Jun 11, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) scores against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) and defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) during the third period in game five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Nathan Ray Seebeck/Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Andrei Svechnikov scored twice and Sebastian Aho added a second-period goal in a breakout game for Carolina’s top-line performers, helping the Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Thursday night to move within a victory of winning the Stanley Cup.
Captain Jordan Staal added his fifth goal in the series on a night when Carolina overcame multiple hiccups from these playoffs, from a shaky power play to being outplayed in the second period of this series.
And there had been the waiting game for Aho and Svechnikov — two roster mainstays in an eight-year postseason run — to find a better offensive groove.
It all came together in Game 5, with Svechnikov’s short putaway at the post on the power play giving Carolina a 4-1 lead midway through the third period. And unlike most multi-goal leads in what has been a wild and thrilling series, this one held up, with Brandon Bussi finishing with 22 saves in his second career postseason start.
That gave the Hurricanes a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Sunday night in Las Vegas, with the Hurricanes playing for the chance to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time since coach Rod Brind’Amour captained them to the title in 2006.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice for Vegas, finding the net for the first time since Game 1 of the Western Conference Final sweep of Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado. Carter Hart entered this one as the first goaltender in Stanley Cup Final history to give up at least four goals in each of the first four games, then did it again to continue a difficult series while finishing with 20 saves.
Vegas had twice before been in a 2-2 series in these playoffs, in the first round against Utah and the second round against Anahaim. Both times, the Golden Knights won Game 5 and then closed out the series in Game 6.
This time, they’ll have to win on home ice to force the series back to Carolina for a Game 7 on Wednesday night. And they’ll have to take two in a row against a Hurricanes team that hasn’t suffered consecutive losses since mid-January.
Vegas played much of the night without center William Karlsson, who was being checked out on the bench for an apparent upper-body injury. Karlsson skated to the tunnel midway through the second period and didn’t return.
The sport’s misguided morals mean England’s Test captain has been humbled for a meaningless infraction and kept off the stage for which he was made
There are times when it’s possible to keep sport in a sensible perspective, and then there are weeks it challenges your very sanity. This has felt like one of those.
MESA, AZ - MARCH 21: Josiah Hartshorn #22 of the Chicago Cubs bats during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Aryanna Frank/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Starter Connor Noland got the loss after allowing four runs on six hits over four innings. Noland neither walked nor struck anyone out.
Casey Opitz gave up three runs and allowed three inherited runners to score as part of an 11-run bottom of the eighth. But cut the I-Cubs third-string catcher a break—he was pitching on back-to-back nights.
Shortstop Scott Kingery hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning. He was 2 for 4.
Center fielder Kevin Alcántara went 2 for 5 with an RBI double in the fourth inning.
First baseman BJ Murray went 2 for 3 with two walks and scored on Alcántara’s double.
Rigth fielder Justin Dean was 2 for 5 with a double.
Starter Dawson Netz gave up four runs in the third inning on two home runs, a solo home run and then a three-run shot. Netz finished the night giving up four runs on four hits over 3.1 innings. He walked four and struck out three.
Tyler Ras went the next 3.2 innings, did not allow a run and went home with the win. Ras allowed three hits. He struck out four and walked one. Ras, whom the Cubs signed this past winter after the Rockies released him, has a 1.72 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 31.1 innings with Knoxville.
Right fielder Alex Ramírez hit a solo home run in the eighth inning. It was his fifth on the campaign. Ramírez finished 1 for 5.
Shortstop Jefferson Rojas was 3 for 5 with three RBI and one run scored. He was also hit by a pitch. Rojas is hitting .350 in the month of June.
DH Owen Ayers isn’t slowing down. Tonight he was 3 for 4 with a walk and a hit by pitch. He scored once and drove in one.
Center fielder Karson Simas went 2 for 4 with two walks and a steal. Simas scored three runs.
Second baseman Hayden Cantrelle was 2 for 3 with two walks. Cantrelle had three RBI and two runs scored.
Left fielder Carter Trice went 2 for 6 with a double and a two-run single.
Cole Reynolds got rocked for eight runs on five hits over the first 3+ innings. Reynolds walked three, hit one batter and struck out one.
DH Drew Bowser hit his fourth home run of the year in the second inning with two men on. Bowser was 2 for 3 with a double and the home run.
First baseman Josiah Hartshorn continues to impress. Tonight he hit an RBI single in the third inning and a two-run home run in the fifth. It was Hartshorn’s sixth home run in just 15 games in South Bend and 11th overall. Hartshorn went 2 for 3 and scored twice.
Catcher Miguel Useche was 2 for 3 with one RBI and one run scored.
Wisconsin’s doubleheader was rained out, so South Bend’s magic number remains at three to clinch a first-half title.
Starter Noah Edders allowed four runs over four innings, but only one of the four runs was earned. Edders surrendered four hits (one of which was a solo home run) and one walk. He struck out a career-high eight.
Henry Cone relieved Edders, pitched the next three innings and got the win. Cone gave up one run on three hits. He walked three and struck out three.
First baseman Michael Carico clubbed a two-run home run in the fifth inning, his fifth on the year. Carico sent 3 for 4 with a double and the home run. He had four total runs batted in and scored twice.
Third baseman Derniche Valdez then went back-to-back with Carico with his fourth home run of 2026. Valdez was 2 for 4 with a double and the home run.
Center fielder Darlyn De Leon was 2 for 4 with four stolen bases. He scored twice. De Leon had five steals all season before tonight.
Catcher Logan Poteet drove in three runs with a two-run double and a bases-loaded walk. He finished the night 1 for 4 with the walk and the run scored.
Left fielder Edward Vargas went 2 for 4 and scored once.
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 11: Luke Raley #20 of the Seattle Mariners bats during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Thursday, June 11, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last week, I sent two condolence cards and a “congratulations on your new baby” card. This afternoon, while distracted by a flock of teenage goslings, half-grown and ugly as all get out, I tripped over the corpse of what used to be some sort of creature. Life doesn’t need to dabble in subtleties, it beats you over the head repeatedly, hollering “What is the point?” in alternatingly thoughtful and abrasive tones.
As I was once again turning over the well-worn Meaning of Life stone, Cole Young opened the game with a leadoff home run and for two innings that one run mattered significantly as Bryan Woo sat down the first six Orioles he faced. Shortly after Aaron Goldsmith mooed in the bottom of the third, that one run mattered even more, as it kept the Mariners tied with the O’s after Colton Cowser’s solo shot. Soon though, Young’s swooping scoop of a home run felt inconsequential at best as Baltimore showcased one of the Big Innings that has been their trademark this season, piling on six runs just about every way you can – singles, a wild pitch, a double, another home run.
Before all that, though, there was a 3-2 pitch to Gunnar Henderson. Coby Mayo had flown out after Cowser, and while Jackson Holliday and Taylor Ward had hit back-to-back singles, Henderson has had a miserable season at the plate. Hope beat its bedraggled little wings and Woo pumped a 98.7 MPH four-seamer right on the inside edge of the plate. It matched a 3-2 pitch he threw to Cody Bellinger on July 10, 2025 as the fastest pitch he’s ever thrown. Bellinger rolled over on the offering, grounding into a double play; Henderson fouled it off. Ball four was an easy take, and within seconds that career-high velocity didn’t matter at all.
In the top of the fourth, Randy Arozarena walked, which was nice but anticlimactic amidst a five-run deficit. But then Luke Raley homered, and Dom Canzone homered, and this time when Colt Emerson walked it was invigorating. Young, en route to a three-hit night, singled, Julio Rodríguez singled, and the Mariners were suddenly only trailing by one.
When it comes to meaning, baseball is a chorus of perpetual dissonance. For those of us outside, the wins and the losses do not technically matter; our careers, our finances, our relationships don’t change in response to victory or defeat. But I don’t think any of us would be here, reading these ramblings, if baseball was meaningless to us. In fact, my career, my finances, my relationships are all fundamentally altered because of this game. Not by the Mariners’ record, fortunately, but in the way that I have chosen to care about it, to jam its stake into the ground and let my life grow up and intertwine with it. In our massive, yawning abyss of a world, there is such beauty and freedom and silliness in choosing to structure some of life’s meaning around this game.
At some point around the sixth inning, lightning split the sky and rain started to soak the field. Maybe, after all this, none of it would actually matter, at least for today? But the rain abated, the Mariners could not score anymore, and they leave Baltimore with a series split. Just one of many games that matters because it happened, and also not at all.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 11: Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period in Game Five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 11, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes dominated the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night, 4-2, to take a 3-2 series lead and come within one game of lifting the Stanley Cup.
After struggling for the majority of the postseason, both the power play and two of Carolina’s top three regular season scorers — Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho — carried the Canes to a big win on Thursday night. Svechnikov scored two power play goals while Aho found the back of the net for the first time in the Stanley Cup.
Nikolaj Ehlers gave the Knights a power play a little less than seven minutes into the first period on a delay of game penalty.
The Knights, after being just 1-for-12 on the power play in the first four games, capitalized courtesy of Pavel Dorofeyev, who found the back of the net on a cross ice pass from Jack Eichel.
It didn’t take long for Carolina to respond, though. And who else but Jordan Staal. After getting the penalty, Ehlers redeemed himself with a great shot-pass to the front of the net that was tipped in by Staal for his sixth goal of the Stanley Cup so far.
After the first, the score was knotted at 1-1. Uncharacteristically, the Canes were outshot, 8-5, by the Knights.
There wasn’t much offensive action for either side in the first 10 minutes of the second period, but two straight Vegas penalties changed that.
The Golden Knights killed the first, but it was Svechnikov who went five-hole on the second power play, giving the Canes a 2-1 lead in the second period. In the first four games, Carolina was outscored 9-1 in the second, but it was a different story tonight.
That was all that was needed to get the top line for the Canes going it seemed. With a little over two minutes in the second, a great forecheck from Jordan Martinook led to a goal from Aho, who went high over Carter Hart. It marked Aho’s first goal of the series, giving the Hurricanes a 3-1 lead in the second.
For the first time in the Stanley Cup, Carolina outplayed Vegas in the second period, entering the third with a 3-1 advantage and just 20 minutes away from their first series lead.
Carolina picked up right where they left off in the third period. After Mark Stone was called for a double minor for high sticking Jalen Chatfield, Svechnikov scored his second power play goal of the night on a great pass from Ehlers.
Dorofeyev added his second of the game with a little over six minutes left in the game to cut Carolina’s lead to two goals.
The Canes were able to hold the Knights off and secure the big win, with Bussi saving 22 of 24 shots.
The Stanley Cup will be in the building as the Hurricanes have a chance to lift it for the first time since 2006 on the road Sunday at 8 PM.
Red Sox president Sam Kennedy is not impressed with his team’s season so far.
During an interview with WEEI on Thursday, Kennedy eviscerated the Red Sox, calling the team’s season “embarrassing and unacceptable”
“There’s no way to sugarcoat it,” Kennedy told WEEI. “It’s been awful, especially when you consider the stated goal of building upon what happened last season. … It’s been incredibly frustrating, and I just want to acknowledge that right at the outset. It’s on all of us. We have to get better.”
President and CEO for the Boston Red Sox, Sam Kennedy celebrates their 6 to 5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays during Game 4 of the American League Division Series. Getty Images
The Red Sox entered Thursday sitting at the bottom of the AL East with a 27-39 record, 5½ games behind the final wild card spot.
Throughout Boston’s season-long slump, they fired skipper Alex Cora and four members of his coaching staff in an attempt to create a spark.
Hitting coach Peter Fatse, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, third base coach Kyle Hudson and assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson were all let go.
Chad Tracy has since taken over as interim manager, but hasn’t been able to incite much change.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela (3) celebrates a home run during the eighth inning against Tampa Bay Rays. Pablo Robles-Imagn Images
With the coaching staff change failing, many have turned to chief baseball officer Craig Breslow as the target of criticism.
Kennedy, however, promised Breslow is “working as hard as anybody in terms of getting things back on track.”
“Look, I fully understand and appreciate questions regarding Craig Breslow and his job security and all that, but the issue of a change there, just to be clear, that’s not even on the table,” Kennedy said.
Craig Breslow smiles while being introduced as the Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer during a press availability. AP
As the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches, Kennedy noted that unless the play improves in the next few weeks, the Red Sox will likely look to move on from a few players.
“At the current moment, there are a lot of discussions going on in terms of improvement and how we get this thing back on track, looking at every single area of the roster and player personnel, and Bres(low) and his team are doing that,” Kennedy said.
“But look, let’s be honest, unless things change dramatically, we may have to pivot here from what our initial planning was. It just, it wouldn’t be responsible to do otherwise.”
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — William Karlsson left the ice, and the Vegas Golden Knights' night went south. He may not be back to help them recover.
With Karlsson knocked out of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final because of injury, the Golden Knights took four penalties that turned into two power-play goals against. Carter Hart allowed four goals for a fifth consecutive game in the series, and now his team is on the brink of elimination after losing 4-2 to Carolina on Thursday night.
“When we lose Bill, it kind of screws things up," coach John Tortorella said. “We lost momentum when we went back to back in penalties. It was about the same time that we lost Bill. We’ve got to find a way.”
Karlsson appeared to injure his left arm or shoulder after getting knocked into the boards by Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker a little over eight minutes into the second period. He got medical attention on the bench briefly, skated off and never returned and Tortorella foreshadowed that being the end of Karlsson's series.
“He’s not going to be with us, probably,” Tortorella said. "We’ve got to find a way to fill that void, not with just one guy but as a team.”
But the void left by Karlsson’s departure was all too clear, especially on the penalty kill. Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov scored the first of his two power-play goals less than four minutes after Karlsson left, then added another in the third.
“He’s an important piece to us: up the middle of the ice, a penalty killer, power play guy," Tortorella said. “He’s a winner."
Fourth-liner Nick Dowd called Karlsson one of the team's best players. Defenseman Brayden McNabb, who along with Karlsson and Shea Theodore are the only players who have been around for Vegas’ entire nine-year existence, said Karlsson was a big leader in the locker room.
Karlsson is also nearly impossible to replace.
“He means so much," fellow center Jack Eichel said. "He’s a world class player. He plays in all situations. He’s extremely reliable in our own zone, and he creates a lot of offense. ... It's tough. You lose someone like Karl who’s so valuable to our team and playing so well. But it just means everyone else has to step up.”
Tortorella expects that to happen, promising there will be a Game 7 in Raleigh on Tuesday night.
“We’ll be back here. We’re just going to do it in a different order," Tortorella said. "I’m going to leave my clothes here, that’s for sure. They’ll be in the hotel.”
To do that, they'll have to win Game 6 back home in Las Vegas on Sunday. Hart is expected to be in net again despite a save percentage of .856 in the final.
Asked if he considered going to backup Adin Hill — who backstopped Vegas to the Cup in 2023 — in the third period, Tortorella scoffed and said, "That could be the stupidest question I’ve heard.”
Taylor Swift, Este Haim, and Mariska Hargitay cheer during NBA Finals Game 4 on June 10, 2026. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
“But I knew everything was going to be alright, because I was wearing my Jalen Brunson Kobe 5 Protos that Jalen gave me a few months ago.”
Hargitay’s show had a 2 p.m. matinee and a 7 p.m. evening performance on Wednesday before the Knicks game.
The late show ended at 8:27 p.m., just three minutes before Game 5 was supposed to start.
After arriving at the game just before tip-off, Hargitay changed into a blue-and-orange shirt that read “Stevie Knicks” to match her seatmate, Taylor Swift.
“I love my husband, and our wedding night was great and all, but I think it might have been the greatest night of my life,” Hargitay said.
Taylor Swift and Mariska Hargitay at the NBA Finals. Getty Images
The SVU actress has been courtside at multiple games throughout the Knicks’ playoff run, largely due to her surprising relationship with star guard Jalen Brunson.
The former Villanova Wildcat grew up watching SVU with his dad, and now watches the show to calm himself down before games.
“The game was so brutal, down 29 at the half, but I’m telling you, to watch this team fight and claw their way back — to see that look in Jalen’s eyes — there are just endless life lessons in there,” Hargitay said.
“And then OG comes flying in, his orange and blue cape fluttering behind him, and then it’s just pandemonium.
“It‘ll get replayed again and again, not just as an epic moment in basketball, but on the highlight reel of the best moments in sports. And all I could think was ‘THAT JUST HAPPENED!!!’ And ‘OH MY GOD, I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!”’ And ‘OH MY GOD, I LOVE THIS CITY!!!’”
Jun 10, 2026; OG Anunoby makes a game-winning shot Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
When a writer tells a story from beginning to end, proceeding in order, it is called linear narrative or chronological narrative. More formally, it’s referred to as ab ovo narration (Latin for “from the egg”), a term from Horace’s Ars Poetica, meaning the story begins at the very origin of events and unfolds in sequence.
Conversely, starting from the end and working backward is called reverse chronological narrative or simply reverse chronology. A famous example is the film Memento.
But when a story opens specifically at the ending or a dramatic moment and then explains how events led there, it’s often described as beginning in extremis or using an analepsis (a flashback structure).
Yesterday, I was at work and could not watch the game live. My plan was to head home, retreat into my bubble, and watch it from beginning to end. Unfortunately, a friend texted me the score at half-time. I was annoyed and asked for no further updates, but at the same time, it felt good. Our Spurs were leading by 27 at half-time at the MSG, in the pivotal Game 4. We were on our way back to San Antonio with a chance to restore home-court advantage.
When I got home, I decided to tune in from the start of the 3rd quarter. I didn’t feel I needed to revisit the first two quarters to understand how we’d built such a momentous lead, one that could have written NBA history, and so I bypassed this beginning in extremis…
I suppose you all know the ending anyway, no spoiler needed here. But the real question is no longer the result; it’s how we got there. How do you end up on the wrong side of history in just two quarters when, just 24 minutes earlier, you were firmly on the right side of it?
<p>Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn</p><br> | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
My disappointment, let’s be honest, my fury, was overwhelming last night. I could barely sleep. So I decided to rewatch the game in full, this time with a linear narrative.
Before I get to the autopsy, though, I need to share a conversation I had with a friend in the hours before tip-off. I tried to explain how difficult it is to predict outcomes in basketball, but that it is sometimes possible to foresee the conditions that shape them. I pointed out that Karl-Anthony Towns was due for a bounce-back game, if Jalen Brunson could find ways to involve him more. KAT can direct the offense from the top of the key like almost no other player on the Knicks, and his elite three-point shooting makes him a genuine triple threat. However, I also noted that Brunson had been quite stubborn in this series, grinding to draw fouls through heavy dribbling in traffic which had led to turnovers and low shooting efficiency. The player I singled out as the most dangerous Knick was OG Anunoby. And finally, I voiced my concern about Victor: he had logged heavy minutes and would likely run out of gas in the second half. That, I feared, could determine the outcome, though I still expected the Spurs to win, by three.
As it turned out, KAT removed himself from the equation with two very quick fouls. The young Spurs exploited this early and took flight. Mike Brown threw everything at Victor Wembanyama, Mitchell Robinson (literally), Ariel Hukporti, and even Jeremy Sochan but none of it stopped the first-half onslaught.
From the end of the first quarter through to the end of the third, the Spurs’ lead sat between 19 and 15 points, with a peak of 29. During that entire stretch, Victor Wembanyama played 32 of a possible 36 minutes. I’ll come back to that shortly.
The first three quarters unfolded much like the rest of this playoff run. Anyone can push, shove, and grab Victor with relative impunity. The Spurs accepted this reality some time back and decided to apply the same treatment to Karl-Anthony Towns. The reasoning is simple: if refs were to whistle this type of plays in favor of KAT, they would have to do the same for Vic.
As a basketball fan, I am growing genuinely disillusioned with NBA officiating. On one side, you have players like Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and, to some extent, Jalen Brunson, who rely heavily on theatrics to earn calls in their favour. On the other, you have blatant physical intimidation that diminishes KAT and Vic’s impact and, in turn, the quality, flow, and fairness of the game. Mobile bigs who can shoot the three, rebound, dribble, and pass bring something genuinely special to the modern NBA, something that studio personalities like Shaq and Charles Barkley seem incapable of appreciating, apparently out of jealousy.
Victor Wembanyama has been on the receiving end of this treatment throughout the entire playoffs. And we have also come to understand that Vic is troubled by what he perceives as persistent injustice. Under fatigue and pressure, he has repeatedly crossed lines: a Flagrant 2 on Naz Reid, a shove on Brunson, and taunting Mitchell Robinson early in this game. The pattern is clear, a tired and frustrated Victor struggles to keep his emotions in check. The coaching staff and front office have surely taken note.
The other major lesson of this playoff run concerns Victor’s stamina. It is genuinely remarkable that a 7’5 player who was struggling to play more than 28–30 minutes earlier in the season can now sustain 35 and beyond. Full credit to Vic and his training staff. That kind of physical progression ahead of a Finals run is extraordinary. However, it is equally clear that Vic, who deploys enormous energy on both ends of the floor, often arrives at the fourth quarter running on empty. We know he needs to impose himself early: the alley-oops, the drives, the post positioning if the Spurs want to start strong. And the Spurs have indeed managed by leads in the opening of each of their four Finals games in that way. But Vic also needs reserves to close games when it matters, as Game 2 demonstrated all too painfully.
Which brings me to my central grievance with last night’s loss: the management of Victor’s minutes. It is absolutely unimaginable that the coaching staff had Vic on the floor for 32 minutes across the first three quarters while the lead was never below double digits. To claim that Kornet is unplayable is an insult to the man. Is Kornet less playable than Ariel Hukporti? Than Sochan? And what about Harrison Barnes? The Spurs were up 29 at some point and he didn’t see a single minute?
The irony of Mitch Johnson’s minute management against the Knicks is almost too rich. Tom Thibodeau was held responsible for New York’s “disappointing” seasons between 2023 and 2025. The charge? He ran his players into the ground with relentless minutes and short rotations.
Having watched enough of Mitch Johnson in these playoffs, I am convinced he needs to learn how to better manage his rotation, before his star player ends up injured.
This loss falls squarely on the coaching staff, and on Mitch Johnson above all. We now know Vic cannot play 44 minutes and sustain the same intensity on both ends of the floor. We also know that an exhausted Vic is a less composed Vic and that composure is precisely what leads to flagrant fouls. One more, and he faces a one-game suspension.
With a 27-point lead at half-time, and a double-digit advantage held for more than 32 consecutive minutes, the decision to deny Victor Wembanyama meaningful rest before the fourth quarter was a massive mistake.
There’s a reason I titled this piece after Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or-winning film. Anatomy of a Fall opens with a man already dead at the foot of a chalet, and spends two and a half hours asking a single question: how did we get here? The courtroom never delivers a clean verdict. The film trusts you to sit with the ambiguity. Last night’s Game 4 offers no such comfort, the verdict was final, the scoreboard unambiguous. But the question is the same. A 29-point lead. Two quarters. A fall. How did we get here? Mitch Johnson owes us an answer. It is not a trial. I expect a reaction and some changes.
Robert does not believe that he will need surgery.
No one seems to have much of an idea when Luis Robert Jr. might return from the back injury that landed him on the 60-day IL.
“It’s not an ideal situation,’’ Carlos Mendoza said of the uncertainty surrounding the outfielder, who was plagued by lower-body injuries with the White Sox the past two seasons before suffering a lumbar spine disc herniation in April.
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“It’s his first time dealing with something like this,’’ the manager said Thursday as the Mets beat the Cardinals 5-4 at Citi Field.
Asked Thursday if he could need surgery to repair the injury, Robert said through an interpreter he didn’t believe that would be the case.
Robert, acquired from Chicago in the offseason in return for Luisangel Acuña and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley, said he expected to be back at some point later this season.
The 28-year-old Robert, now three years removed from his All-Star form with the White Sox, expects to begin running within the next week. He’s only advanced to playing catch and hitting in the cage.
Luis Robert Jr. does not believe that he will need surgery. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“I’ve been able to do a little bit of everything — just slowly,’’ Robert said through an interpreter. “I expect to come back. Honestly, in the beginning, when I first got hurt, I didn’t think it would take so long [to recover]. But, obviously, it’s a new injury and as the days went on, it started getting worse.”
Mendoza added, “It’s hard to tell what he’s dealing with and how soon he’s gonna be back. That’s always frustrating when you’re talking about a player with that kind of talent. He’s just having a hard time staying on the field for one thing or another.”
The Mets designed a plan in spring training to try to shield him from previous injuries, only for a new one to surface.
Luis Robert Jr. hits a single during the sixth inning of the Mets’ loss to the Diamondbacks at Citi Field on April 8, 2026 at Citi Field. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
With Robert out, A.J. Ewing has emerged as a bit of a bright spot in center, where he’s stood out defensively and shown potential at the plate.
Robert was part of the risky roster makeover during the offseason, which has so far failed to yield results, as Jorge Polanco has also dealt with injury issues and Bo Bichette has slumped for almost the entire season.
Bichette did hit his sixth homer of the season Thursday, a two-run shot in the first. He had been hitless in his previous 10 at-bats and hadn’t homered since he went deep twice May 19.
Christian Scott’s velocity was down a bit and he allowed a career-high three homers in just 4 ²/₃ innings.
He and the Mets were pleased, though, with how he recovered and retired 10 of 13 batters before a Jordan Walker single knocked him out of the game in the fifth.
“I got punched in the mouth and then I punched them in the mouth,” Scott said of his comeback from the early struggles.
The Mets hope Kodai Senga’s rehab stint continues smoothly after it was interrupted by the ulnar nerve irritation in his upper right arm that caused him to be scratched at Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday. … In more bullpen shuffling, right-hander Daniel Duarte was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, while another righty, Jonathan Pintaro was optioned to Syracuse on Thursday.
Jun 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) runs on a hit and run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Charles LeClaire/Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani hit his 13th homer of the season before leaving the game due to left knee inflammation and Los Angeles beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-6 on Thursday night.
The reigning NL MVP hit a solo homer in the third inning. He also had a single and walked twice, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning.
It was not immediately clear when Ohtani began feeling discomfort in the knee.
Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski left the game in the fifth inning with a left hamstring contusion. The left-hander was hit by a line drive off the bat of Bryan Reynolds. The ball ricocheted off Wrobleski to first baseman Freddie Freeman. Wrobleski collided with Reynolds while taking Freeman’s toss at first base.
Andy Pages also had two hits for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who took two of three in the series. Kyle Tucker hit a two-run single, and Miguel Rojas drove in two more runs.
Pirates rookie Rafael Flores Jr. hit his first MLB home run, and Brandon Lowe also went deep. Flores, Nick Gonzales and Spencer Horwitz had two hits apiece.
Wrobleski allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings. Mitch Keller (5-4) was tagged for five runs in four innings.
Jack Dreyer (3-1) pitched a scoreless seventh inning and Tanner Scott got the last four outs for his seventh save.
Up next
Dodgers: RHP Roki Sasaki (4-3, 4.03 ERA) pitches against White Sox LHP Anthony Kay (5-1, 4.40) on Friday night in Chicago.
Pirates: Host Miami on Friday night with RHP Braxton Ashcraft (5-3, 3.28 ERA) facing Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (5-4, 4.33).
Jun 11, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Colton Cowser (17) celebrates after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Kyle Bradish and Bryan Woo could have given tonight’s national audience a pitcher’s duel, but that thought went out the window with the very first batter. The Orioles scored six runs in the third, Seattle countered with four runs in the fourth, but the O’s did enough to outlast the M’s 7-5 in the series finale at Camden Yards.
Seattle took an early lead when Cole Young launched a leadoff homer. The Orioles did not reach base in either of the first two innings, but Colton Cowser sparked the offense in the third. Cowser took a 2-1 fastball the other way and sent it 416 feet from home plate. The Oppo Taco evened the score at one, but Baltimore had plenty of offense left in the tank. Coby Mayo lined out sharply, but Jackson Holliday and Taylor Ward both singled. Gunnar Henderson worked a one-out walk, and Adley Rutschman stepped in with the bases loaded.
Woo jumped ahead 0-2, but he spiked a slider in the dirt. The ball trickled to the backstop, and Holliday raced home to secure a 2-1 lead. Woo left his next pitch up, and Rutschman yanked in down the right-field line for a two-run double.
Baltimore kept its foot on the gas when Pete Alonso ambushed the first pitch of his second at bat. Woo hung a middle-middle sweeper, and Alonso hit a ball “to a place where baseballs simply do not go.” MASN’s Kevin Brown provided a familiar feel with the call for ESPN, and the Orioles held a 6-1 lead after three.
Bradish sat for an extended period before returning to the mound in search of a shutdown inning. He did not deliver. The righty walked the leadoff hitter before surrendering a two-run homer to Luke Raley. Dominic Canzone followed with a solo shot of his own, and the Mariners trimmed the lead to two before recording an out in the fourth. Bradish rebounded with a pair of ground outs, but a two-out walk led to more damage. Julio Rodríguez delivered a clutch single to make it a 6-5 ball game.
Both teams went scoreless in their next at bats, but Baltimore delivered a crucial insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Ward reached after being hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a grounder by Gunnar Henderson, and came around to score on a base hit by Rutschman. The run-scoring knock was enough to swing the momentum back into Baltimore’s direction. Rutschman finished 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs.
Tyler Wells replaced Bradish in the fifth and delivered three scoreless frames. Wells struck out four, walked one, and did not allow a hit. The bulk relief allowed Craig Albernaz to save Rico Garcia for the eighth. Garcia recorded a pair of outs but also surrendered two singles. Albernaz summoned Grant Wolfram to escape the frame without allowing a run.
The Orioles bats went quietly in innings six through eight, and Albernaz sent out Andrew Kittredge to earn the save. Kittredge was projected to play a high-leverage role along with injured closer Ryan Helsley, but things haven’t exactly gone as planned for the veteran reliever. The decision to send out Kittredge may have said more about the state of Baltimore’s bullpen than it did about Kittredge, but the Spokane native delivered.
Kittredge generated four ground balls to work around a fielding error by Blaze Alexander and secure the save. Baltimore salvaged a series split with a 7-5 victory over the Mariners on national television. The Orioles are 33-37. They play the Padres tomorrow at 7:05 pm.
Cowser got the rally started, Alonso launched a ball 439 feet, and Rutschman recorded the only multi-hit game for the Birds. Wells bailed out the bullpen, and Kittredge prevented any real drama in the ninth. Who is your pick for the Most Birdland Player of the Day? Let us know in the comments below!
Jun 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (44) greets designated hitter two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) crossing home plate on a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Despite a few scares in the late innings, the Dodgers were in control of this one for the vast majority, taking the lead in the third and holding it all the way into an 8-6 win in yet another high-scoring affair, routine for this series. However, the result takes a backseat to the concerns surrounding Shohei Ohtani and Justin Wrobleski, both having left this game early due to injuries—Ohtani in the seventh inning with what was described as left knee inflammation and Wrobleski with a right hamstring contusion after a collision trying to cover first. However, even in a game he couldn’t complete, Ohtani made sure to leave his mark by starting the scoring with a solo shot in the third, doing this a day after throwing over 100 pitches in a quality start.
The scoring in the third inning wasn’t done after Ohtani’s homer, though, as the two sides of batted ball luck appeared. Firstly, Mookie Betts narrowly missed out on a two-run shot with a fly ball that would’ve left the yard in 27 out of 30 MLB parks, only to be robbed of what would’ve been his seventh homer on the year. Then, a couple of hitters later, Kyle Tucker found the right spot to land his 62.1 MPH exit velocity lazy fly ball for a two-run, two-out single. Success with two outs became a regular thing for the Dodgers in this game, as in the fourth, Los Angeles added two more runs with five straight reaching after the Pirates retired the first two hitters to open the frame.
Unluckily for the Dodgers, the two-out action seemed to be a factor on both sides. Similarly to what happened in the previous two games, the team trailing pulled a rally out of the hat, and in one inning, the Pittsburgh cut what was a 5-0 deficit into a 5-4 game. The Pirates did so by scoring three of those runs with two outs with a pair of home runs from Rafael Flores Jr. and Brandon Lowe, the latter of whom is number one in baseball among second basemen for homers with 16. Making matters worse, Wrobleski, who before those two homers was sailing along smoothly, injured himself colliding with Bryan Reynolds trying to cover first. Pittsburgh’s rally continued with Will Klein on the mound, but the right-hander was just able to preserve the then-5-4 lead with a bases-loaded strikeout of Jake Mangum.
It didn’t take too long for the Dodgers to respond, and despite having Santiago Espinal pinch-hitting for Ohtani—who left the game with left knee inflammation—Los Angeles added a couple of runs in the seventh with a pair of RBI from Miguel Rojas and Espinal himself. Crucial runs as the Pirates’ comeback attempts weren’t over, cutting the lead to 8-6 in the eighth and bringing the tying run up in the form of Lowe. Showcasing the importance of this game, Dave Roberts went to Tanner Scott for a two-out save for only the second time this season, and the left-hander got the job done, punching out the side in the bottom of the ninth.
Game particulars
Home runs— Shohei Ohtani (13), Rafael Flores Jr. (1), Brandon Lowe (16)
The road trip against teams whose 2026 season campaign represents a big step forward from their recent failings continues, as the Dodgers leave Pittsburgh and head to the south side of Chicago to face the White Sox. Starter Roki Sasaki will be on the mound for Los Angeles, with Chicago yet to announce their starter officially. That matchup will start an hour later than the games in Pittsburgh, at 4;40 p.m. PT.
It's safe to say that Red Sox relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman still has beef with Yankees GM Brian Cashman.
In an interview conducted by ESPN Deportes, Chapman acknowledged that he's aware of his name circulating in trade rumors. After all, the Red Sox currently sit in dead last of the AL East standings with a paltry 27-39 record, six full games out of a playoff spot.
"Every day you see social media and also people in the press talking and commenting about it," said the hard-throwing southpaw.
Assuming the Red Sox can't right the ship ahead of the MLB's trade deadline on Aug. 3, it's hard to imagine Boston not taking the opportunity to cash in on the stellar form of their 38-year-old closer, who is currently on a $13 million contract set to expire at season's end.
The Yankees will likely be in the market for a high-leverage reliever to add to their ranks as the trade deadline approaches, so many have been wondering whether a reunion between Chapman and the Yanks could be in the works.
Trading with their archrivals would be a tough enough task for Cashman, but there's another hurdle he apparently would need to clear for this potential deal to become a reality: making amends with Chapman.
After two stints with the Yankees, Chapman's exit from the organization was an ugly one. After losing the closer role to Clay Holmes after developing an infection due to a tattoo, then missing a mandatory workout ahead of the 2022 ALDS, leading Cashman to leave Chapman off the team's postseason roster.
Chapman is clearly still bitter about that decision from his former GM, telling ESPN that he wants an apology.
"What happened, happened," Chapman said. "If something like this were to happen, I believe someone from this organization should apologize first."
A follow-up asked if that "someone" was Cashman, and Chapman confirmed.
In 19.2 innings pitched this season, Chapman has struck out 26 batters and is sporting an incredibly minuscule 0.46 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.
For what it's worth, Chapman didn't entirely rule out a trade back to the Bronx, admitting that he'd be willing to "sit down and talk and see what would happen."
Chapman arrived in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in December of 2015, forming the "No-Runs D.M.C" triumvirate in the Yankees bullpen alongside Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. In July of 2016, ahead of the 2016 MLB trade deadline, Chapman was dealt to the soon-to-be-champion Chicago Cubs for a package of prospects highlighted by Gleyber Torres. Funnily enough, just six months later, in December of 2016, Chapman rejoined the Yankees as a free agent on a five-year, $86 million contract.
That second go-around donning the pinstripes spanned six seasons and was tumultuous for Chapman. He was a three-time All-Star selection, but battled injuries throughout.
