or a victim of a front-office blunder.
But Mark Cuban, the Mavericks’ former majority owner who currently owns 27% of the team, indicated March 31 on a podcast that Kidd was complicit in the deal.
“I think there was animosity between [Harrison] and some people on Luka’s team — his agent and some of the people around them,” Cuban said. “I don’t think they got along. I think there were issues.
“J-Kidd had coached Anthony Davis and was close to him, and Nico was close to AD since he was like 13 years old. So I think there was some confirmation bias as well. But that doesn’t justify our coach and our general manager to stand up and trade our best player.”
Boom. Cuban turning on the coach he had long supported was telling. Kidd spent 4 ½ years of his 19-year Hall of Fame playing career with Dallas, including helping the team win its only NBA title in 2011.
Kidd soon became a head coach, and after stints in Brooklyn and Milwaukee and two years as a Lakers assistant, Cuban hired the former point guard in 2021.
Under Kidd’s leadership, the Mavericks ascended to the NBA Finals in 2024. But then came the Doncic deal, the finger-pointing and a throaty rebuke by the team’s fans, mostly centered on Harrison.
Cuban linking Kidd to the trade caused the episode to bubble up again recently, much to the exasperation of the coach.
“When are we going to move on? We have to move forward,” Kidd told the Dallas Morning News. “We’re focused on the present and the future, and we’ve got an incredible opportunity to build.”
Someone else will do the building in Dallas under new team president Masai Ujiri. Cuban expressed mixed emotions about the firing in an email to Fox Sports.
“Obviously, I’m a J-Kidd fan,” Cuban wrote. “So I’m surprised and disappointed. But we have to give Masai a chance to see what happens.”
Kidd, considered one of the sharpest minds in the NBA, likely will catch on elsewhere. The Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers are shopping for a new head coach. The Magic courted Kidd five years ago before hiring Jamahl Mosley.
Kidd landed in Dallas instead and seemed in the driver’s seat for a long ride until the Doncic trade. Cuban’s comments were followed on Wednesday by a report from ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, who on the “Pat McAfee Show” reported that Kidd supported the decision to move Doncic.
“How involved was Jason Kidd? He wasn’t making the trade, but Mavericks sources do believe that he had a level of support for that trade,” Charania said.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 26: Payton Henry #79 of the New York Yankees works out before a spring training game against the Atlanta Braves at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 26, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders catcher Payton Henry has had this week circled on the schedule for a while.
For the first time this season, the RailRiders face the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They opened a six-game series Tuesday night at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pa., with a 15-4 victory. Henry played for Lehigh Valley last season. Now, he is on the other side of the intrastate rivalry.
“It’s going to be fun. I still have a lot of buddies over there,” Henry said. “Lot of the coaching staff is the same, lot of the players are the same, some guys I made some really good relationships with. It’s going to be fun. That park is a good park, they bring people there and people love showing up. I think it’s a really fun place to play whether you’re at home or visiting.
“It’s a great place, I appreciated my time with them. It’ll be fun. I know they’ve got a pretty good team and obviously we have a really good team. I think it will be a good time.”
Because of the New York Yankees’ rivalry with the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, people try to make it a big deal when the RailRiders play the Worcester Red Sox or Syracuse Mets. However, Lehigh Valley is the RailRiders’ true rival. They are separated by just 76 miles. The winner of the season series brings home the IronRail Trophy. Plus, from 1989 to 2006, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre was home to the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate in the form of the Red Barons.
“For this area, I know it’s a big deal when we play each other,” Henry said. “Being on the other side, this team whooped our butts last year a few times. We kind of went back and forth. Hopefully, we can take the cake (this year) and play some good ball. It’s exciting for people around here. It makes it kind of cool and gives us a little more edge to play with.”
Last season, Henry was a bit of a thorn for the RailRiders. He had 11 home runs and 47 RBI for the IronPigs, but five of those home runs and 15 RBI came against the RailRiders, including two home runs on Opening Day in a 5-4 Lehigh Valley win. He also is the last opponent to hit a grand slam against the RailRiders.
“Oh yeah, everybody’s talked to me about it,” Henry said. “I loved it last year. Now I’m the bad guy all of the sudden. Hopefully we can go over there and get some wins from them and do some good things against them, too. But I’ve been talked to about it a few times. It’s all in good fun.”
The Yankees are the fifth organization for which Henry has played. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round in 2016 (171st overall) out of Pleasant Grove High School in Utah. He’s also played in the minors for affiliates of the Miami Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Phillies. He does have 20 games of major league experience with the Marlins in 2021 and 2022. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 17, 2021, against the Pittsburgh Pirates and got his first hit in his second at-bat — a double off Wil Crowe leading off the bottom of the fifth.
Henry was signed as a free agent by the Yankees in December. In 27 games with the RailRiders this season, he is batting .265 (22-for-83) with four doubles, four home runs and 12 RBI. He and Ali Sánchez have split the catching duties, both sitting in the wings in case of a need at the big-league level should Austin Wells or J.C. Escarra miss time with an injury — especially because it sounds like the Yankees are playing it safe with Ben Rice’s sensational bat and keeping him away from catcher.
“Payton’s been doing an amazing job receiving, throwing,” RailRiders manager Shelley Duncan said. “He started off slow, but has been picking it up. He’s been a good presence at the plate.
“We’re very lucky here. We’ve got two catchers that are big-league catchers and it’s a privilege to watch them.”
Sharing time with another catcher is nothing new for Henry. He said he’s done it the last four years with other organizations and is comfortable with it.
“I think that’s how minor league baseball has gone, especially Triple-A. You’re going to split time with another guy and Ali’s awesome,” Henry said. “Obviously you want to play every day and be in the lineup every day. That’s just not how it works some times. But it’s been great here, I like it. The coaching staff have been super helpful, we’ve got a good group of guys. That ultimately takes the cake on everything. When you have good teammates and the clubhouse has good energy, it makes it easy to show up every day.”
Being with the RailRiders has enabled Henry to catch the Yankees’ top pitching prospects: No. 2 Elmer Rodriguez, No. 4 Carlos Lagrange and No. 21 Brendan Beck.
“They’ve done great so far. It’s electric stuff,” Henry said. “You’ve got Brendan who can pinpoint the ball wherever he wants. Carlos throws the ball a million miles per hour it seems like. Elmer’s just dicing people left and right. So it’s been really fun. Just kind of watching them grow, kind of being an older guy in this setting, watching them have their successes and have their failures and see the way they deal with it, they’re doing a really good job with it. I’m happy for them.”
Speaking of Beck, he was named the International League Pitcher of the Week for the period of May 11th-17th.
Beck was honored for his performance May 13th against the Syracuse Mets at PNC Field. The right-hander allowed one hit in 5.2 shutout innings with one walk and matched his season high with nine strikeouts in a 7-0 win. He threw 80 pitches, 58 for strikes.
In nine starts this season, Beck is 3-2 with a 4.63 ERA. He has walked only 10 and struck out 51 in 46.2 innings. He is tied for fifth in the International League in strikeouts.
He made his MLB debut with the Yankees on May 7th against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium. He came on after opener Paul Blackburn and pitched three innings, allowing two runs on two hits — one home run — with three walks and one strikeout. The Yankees won, 9-2.
“I was super happy for Brendan the way that he was able to go up and have a pretty good outing,” Henry said. “Anytime you see teammates succeed and go up and do their thing it’s really cool.”
The last RailRiders pitcher to win the IL’s weekly award was Erick Leal last season for the period of July 29-August 3rd.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to even the Western Conference finals in Game 2 against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs won the opener 122-115 in double overtime on Monday. The loss was the defending champion Thunder’s first of the 2026 NBA playoffs.
How to Watch San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma City Thunder
Moneyline: Oklahoma City Thunder -247 (68.2%) / San Antonio Spurs +201 (31.8%)
Over/Under: 216.5
Series schedule, results
Game 1:Spurs 122, Thunder 115 (2OT) Game 2: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Wednesday May 20, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) Game 3: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (Friday May 22, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) Game 4: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (Sunday May 24, 8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) Game 5: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Tuesday May 26, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)* Game 6: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (Thursday May 28, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)* Game 7: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Saturday May 30, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)*
Andy Pages knew he had to get his timing right. Down 0-2 in the count against San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller and his MLB-best 53.6% strikeout rate, with the go-ahead run 90 feet away in the top of the ninth inning, he knew he had no choice but to be ready for Miller's stuff.
But as he fouled off pitch after pitch, Pages felt his confidence grow.
"I just followed my plan," he told reporters in Spanish. "I fell behind early ... but fouling off those good pitches he was throwing me, I realized that I was 100% going to move the ball forward."
Then, on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, after fouling off the last three in a row from Miller, Pages did exactly that. The 25-year-old slugger connected on a 101.5 mph heater at chest level and sent it looping into right field, just deep enough for Alex Call to tag up from third and narrowly beat the throw at home from Fernando Tatis Jr. to put the Los Angeles Dodgers in position for the 5-4 win — and a half-game lead in the National League West.
"I think that was one of the greatest at-bats I've ever seen in person, and I've been playing a long time," Freddie Freeman told reporters. "That at-bat was incredible. To hit 95 is hard, to hit 100 is even harder. To hit 102, is probably the hardest thing to do."
Just putting a 101.5 mph pitch in play off of Miller — who to that point had only allowed a run scored on pitches above 101 mph 13 times in his big league career — was noteworthy. But the way it happened speaks volumes of the strides Pages has made at the plate.
He fouled off six total pitches, and the last three before his sac fly went as follows: he pulled a 101.4 mph fastball up in the zone to right. Miller then mixed up his velo with an 87 mph slider on the upper inside corner of the plate that Pages popped back into the stands behind home plate. Miller followed that up with another slider, this time at the knees. Pages fouled that one off, too, and shook his head as he stepped back into the box.
"There were pitches that you could see I was late on, but there were also ones that I could've done a lot damage on," he told reporters. "They simply ended up foul, but there were pitches that if I could've pushed them forward, I would've done a little more damage."
Pages' clutch swing ended up being the difference as the Dodgers went on to avenge their 1-0 loss in San Diego the night prior and even up the series. They'll have a chance to create some breathing room in the standings on Wednesday with Shohei Ohtani on the mound and in the lineup for the rubber match.
May 20, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Jonny DeLuca (21) makes a diving catch against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
On Wednesday afternoon, their last game at home before heading out on the road, the Rays were hoping to continue to widen their lead in the AL East by sweeping the Orioles in their three-game series. To get there, they had Steven Matz on the mound, up against Shane Baz for the Orioles, and if you had to do a double-take on that name, same, because I sometimes forget players aren’t still with us, no matter how long it has been.
Gunnar Henderson got things going for the O’s in the top of the first with a one-out single, followed by a walk to Adley Rutschman. With two on, Matz worked out of the jam and got the final two outs. In the home half, Jonathan Aranda walked, and then, thanks to an ABS challege in the Rays’ favor, Ryan Vilade walked as well. They were both left stranded, though.
The Orioles went 1-2-3 in the top of the second. And just when it looked like the Rays might do the same, Hunter Feduccia got a two-out home run, his first homer in the majors. Taylor Walls walked, but the Rays would need to settle for just the one run.
With one out in the third, Taylor Ward walked thanks to an ABS challenge. Henderson then singled. With two outs, Pete Alonso singled, bringing Ward home and tying up the game. The Rays got the final out of the inning on a night Jonny DeLuca catch that might have just been an excuse to show off his incredible hair.
Junior Caminero started the home half of the third with a single, but Aranda grounded into a double play. They weren’t able to make anything else happen for the inning.
The Orioles went 1-2-3 again in the top of the fourth, and the Rays returned the favor in the bottom of the inning.
Matz was done after four with a final line of 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K on 67 pitches. With Matz just returning from the IL it makes sense that they don’t want to overwork him. He was replaced by Jesse Scholtens. The O’s managed a two-out single by Henderson, but it was all they managed to get. The Rays went 1-2-3 in the home half.
Pete Alonso broke the tie game in the top of the sixth with a solo home run. Then, with one out and to almost the exact same place in the park, Samuel Basallo hit a solo homer of his own. Jeremiah Jackson singled, but the Rays got out of the danger zone, keeping the lead from getting any bigger. Still, they were going to need to dig themselves out of a hole if they wanted to come away with the win. They didn’t do themselves any favors in the home half, going three-up, three-down.
Ward got a leadoff walk in the seventh, then with one out he advanced to second on a balk, but despite the runner in scoring position, the Orioles weren’t able to make anything happen. Baz was done, being replaced by Tyler Wells, so if you’re keeping track with have a Taylor Walls, a Taylor Ward, and now a Tyler Wells in this game. He got the Rays out in order.
In the top of the eighth, Basallo and Colton Cowser got back-to-back singles with one out in the inning. The Rays did get themselves out of another jam, though, but they were running out of chances to stage a comeback. Anthony Nunez was the new Orioles pitcher in the eighth. Feduccia got a leadoff… bunt? Yup, a little soft bunt down the third base line got him safely to first, so who am I to question it? Highlight of the inning was the O’s challenging a ball call and hearing the home plate umpire with a hot mic go “Oh geez” when he realized it was actually a strike. With one out, Chandler Simpson grounded into a force out to eliminate Feduccia. Caminero fought out a good at-bat and finally got a well-placed single into right to advance Simpson to third and putting the go-ahead run at the plate. Aranda went right into hero mode, hitting a line drive to center that was deep enough to allow both baserunners to score and tying the game up again 3-3.
Vilade walked, and that was it for the pitcher. Rico Garcia was next out of the pen. Richie Palacios then came in, singled to right, and Aranda ran so hard his helmet could not contain his hair. The Rays had the lead. Then the vibes kept things rolling as Palacios stole second and Vilade stole home. A lineout ended the inning but the Rays were now up 5-3.
Ian Seymour came in for the ninth, now just needing to keep the score in check, and he did just that. The Rays made it tense for fun, but they got the sweep when all was said and done.
Forwards Filip Jovic of Auburn and Sergej Macura of Mississippi State and guards Jaylen Petty of Texas Tech and Azavier Robinson of Butler have joined UCLA through the transfer portal, coach Mick Cronin said Wednesday.
Macura will be a junior this fall and has two seasons of eligibility remaining. Jovic, Petty and Robinson will be sophomores and have three seasons left.
Jovic averaged 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in all 37 games for Auburn last season, helping the Tigers win the NIT title.
Macura averaged 5.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in 28 games for Mississippi State last season.
Petty averaged 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33 games as a freshman at Texas Tech. He shot 41% from the field and 37% from 3-point range.
Robinson averaged 6.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 22 games as a freshman at Butler. His season ended in early February after a left wrist injury. Robinson shot 47% from the field and 43% from 3-point range.
The foursome join incoming freshmen Javonte Floyd and Joe Philon.
Is Kylie Jenner the good luck charm the Knicks need to reach the NBA Finals?
Good and bad omens are subjective to some, but when the beauty mogul is on Celebrity Row at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks average 8.2 more points per game, according to data by Casino.org.
The Knicks are 5-1 when Kylie has attended — an 83.3 percent courtside win rate, with a +13.5 average margin — over the past two seasons with boyfriend and die-hard Knicks fan Timothée Chalamet.
Actor Timothée Chalamet and girlfriend Kylie Jenner on celebrity row at Game 2 of the Second Round NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs series between the Knicks and the 76ers at Madison Square Garden on May 6, 2026 in New York. Getty Images
Jenner sat courtside with Chalamet for the Knicks’ 126-97 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of the first-round playoff series last month.
After that, the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star took in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, when the Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-102 on May 6.
Chalamet, who skipped the past two Met Galas to watch the Knicks, is New York’s biggest celebrity scoring boost, with the team averaging 117.4 points when he has been in attendance — 13.6 points more than in other Knicks games analyzed, per Casino.org.
Tina Fey, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, and Ben Stiller attend Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 28, 2026 in New York City. Getty Images
Jenner was not with Chalamet for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night — a 115-104 overtime comeback win for the Knicks over the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.
If both are in attendance for Game 2 on Thursday, New York is projected to score around 116 points, per Casino.org.
Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 19, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. NBAE via Getty Images
When the power couple and legendary director Spike Lee, a longtime staple at MSG, sit courtside, the Knicks are 5-0, winning by nearly 20 points per game.
The Knicks are 13-6 in games analyzed in which Lee has been in attendance.
The Knicks did not have the same luck when some other stars sat courtside.
Spike Lee reacts during the second quarter of Game 1 of the eastern conference finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks during the 2026 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The blue and orange are 0-2 in games in which comedian Jon Stewart and Olympic gymnast Suni Lee were in attendance.
Other Knicks die-hards such as Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan were not included in the data.
Casino.org US analyzed more than 280 publicly reported celebrity appearances at NBA games involving the four remaining playoff teams, including the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
