PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 20: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Jamie Drysdale #9 of the Philadelphia Flyers battle for the loose puck in Game Two of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 20, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ recent playoff struggles at home continued with back-to-back losses to the Philadelphia Flyers in Games 1 and 2. Pittsburgh’s home-ice playoff struggles run deeper than this series against their cross-state rival, however. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, Pittsburgh has managed just five home playoff wins over nine seasons and now must earn at least a split in Philadelphia to keep the series alive. [PensBurgh]
The Penguins now enter Philadelphia for the next two games, but coach Dan Muse said the team remains confident and focused on correcting mistakes rather than panicking. [Penguins]
Pittsburgh coaches are rightfully considering lineup and power-play changes ahead of Game 3. The questions now become whether it’s too late to make changes or if the changes will even work against a team that has outright stymied Pittsburgh. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
The Vancouver Canucks have received permission to interview former Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams for their vacant GM position as they continue searching for a replacement after dismissing Patrik Allvin. [Sportsnet]
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said star defenseman Victor Hedman is unlikely to play in his team’s first-round NHL playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens. [Sportsnet]
Former NHL star Ilya Kovalchuk has been named president of KHL club Shanghai Dragons, marking a new front-office role for the retired winger. [TSN]
Feb 19, 2026; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop Colt Emerson (85) during spring training photo day in Peoria, AZ. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
This is the first in a series of more informal, discussion-based pieces focused on capturing the staff’s thoughts on the hot topics of the moment. This format, Pressing Questions, will see different writers meeting in real time to discuss questions that are top of mind and pertinent. This won’t replace our thought-out and researched thinkpieces on these topics at all – to me, that’s where Lookout Landing shines. However, I personally love Pressing Questions as a venue to let disagreements shine and capture more hot topics faster than a piece with a longer lead time can. As always, add to the discussion here in the comments, and let us know if you enjoy this format and want to see more, if you think we’re being lazy and you hate it, and most of all, who’s right. Conversations will be lightly edited for flow and brevity. -NVT
Brendon Donovan has hit the 10-day IL with a groin strain, with INF Will Wilson coming up from Tacoma to fill his roster spot. Leo Rivas is expected to take over starting 3B duties until Donovan returns.
This spurred the $90 million question: why is Will Wilson coming up to fill this spot instead of wunderkid Colt Emerson?
Grant: So, why the heck isn’t Emerson coming up here? Wilson has 91 MLB plate appearances and has slashed .192/.267/.244. With the extension, there’s no service time reason to keep Emerson down anymore.
Kate: I would have to assume that they don’t feel like he’s ready yet. Or maybe they want to give him the feeling that he earned his way up rather than being called on in desperation.
Grant: I just don’t get how he’s less ready than Will Wilson (if that’s even a real name).
Kate: Wilson is a good defender, he just can’t really hit yet (classic former Angels first-round draft pick). I’m sure he’s up for defense. Anyways this is Leo Rivas now:
Grant: Giving Emerson this contract AND being so hesitant to call him up is baffling, in my opinion. If you don’t think he’s ready, sure, but then you’re guaranteeing him a ton of money before you’re ready to bring him up to the roster. With the other prospects who’ve received these deals, they’ve all been ready to start as soon as they sign.
Kate: It just isn’t that baffling to me. I think giving him a big chunk of money and thinking he’s ready to start immediately for the 2026 Seattle Mariners aren’t necessarily linked ideas.
Nicky V: I think the idea is that they specifically don’t want him to come up as an injury sub. They want him to come up and stay up, because he is coming up for a permanent job. I think that makes sense especially from a player psychology perspective.
Kate: Exactly, Nick.
Grant: Isn’t $90m guaranteed enough of a psychological plus?
Kate: Not if he comes up and fails.
Nick: Not really, I don’t think. He needs and deserves to be called up and given the keys to a starting spot, whether it’s shortstop or 3B or whatever. He should feel that it’s a spot he’s fully earned, it’s his to keep, and it’s not going away any time soon.
Kate: Do you want Kelenic 2.0? Because this is how you get Kelenic 2.0.
Grant: That feels like apples and oranges. I’ve heard so much about how strong of a presence he is, would failing for 2-4 weeks be so terrible?
Kate: They’re very different people obviously, but they share an obsession with winning. Colt just knows how to handle that healthily.
Grant: If he knows how to handle that healthily, then shouldn’t we bring him up now, since he presumably is a better option than Will?
Evan: I would argue these things are not mutually exclusive: they can call him up now technically as an injury sub, but have him keep the job. It’s not like they are short of somewhat expendable fringe infielders with Wisdom on the IL already and now Will Wilson here.
Grant: Couldn’t you just send down Leo Rivas when Donovan is back?
Evan: Grant and I are thinking the same thing. He can have Brendon Donovan’s job for now and then Leo Rivas’ in a few weeks.
Kate: But they don’t want that. Leo Rivas’ job isn’t Colt Emerson’s job.
Nick: I understand why you feel that way, Grant + Evan. If it was me playing Out of the Park, he’d be up right now for sure. But the moment matters as much as the timing, in my opinion. He deserves fanfare, a full-time job, the whole nine yards.
Evan: You think it’s more likely that they start him full time at 3B and bounce Donovan around than give him Leo Rivas’ part-time spot?
Nick: 100%, Evan. I do think Donovan could, for example, learn LF and do a better job than Randy has been recently.
Grant: That’s probably it, Nick – from a pure talent perspective, he’s obviously better than Wilson (I assume). The question is: do we (team + player) all benefit from Emerson coming up for two weeks as the best available option, even if he’s subsequently sent back down? Or would that disrupt his development?
Kate: In my opinion, the long-term best decision for the Mariners and for Colt is for him not to come up. He’s just getting going at Triple-A and they want him to keep string together good at-bats, but for that, he has to be healthy, and it does sound like he’s going to be down for a couple days with a banged-up wrist.
John: The health thing definitely seals it, but I do think the extension is a good cause for them to not see him strained by focusing on anything other than trying to improve. I don’t know as much about the mental aspect of it for him specifically, but giving him the security to basically then say “we want to see you improve at this, and we believe in you enough that we’ll pay you upfront to see you make those improvements” speaks to encouraging patience with his development.
To me, the comparison isn’t Kelenic so much as Zunino, who was infamously called up quickly as an injury replacement.
Kate: Besides, everyone asking why Wilson and not Colt Emerson is not asking the right question, which is why Wilson and not Brock Rodden.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees reacts after his third inning home run against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on April 18, 2026 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Royals 13-4. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ben Rice’s playing time has been a topic of some consternation around these parts to the start the season. The 27-year-old has been some metrics the best hitter in baseball thus far, so it’s been frustrating to find him on the bench at times. But rather than ask the question of whether Rice should play every day (which, yeah, probably), perhaps we should be wondering about where Rice should play every day.
And by where, I don’t mean where on the diamond, but where in the batting order. Over the weekend, with the Yankees facing Royals lefty Cole Ragans, Aaron Boone slotted Rice into the leadoff slot in the order for the first time in 2026. Rice handled the assignment with aplomb, walking twice in front of Aaron Judge and hitting his eighth home run of the year.
Should the Yankees cut the shenanigans and just install Rice as their leadoff hitter? Sunday’s result offered a positive data point, but there’s more to the argument than just one strong game. Rice has excelled in the spot before, posting a .910 OPS in 23 games out of the leadoff slot in 2025, and even running an .864 OPS in ten starts as the leadoff hitter in his rookie 2024 campaign (though those figures are propped up a bit by his three-homer game against the Red Sox).
Moreover, the strategic implications of moving Rice into the leadoff spot are compelling. Putting Rice at the top and Aaron Judge at number two is an aggressive manuever that immediately puts pressure on the opposing pitcher. It’s becoming clearer by the day that Rice and Judge are the Yankees’ best hitters; why not ensure that they get the most at-bats, apply the most pressure on the opponent, and protect each other/give each other more opportunities to drive runs in?
The case against lies in keeping Rice’s potent power bat lower in the lineup. Rice has largely worked out of the cleanup spot in 2026, where he’s slugged .722 and driven in 11 runs in 11 games. Putting his name a little lower on the card gives probably gives him more chances to come up with a runner or two on, rather than giving him more chances to get on in front of Judge.
What do you think? Should the Yankees just put their best hitters at the top of the lineup and challenge their opponents to wade through them as many times as possible every night? Or should they take the more traditional route and keep Rice’s power bat closer to the heart of the order?
On the site today, Madison will handle the Rivalry Roundup for last night, and Peter’s entry in our Yankees Birthday series profiles pitcher Jimmy Key. Also, Andrés argues that Austin Wells has shown some promising signs during a nominally slow start, while Michael takes a look at slugger Munetaka Murakami, and wonders whether he provides a blueprint for Yankees prospect Spencer Jones.
WASHINGTON – Unlike some of his Major League Baseball peers, Matt Olson does not drain his blood, sip mountain spring water from a green glass bottle to avoid microplastics, nor measure every carbohydrate before sating his hunger.
“No, I’m not the guy,” he tells USA TODAY Sports, “who’s got a chef at home.”
Yet somehow, Olson has outlasted them all.
In this era of load management and general soreness the Atlanta Braves first baseman has not missed a game in nearly five years, stringing together a feat of longevity that can stand up to almost any era. After Atlanta’s 7-3 loss at Nationals Park on April 21, Olson has played in 806 consecutive games, second-longest this century and good health willing, soon stretching into the top 10 all-time.
Barring calamity or bad weather, Olson, on May 10 at Dodger Stadium, will dislodge Gus Suhr from 10th place all time with his 823rd consecutive game played. Eight days later, Eddie Yost would cede ninth place when Olson posts up at Miami.
And on Aug. 2, at home against Washington, the great Stan Musial would step aside for Olson’s 896th straight game and eighth place all time.
No, Cal Ripken Jr. won’t be losing sleep anytime soon: Olson would have to play every day well into the 2037 season to take down the Iron Man’s 2,632-game record. Yet Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s mark of 2,130 way back in 1995, long before planned days off and nouveau tweaks like oblique tears sent sluggers out of the lineup and onto the injured list.
This is 2026, the fifth consecutive season Olson figures to be one of the two to five players to play all 162 games. Few repeat the feat.
So why Olson, now 32, an age where the body is typically not impervious to a back twinge or a hamstring seizing?
“He’s got a baseball body that’s almost ideal,” says Braves manager Walt Weiss, the bench coach when Atlanta acquired Olson from Oakland in March 2022. “He’s long and rangy. He’s not wound tight.
“Very loose and whippy and all those things and obviously can withstand the rigors of this schedule. He’s a special one.”
And that 6-4, 225-pound frame is putting together what could be another very special season.
Why Matt Olson is ‘star in this game'
Musial was a three-time MVP, Gehrig a two-time winner and Ripken one. They combined to win 11 World Series titles.
Olson can’t make such gaudy claims relative to the men of iron above him on the all-time list. Yet in 2023, the man hit 54 home runs and also led the majors with 139 RBIs. He accrued 7.5 WAR, because he is an excellent defensive first baseman.
Olson has finished first, second or third in defensive runs saved the past six seasons, that rangy, fungible frame that allows his arms to extend in the batter’s box also a fielder’s best friend when a ball is skipped in the dirt toward first.
“The defense doesn’t get the glory that it should – he’s as good a defensive first baseman that you’ll find,” says Weiss. “His wingspan creates a lot of outs for us, with the way he stretches. That’s not something people are locked into, but we notice those types of things.
“He’s a stud. He’s a star in this game.”
Olson could not approach his 54-homer season the following two seasons, yet was metronomic in his production, posting consecutive 29-homer seasons with 37 and 41 doubles and 98 and 95 RBIs.
This year, something special might be brewing.
Olson already has six home runs and ranks second in the major leagues with 16 extra-base hits. His OPS is back over .900, and the 16-8 Braves seem poised to rid the aftertaste of their 86-loss 2025 campaign, which broke a streak of seven consecutive division titles.
Olson takes pride in his consecutive games streak and believes there’s some correlation between his everyday availability and his production – as well as the Braves’ consistent excellence.
Their culture has long revolved around posting, with third baseman Austin Riley playing 159 or 160 games from 2021 to 2023. In 2022, Olson and shortstop Dansby Swanson were the lone major leaguers to go 162.
“The best part of it is no matter how your game goes – great game, awful one – the next day is going to be a good one,” says Olson. “A lot of guys are penciled into the lineup every day. We’re not a big platoon squad and I think it’s good for everyone.
“You know you’re getting four or five, six at-bats every day. It’s going to help you see more pitches and make those bad games particularly easier to flush and know you’ve got a new chance at it tomorrow.”
Continuity is a franchise theme. Olson arrived one year after the Braves’ 2021 World Series title, famously replacing Freddie Freeman at first and signing a $168 million contract extension after the trade from Oakland ensured Freeman’s departure.
After Series-winning manager Brian Snitker retired after 2025, the club poked its head around and gave Weiss, formerly the Colorado Rockies manager, another chance to run the show.
“I think Walt is somebody who kind of respected the chain of command a little bit,” says Olson. “Being bench coach, he was there to help Snit, do his role. Now that he’s the manager, that role and voice expanded a little bit.
“We all don’t have enough good things to say about Walt. Love the way he goes about stuff. Gets us ready, keeps us ready to play.”
Not that Olson needs much in that department.
'It's not easy'
Even as he approaches his mid-30s, Olson needs to ponder a little bit to acknowledge concessions to advancing age. Yet he knows greater treatment, more intensive self-care, perhaps even injury may eventually be inevitable.
He has a simple mental trick to keep that day further into the future.
“It takes me a little longer to get loose every day,” says Olson, who has 294 career homers, and whose career adjusted OPS of 135 ranks 14th among active players. “But I try to stay out of the training room as much as possible. I’ve seen people who need it every day to go play, and I feel like that becomes people’s baselines a little bit.
“I want to save that for when I need it. There have been times, there’s going to be times you’re going to need it – you’re going to need to get work done.”
That still belies the maintenance behind the scenes – the weight room work, the extra swings – that keeps Olson on the field and at peak performance.
“The routines he has behind the scenes to keep his body in shape and play the amount of games he does and be as locked in, it’s pretty impressive,” says catcher Drake Baldwin. “Not many people are doing it like he is. It’s all a testament to how much he loves the game and how he goes about it.
“Working out, keeping the body right, to be able to play 162 for however many years he’s done it straight, it’s not easy.”
And the mental approach at the plate is just as crucial.
“He’s still trying to take the next at-bat,” says Baldwin, “and make it the most important of his life.”
Olson is yet another Brave who grew up in the Atlanta area, a laid-back dude very much in his comfort zone. Born one year before Atlanta’s first World Series title in 1995, he was well aware of the club’s standard of excellence, as their string of 14 consecutive division titles stretched deep into his childhood.
It became the standard and he expects no less – especially the bit about showing up, being available, doing your job.
“Since I was a kid, it was the way the Braves went about it,” says Olson. “You got your guys, and the team expects you to play. Fans expect you to play. You should expect to play.
“Ever since I came over here, it’s been exactly that. And I think it’s great for everybody involved.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 21: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets guards LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the game during Round One Game Two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 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 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
(Please note I am currently in a deep basketball-induced depression and will be in mourning for the next 24 hours – Holly)
On Tuesday night, the Rockets and Lakers kicked off Game 2 of the first round. Houston was looking to even things out.
This series has been pretty weird so far. I mean, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves weren’t even playing for Los Angeles, and then Kevin Durant got hurt. He had a bad bone injury and ended up on the injured list just hours before Game 1, so he had to miss it. But then, in Game 2, he was suddenly good to go – it was a pretty surprising turnaround. From the start, it was obvious he was the best player on the Rockets, always scoring the most points.
However, the second game got off to a similar start, despite Durant being on the court. The Rockets’ defense was pretty weak at the beginning, and they allowed LA to take the lead just like they did in the first game. If Houston wanted to catch up, they would have to step up their defense, and Durant would have to come through with some big plays on offense. It was going to be tough, but they needed him to be a hero if they wanted to get back in the game. The pressure was on, and it would be interesting to see how they responded.
Houston was able to calm things down with a stronger defense. However, the Lakers, with LeBron James leading the way, were still in control and held a steady lead for most of the first three quarters. The fourth quarter was a lot more competitive, with both teams giving it their all. Unfortunately for the Rockets, they just couldn’t seem to catch a break – they kept giving up easy baskets on defense and couldn’t capitalize on their open chances on offense, which made it tough for them to cut into the Lakers’ lead.
At the very least, Durant changed the game, which gives hope for the rest of the series. He scored 23 points on only 12 shots, and he also had s6 rebounds and 4 assists, although he did have 9 turnovers, which was a major factor.
Alperen Sengun had a hard time in Game 1. People spoke about him a lot throughout Tuesday’s game. I, for one, hoped Sengun would bounce back after game one, but that was not the case, as he didn’t do much better against DeAndre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes, scoring 20 points on 20 shots.
This Friday, April 24, at 7 p.m. CT, the Rockets and Lakers will face off in a really important Game 3. If you want to catch the action, you can tune in on Prime Video. Now, the series is heading to Houston for the next two games, and the Rockets really need to come out on top in these ones if they want to stay in the running. It’s a big deal for them, and they’ll be looking to make the most of their home court advantage.
The world of soccer throws up no shortage of questions. Today, Graham Ruthven endeavors to answer three of them
With his Copa del Rey winners medal around his neck, Pellegrino Matarazzo struggled to find the words to sum up his remarkable journey from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, via Italy and Germany to a historic triumph as Real Sociedad manager.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 16: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees stands for the national anthem during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium on April 16, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Joe Vasile: The New York Yankees and the Hudson Valley Renegades announced yesterday afternoon that pitchers Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón will start for the Renegades on Thursday and Friday, respectively, as part of their rehab assignments. Cole will be making his second start, as he began his rehab assignment with the Double-A Somerset Patriots last week, while Rodón will be taking the hill for the first time this season. I’m not saying I feel bad for the Brooklyn Cyclones batters they’ll be facing, but, well, I kind of do.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty and Jen McCaffrey: With the Yankees and Red Sox starting their first series of the season yesterday, The Athletic’s reporters on the New York and Boston beats teamed up to break down how the two teams have been going in the early weeks of the season. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the starting rotations of both staffs were highlighted: the Bombers need their rotation to cover for a shaky bullpen, while the Red Sox has been overtaxing their bullpen due to underperformance.
ESPN | Jeff Passan: The history of pitching is, in many ways, the search for more and more velocity. Two decades ago, a pitcher hitting triple digits was a rarity. Nowadays, though, so many pitchers — both starters and relievers — reach 100 miles per hour consistently that it no longer seems all that remarkable. Talking to players throughout the league — including Yankees starter/ace-in-training Cam Schlittler — Jeff Passan talks about the rise of the 100 mph fastball over the last few years, to the point where it has become an obsession even among high school students.
And, while Passan doesn’t get into it, probably also the reason for so many arm injuries.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 21: Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during Round One Game Two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 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 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Back in March, the Lakers were winning games thanks to an incredibly potent offense. One month later, they’re winning playoff games on the back of their defense.
A necessary change following injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, the Lakers are suffocating the Rockets. In Game 2, that defense forced 15 turnovers as LA moved ahead 2-0 in the series with a 101-94 win.
For the second straight game, the Rockets were held to under 100 points. As a team, Houston shot 40% from the field and just 24% from deep.
Not even the return of Kevin Durant could spark the Rockets’ offense as he turned the ball over nine times, a playoff career high. Alpern Şengün ended the night with 20 points on 20 shots and was held to 11 points through the first three quarters.
With the Lakers able to take control entering the fourth quarter as a result, they then turned their attention to Durant, who managed just two points on 1-4 shooting in the game’s last 12 minutes.
It was a comprehensive defensive performance that saw the Lakers pull off another stunner to earn their second victory of the playoffs. After the win, Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised his team’s ability to disrupt Houston’s two best offensive threats.
“Both great players,” Redick said. “I think you have to guard them with team defense, and you have to be willing to make multiple efforts, and we did that.
This defensive aggression began in the opening minutes and came from a likely source: Marcus Smart.
With Durant back, Smart tested him immediately. In the opening minutes of the game, Smart poked the ball away from Durant and dove on the floor for the steal. It was a precursor of things to come as Smart ended the game with five steals and Durant turned the ball over nine times, a playoff career high.
The first of 2 early steals from Marcus Smart.
He also just drained his second 3-pointer of the game to give the Lakers an early 12-9 lead. pic.twitter.com/xCtbykkqfV
“I think [Marcus Smart] did a great job defensively,” Redick said. “Obviously, it takes a full team effort to guard Kevin [Durant]. The job that I think our team did, again, he makes shots. He’s an unbelievable player. I think our activity was as good as it could have been.”
Limiting Durant and Şengün was an obvious key to the game. However, it wasn’t the only reason LA won. They put on a total team effort and shut down the Rockets’ offense across all phases.
Thanks to LA’s collective defensive play, they are halfway to a series win and have protected their home court.
It’s shocking that they’ve gotten here without Luka or Austin, but what’s even more surprising is how they’ve earned these wins with their defense.
The Lakers’ offense perhaps can’t reach the levels it could when Luka, the NBA’s scoring champion, was on the floor, but in the playoffs, it hasn’t mattered. Their defense has stepped up and raised its game.
During the regular season, it was hard to imagine LA’s defense improving enough to win playoff games, but they kept making strides throughout the year and are now improving on that end of the floor even with key players absent.
“We trust one another,” Smart said. “The word is elevate for us. And that’s all we’ve been trying to do, elevate our play on both ends.”
It’s the first to four, not the first to two, in a best-of-seven series. So far, the Lakers have done their job, but the job’s not finished. A trip to Houston for the next two games will offer the toughest challenge yet. But as they continue to adapt on the fly this postseason, nothing has yet to indicate it’s a test they can’t pass.
After spending a season dazzling with their offense, the Lakers have made two loud statements in Los Angeles with their defense, putting everyone on notice.
Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11, in the Central Division) vs. Los Angeles Kings (35-27-20, in the Pacific Division)
Los Angeles; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT
LINE: Avalanche -157, Kings +131; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Avalanche lead series 2-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche visit the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Tuesday for the sixth time this season. The Avalanche won 2-1 in overtime in the previous matchup.
Los Angeles has a 15-17-9 record in home games and a 35-27-20 record overall. The Kings have a 26-4-11 record when scoring three or more goals.
Colorado has a 29-7-5 record on the road and a 55-16-11 record overall. The Avalanche have a 48-6-6 record when scoring at least three goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Adrian Kempe has 36 goals and 37 assists for the Kings. Quinton Byfield has six goals and two assists over the past 10 games.
Nathan MacKinnon has 53 goals and 74 assists for the Avalanche. Gabriel Landeskog has scored three goals over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 5-2-3, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.3 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.
Avalanche: 8-1-1, averaging 2.2 goals, 3.8 assists, 3.5 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 1.2 goals per game.
INJURIES: Kings: Kevin Fiala: out for season (leg).
Avalanche: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Buffalo Sabres (50-23-9, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Boston Bruins (45-27-10, in the Atlantic Division)
Boston; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Bruins -110, Sabres -110; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres visit the Boston Bruins for game three of the first round of the NHL Playoffs with the series tied 1-1. The teams meet Tuesday for the seventh time this season. The Bruins won the previous matchup 4-2. Viktor Arvidsson scored two goals in the win.
Boston is 45-27-10 overall and 12-13-3 against the Atlantic Division. The Bruins serve 11.9 penalty minutes per game to rank second in league play.
Buffalo is 17-7-4 against the Atlantic Division and 50-23-9 overall. The Sabres have a +43 scoring differential, with 283 total goals scored and 240 allowed.
TOP PERFORMERS: David Pastrnak has scored 29 goals with 70 assists for the Bruins. Sean Kuraly has one goal and five assists over the past 10 games.
Tage Thompson has 40 goals and 41 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has five goals and five assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 4-4-2, averaging 2.9 goals, 5.3 assists, 4.1 penalties and 10.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.
Sabres: 6-3-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.8 assists, 5.3 penalties and 14.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
INJURIES: Bruins: None listed.
Sabres: Jiri Kulich: out for season (ear), Sam Carrick: out (arm), Justin Danforth: out for season (kneecap), Noah Ostlund: out (upper-body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Apr 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) reacts after being folded by Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) in the second half of a game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
BOSTON — Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla knew the Sixers were destined to turn things around as soon as Game 2 got underway at TD Garden on Tuesday night.
He called it before the opening tip.
“Tonight is going to be a much more difficult challenge,” Mazzulla said pregame. “I expect a better version of the Sixers, and we have to play better as well. Every game, series takes on a life of its own. You don’t have control over that. You just gotta control how you play, how you execute, and how you move on from each timeout to timeout, each run to run, each game to game.”
Philadelphia, without Joel Embiid, laid an egg in Game 1. Coach Nick Nurse admitted the Sixers played “out of character” before falling in a 32-point blowout loss to the Celtics on Sunday. That made the message heading into Tuesday night simple: “Be better,” Nurse said. The difference between falling into an 0-2 deficit or returning to Philadelphia tied 1-1 was clear, and the Sixers operated mindful of that urgency throughout Boston’s 111-97 loss in Game 2.
Sixers guards Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe combined to score 59 points, knocking down 11 of Philadelphia’s 19 3-pointers — after combining for 34 points in Game 1. Maxey got going early with 10 points in the first quarter, while Edgecombe found his rhythm with a 16-point second quarter.
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 21: Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers react in the second quarter of a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 21, 2026 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. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the Celtics, the shooting woes didn’t improve. Only Sam Hauser knocked down multiple 3-pointers by halftime, going 2-of-5 from deep, while Boston’s missed opportunities carried into the second half. That put added pressure on the defense to contain Maxey and Edgecombe for as long as possible while the offense tried to find its rhythm — but that breakthrough never came.
“You lose a quarter by 11 (points), that’s tough to come back from in a playoff game,” Mazzulla said.
The same Celtics team that led the league in fewest turnovers during the regular season (12.4 per game) committed 13 at home to Philadelphia’s nine.
Jaylen Brown (36 points) and Jayson Tatum (19 points) were the only Celtics to score in double figures. The next leading scorer, Nikola Vučević, provided nine points off the bench and was a minus-7 in over 18 minutes on the floor. Consistency was the biggest struggle for Boston. Even when they cut Philadelphia’s lead down to two points with over 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Celtics couldn’t add the finishing touch to ever gain control and take a second-half lead.
Instead, the Sixers closed out Game 2 on a 20-8 run, forcing Mazzulla to unload the bench and remove the starters for the final 1:52.
“There’s obviously things that we’ll do differently next game — be ready to do next game,” Mazzulla said. “But at the same time, we have to be aware of what’s on the other side of that. They’re a good team, and they put a ton of pressure on those things, and you kind of saw some of that tonight.”
The Sixers shot 34.9 percent from three in the regular season, ranking 23rd in the NBA. Their 12.3 made threes per game ranked 22nd, and Tuesday night’s 19 triples (on 48.7 percent shooting) were matched only three times all season.
Boston finished the loss shooting 36.4 percent from the field and 26 percent from three, hoisting 50 attempts from deep. In the regular season, they went 7-12 in games where they shot below 30 percent from beyond the arc, and it again helped the opposition — this time, Philadelphia — pull away with minimal resistance.
Rarely had the Celtics found themselves needing to self-reflect, but each time they did before Tuesday night, Brown was the first to speak up. That remained the case after the team’s first postseason hiccup.
“I just thought they outcompeted us tonight,” Brown said. “I think our intensity level could’ve been better. Defensively, we could’ve been better. We died on some screens. We just gotta be better. It’s the playoffs. They got ball players over there, and they came to play. And any given night, you can lose a game if you don’t come out with the right mindset.”
Tatum, after converting only two of eight 3-point attempts and committing three turnovers, still sounded composed. He pointed to his experience — his ninth trip to the playoffs — noting that losing home-court advantage was nothing new. Last year in the semifinals against the Knicks, after dropping the first two games at home, Tatum and the Celtics bounced back at Madison Square Garden. And this past season, the team went 20–6 in games following a loss.
That track record reinforced his confidence with the series heading to Philadelphia.
“We’ll be better next game,” Tatum assured.
Tatum also backed sharpshooters Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, who combined to go 2-of-14 from three (14.2 percent) in Game 2. White (eight points) and Pritchard (four points) each had rare off nights, muting two of Boston’s most reliable offensive weapons. Still, given the looks Boston generated, Tatum isn’t concerned about their shooting slumps carrying over into Game 3 on Friday night.
“There’s a lot of open looks and looks that they normally make,” Tatum said of White and Pritchard. “I don’t know how many they made this year, but I remember last year both those guys made 250-plus threes. So they’re great shooters. Sometimes the ball just don’t go in, but we never lose confidence in them. They’ll be ready, we’ll all be ready Friday.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 21: Adou Thiero #1 and Marcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers talk after the game against the Houston Rockets during Round One Game Two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 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 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers can write a hearty book of all the role players who have stepped up in big moments throughout the franchise’s history. When you win 17 NBA titles, that list is pretty long, in fact.
While Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard are not quite at the levels of the elites in Lakers lore, what they’re doing right now for this Lakers team deserves at least a chapter in that book.
A month ago, they were the fifth starter and the sixth man who excelled in their roles while also having limitations. On Tuesday, they combined for 48 points to move the shorthanded, underdog Lakers to a 2-0 series lead.
Kennard even received MVP chants at the free throw line in the final minute. Even if they came in jest, it’s a perfect snapshot of this moment. A pair of undersized guards have stepped up in back-to-back playoff games and have the Lakers halfway to a series win.
So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
After taking the role of table-setter in Game 1, LeBron was far more aggressive as a scorer in this one. His two threes to open the second quarter were huge momentum boosts at the time.
At times, particularly late in the first half, his offense out of the post wasn’t quite as efficient, but he spent the third quarter and second half targeting Alperen Şengün and methodically picking apart the Rockets’ defense.
Rui continues to have some adventurous moments, like his blown layup in the fourth quarter that immediately led to a Josh Okogie three.
And yet, he still comes up with some really big shots. His jumper over Kevin Durant late in the fourth was a huge shot to push the lead back to six points. He again had an efficient night and while the complaints will come about his rebounding, we’re in year four of Rui now. That just isn’t ever going to be a regular part of his game.
At the start of this game, Ayton felt like he was a little disengaged offensively. Then Jabari Smith Jr. blocked his layup attempt and told him about it and that woke him up. He immediately tried a poster dunk on the next play and then eventually threw down a ridiculous alley-oop.
He also played well defensively on Şengün. The change to Jaxson Hayes closing the game felt more like a decision made because of Hayes’ ability to switch on to Kevin Durant more than an indictment on Ayton’s play.
After leaving a lot on the table from range in Game 1, Smart made up for it and then some on Tuesday. He came out of the gate drilling threes, helping LA grab control of the game early.
There was still the typical chaotic bad that comes with Smart, including being involved in a string of turnovers in the second quarter. But he’s such a great playoff performer when all the little things matter so much, like him getting a hand on a pass late to force a turnover before finding LeBron for his monster dunk to effectively seal the win.
And yet, my favorite play of the night came minutes into the game when he poked the ball loose from KD, dove on the ground for the steal and found LeBron, who was eventually fouled.
The first of 2 early steals from Marcus Smart.
He also just drained his second 3-pointer of the game to give the Lakers an early 12-9 lead. pic.twitter.com/xCtbykkqfV
While it may not have had quite the same pop or highlight moment as his Game 1 performance, I’d argue this was actually an even more impressive outing for Kennard. Considering that the Rockets certainly had him higher on the gameplan, for him to still finish with 23 points on 8-13 shooting is incredible.
The non-LeBron minutes rely heavily on Kennard to score or create. For now, he’s keeping those lineups afloat as the Lakers were +1 with LeBron off the floor.
That we’re at this point with Kennard is really just hard to believe. With Smart, there’s a pedigree of playoff performances to reference when he has a night like this. With Kennard, this is genuinely unchartered waters.
After a below-average Game 1, Hayes had a great outing in Game 2. Gone were the silly fouls and mental lapses when defending Şengün. As a result, he rightfully closed the game to help the Lakers shut off the Rockets’ water. He did a solid job rotating out onto Durant either by himself or when trapping.
And his extra effort late helped the Lakers gain another possession to ice the game away. It took two seasons, but this is safely Hayes’ best postseason game as a Laker.
This was a pretty brutal night for LaRavia. There was a stretch in the first half where he turned the ball over, then picked up three fouls in under 30 seconds. He absolutely could not handle the Durant assignment throughout the game, which raises some questions about how playable he is.
Hopefully, this was just a one-off bad game because the Lakers are going to need him on the floor to eat up minutes, if nothing else.
Vando continues to offer basically nothing offensively and can’t make the Rockets pay for leaving him open in the corners, but he did a good job of making up for it defensively. He had a couple of nice possessions defensively on Durant and was active on the glass.
In a game where they needed to grind out a win, Vando felt right at home in his minutes.
Grade: B
Bronny James
It was just one shift in the first half for Bronny without anything of note.
JJ Redick
Through two games, JJ Redick is putting on a coaching masterclass. Defensively, he mixed up coverages throughout the game to confuse Durant and the Rockets, oscillating between switching him or trapping him and swarming him with bodies to force the ball out of his hands. It led to nine turnovers from Durant.
Offensively, he adjusted to the Rockets focusing so heavily on Kennard by putting him in the weakside corner in pick and rolls with LeBron, clearing the lane for he and Ayton to connect on lobs or for LeBron to have a wide open lane to the rim. He also did a nice job of changing LeBron’s post-ups in the second half from the elbow with players all around him to a cleared out side of the floor, forcing help to come and leaving someone open.
This has been a drastically different and better performance from Redick compared to last postseason.
Grade: A+
Tuesday’s DNPs: Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, Nick Smith Jr., Adou Thiero
LOS ANGELES — Kevin Durant was back for the Rockets. That made the marquee matchup "LeBron James vs. Durant," a showdown of two of the all-time greats.
LeBron winning that showdown is not why the Lakers are up 2-0 in their series with the Rockets. It's because of their defense, which forced nine Durant turnovers. And it's because the Lakers have Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard. That starting backcourt — forced into action because of the injuries sidelining Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — combined for 48 points on Tuesday night, made huge defensive plays and 3-pointers, which proved to be the difference. That Lakers' defense held Durant to three points in the second half and hung on at the end for a 101-94 win that has them holding serve on their home court. The Lakers are up 2-0 as the series heads to Houston on Friday night.
LeBron earned his share of the spotlight, finishing the night with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He even had a reverse dunk at age 41.
"I don't even know what that was about," LeBron said postgame, shaking his head.
The biggest difference in this series through two games is that while both teams are missing key starters — the Rockets have been without point guard Fred VanVleet all season and also don't have center Steven Adams — it's the Lakers who have had players step up and fill the roles of their missing stars. LeBron had nothing but praise for Smart and Kennard.
"He's battle tested," LeBron said of Smart. "Guy has been to the Finals, been in multiple playoff games, big games in his career. So obviously, he's not afraid of the moment, and he's always been assigned with some of the best players ever played this game in his career. So to have someone like that, it just brings a lot of composure to our team."
Smart finished with 25 points, seven assists and five steals, most of those against Kevin Durant, who he guarded much of the night. Kennard finished with 23 points and six rebounds, but did so much more as a playmaker and passer.
"He's a sniper, we understand that, but he does so much more," LeBron said of Kennard. "He does so much more and I think that's what keeps defenses off balance. Sometimes you fall into the fact that he shoots 50 (percent) from 3, and you think that sometimes that's all he can do, but he is so much more than that."
Durant scored 20 points in the first half, but in the second the Lakers threw multiple bodies and different looks at the future Hall of Famer, trying to force the ball out of his hands. It worked, Durant had just three points in the second 24 minutes and nine turnovers for the game.
"I felt good. Glad to be back out there during high-pressure moments. But yeah, bad game for me," Durant said.
Nobody else on the Rockets stepped up. Alperen Sengun had a good box score game with 20 points and 11 rebounds, but that doesn't tell the story of his struggles — he missed bunnies all night and finished 9-of-19 in the paint. The Lakers would double-team Sengun when he had the ball in the post, and he would freeze, which cut off a lot of how the Rockets wanted to score in the halfcourt.
The Lakers' defense also doesn't fear the Rockets' ball handlers or shooters, and Houston isn't making them pay. As a team, the Rockets shot just 24.1% from 3 — Houston needs to hope that home cooking improves their shooting and changes the dynamic of their role players getting outplayed.
"I thought our guys at least matched their sense of desperation, or second efforts, or multiple efforts, all that stuff," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "I mean, you got to win a bunch of little fights. That could be your catch position offensively, that could be your screens, that could be creating separation, that could be boxing out. But this team requires you to win a bunch of little fights."
The Lakers need to win just two more games to have won the big fight. The Rockets need to show some fight at home, or this is going to be a short series.
LeBron James is a four-time NBA champion and has been the league's Most Valuable Player four times [Getty Images]
LeBron James shone as the Los Angeles Lakers took charge of their NBA play-off series while Victor Wembanyama was concussed during a San Antonio defeat.
The Lakers were without leading scorers Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique), but 41-year-old James continued to show his class.
The 22-time All Star claimed 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead the Lakers to a 101-94 win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
Fellow veteran Kevin Durant returned for Houston after missing the opening game of the series and scored a team-high 23 points but turned the ball over nine times and claimed just three points after half-time.
The Lakers now lead 2-0 in the first round of the post-season, with the Rockets hosting the next two games in the best-of-seven series.
Wembanyama had scored five points for the San Antonio Spurs when he was injured midway through the second quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 7ft 4in France international, who has been named this season's defensive player of the year, hit his face on the floor after being knocked off his feet during a drive to the basket.
The Spurs said he had entered the concussion protocol and would not return to the game. They confirmed after Portland's 106-103 win that he had sustained a concussion.
Scoot Henderson scored a game-high 31 points for the Trail Blazers, who levelled the series at 1-1 and are at home on Friday and Sunday.
NBA guidelines state that Wembanyama must remain inactive for at least 24 hours and cannot resume full participation for 48 hours.
San Antonio - the Western Conference's second seed - won 12 of the 18 games the 22-year-old missed during the regular season.
VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey combined for 59 points as the Philadelphia 76ers bounced back from a dismal game one to level their series with the Boston Celtics.
Edgecombe claimed 30 points in a 111-97 win at the Eastern Conference's second seed Boston and the 76ers host the next two.
Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 36 points for the Celtics, with Jayson Tatum (19) the only other Boston player to reach double figures.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 21: Ryan Walker #74 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates a win against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park on April 21, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants have not developed a reputation for intelligence early this season, but on Tuesday they did something very, very smart. They jumped on Yoshinobu Yamamoto early.
You’re familiar with Yamamoto. You hoped he was as good as everyone said he was when the Giants appeared determined to not be outbid for his services two years ago. You feared that he was as good as everyone said he was when he instead signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. You confirmed that he was as good as everyone said he was when did his best Madison Bumgarner impression last fall while leading the Dodgers to a second consecutive championship, collecting a World Series MVP award and a top-three Cy Young finish along the way.
So the Giants did the sensible thing. They pounced before Yamamoto had time to realize where he was.
Willy Adames led off the bottom of the first inning with an infield single, and took second on an error by shortstop Hyeseong Kim. Luis Arráez followed by doing the one thing he does better than anyone on the planet: hitting a single.
Yamamoto was just seven pitches in, and found himself both in trouble and unsure what had happened. Lost in a haze of confusion and crisp Bay Area fog, he proceeded to walk Matt Chapman, loading the bases with no outs.
The Giants are not always prepared to capitalize on these situations. You might go so far as to say that they’re rarely prepared to capitalize on these situations.
But they capitalized on this situation.
On the very next pitch, Rafael Devers looked nothing like his old self, as he barely made contact on a get-it-in fastball, ever so lightly dusting a foul tip into Dalton Rushing’s glove.
But on the pitch after that, Devers looked very much like his old self, dipping below the zone to grab a sinker and still smacking it loudly into the outfield, scoring a run.
The Giants had achieved the rare act of capitalizing, and had a rarer act left in their back pocket: adding on.
Casey Schmitt hit next and flew a ball into left field, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly which, it turns out, was the absolute best-case scenario for the Dodgers. Despite it being a fairly routine fly ball for Teoscar Hernández, center fielder Alex Call flew full speed after it, robbing his teammate of catch and instead gifting him a head-on collision. Miraculously, Call hung onto the ball. Even more miraculously, neither player was injured on the type of play that catches an entire stadium’s collective breath.
After the dust from that had settled, Jung Hoo Lee wisely seemed to predict that Yamamoto would be a little out of sorts, and so he jumped on a first pitch curveball that hung up in the zone, and toasted it into right field, scoring a third run.
Just like that, the Giants had put a three-spot on Yamamoto and forced 26 pitches out of him. The ref was counting to 10, and the star pitcher was wobbling his way back to his feet and falling against the ropes.
And then Yamamoto retired the next 10 batters he faced, quickly and with almost dismissive ease, and went around the lineup two full times before giving up another hit.
Things got entertaining when he did finally give up another hit, though. In the sixth inning, the Northern California rain started to come down in droves. But being the grandson of one adverse weather condition apparently gets you in with all adverse weather conditions, as Lee was utterly unbothered by the large amounts of water falling on his face, and again hit a single to right field, this time with two outs and nobody on, giving him his sixth multi-hit game in the last 10 contests.
Heliot Ramos followed and, I’m pleased to report, the swing that he found in Washington D.C. appears to have made the trip back to the West Coast, as he worked the count full before blasting a 108.5-mph single right back up the middle.
Which is where the fun — and pain — began.
Lee, who had a two-out jump, who knew that the wet baseball would be hard to throw, and who had watched for innings on end as none of his teammates could get a hit off of Yamamoto, decided to try to score.
From first.
On a single.
A hard-hit single that was directly to the center fielder.
More accurately, Héctor Borg took all of that into consideration, saw the speed at which Lee was flying at, and watched Call lazily get the ball back in, and decided what the hell, let’s get funky.
Funky indeed.
It didn’t work, but it was fun. And in Borg’s defense, it took a wonderfully-thrown relay by Alex Freeland and a perfect tag by Rushing to retire Lee, and I’d put the odds of that not happening as higher than the odds of Drew Gilbert getting a rain-soaked hit off of the second-best pitcher in the National League when they’re in a flow state that we sports mortals simply cannot relate to.
But Lee was out indeed, and in more than one sense of the word. He walked off the field gingerly, and was replaced two innings later by Jerar Encarnación. Thankfully, the Giants did not sound concerned about the injury, which Tony Vitello described as a banged-up right quad. Unfortunately, the Giants do not have a great track record with expressing a lack of concern in an injury. But that’s an issue for another day.
Yamamoto returned for the seventh inning and struck out Gilbert, Patrick Bailey, and Adames, in order, all looking, capping an exceptional night that had felt impossible just six innings earlier: seven frames, six hits, no extra-base hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts.
But the Giants had not only jumped on him early, but stacked more than half of their baserunners in one inning, using sequencing to get a few runs on the board. And now all that was left was to rely on the pitchers, and hope that they could teach Yamamoto about the glorious and dreadful (but today just glorious) art of The Caining.
It’s funny. When you watch sports with a rooting interest, you inherently see everything through the lens of your team. The old adage that hitters don’t hit home runs, but rather that pitchers throw them, is emphatically true when your team is pitching. And it’s a crock of manure when your team is at bat.
Such it is that when we think of a Caining — or a Webbing, to use the parlance of the youths — we associate it with the Giants hitters being feckless numbskulls incapable of the teensiest shred of offensive life. We never really frame it as a great pitcher showing off their talents at the Giants’ expense. But really, it’s both.
Enter Landen Roupp.
Roupp’s season has been a revelation, and with every start he inches a little further away from “encouraging start to the season” and a little closer to “wait a dang minute, this guy might be really, really good.” But he hadn’t faced a team like the Dodgers this year, and this felt like the test. And it felt like he knew it was a test, and was screaming the answer when he opened the game by striking out Shohei Ohtani, something he would do twice on the day.
It also felt like Roupp was yelling his answer when, after ceding a two-out first-inning walk to Freddie Freeman when Bailey chose not to challenge a pitch that probably was strike three, Roupp calmly took his spot on the mound, glared at the opposing hitter, and needed just two more pitches to end the inning.
But it was the third inning where Roupp really stated his top-of-the-rotation case, when he struck out Freeland swinging, then struck out Ohtani swinging, then struck out Kyle Tucker swinging. That’s a whole lot of hundreds of millions of left-handed dollars (a few even not deferred!) that Roupp mowed down easily, with both a demeanor and a talent that look more and more like Bumgarner with every passing day.
Yet while Roupp’s excellence was the main story of LA’s stuck-in-first offense, it was the fourth inning where the Caining really transpired. That’s the inning where the Dodgers and their fans shook their heads and questioned how this could happen to them, while Yamamoto sat somewhere on the bench wondering why his own teammates hate him so much.
Freeman opened the inning by drawing a walk. Hernández worked three balls before rolling over a pitch, hitting it softly into a fielder’s choice. Max Muncy walked. And then the play that briefly shifted momentum: Rushing took a 3-1 curveball, called for strike two. He challenged, and won by what could generously be described as an eyelash. Suddenly the bases were loaded, and there was just one out.
And then Roupp walked Kim, putting the Dodgers on the board and doing nothing to ease the danger of the situation. But after falling behind to Call 2-0, Roupp battled back and, thanks to an infield defense that lived up to its potential and paycheck, got a gorgeous inning-ending double play.
Roupp’s fifth inning was much cleaner, as he took down the side in order, sandwiching an Ohtani fly ball with Freeland and Tucker strikeouts. It was an outing that, true to the Bumgarner comparisons, was as steeped in grit as it was in talent. He needed a career-high 106 pitches to get through just five innings. He threw just 58 of those pitches for strikes. He walked five batters, including a run home.
But he gave up just one hit — a soft two-out line drive by Kim — and that one run was the only one he would allow.
Baseball enthusiasts and keen eyes alike will note that Roupp pitching five innings still left four innings unaccounted for, and the Giants were legally required to give those innings to the bullpen, which really added to the Caining/Webbing of the Yamamotoing. No Dodgers fan will sleep well tonight with the thought that the Giants bullpen preserved a lead for four innings, and, armed with that knowledge, you should sleep well tonight.
But Vitello pressed the right buttons, and, more importantly, the arms delivered.
Against an almost entirely left-handed lineup, Vitello turned to lefty killer/killed by righties southpaw Ryan Borucki for the sixth, and it was the perfect time to go in that direction. Borucki easily dismissed of three lefties — Freeman, Muncy, and Rushing — and did so with such comfort that you barely noticed that a righty (Hernández) snuck in there to bop a double that went nowhere (righties are now hitting 8-15 with four extra-base hits against Borucki this season).
Vitello stacked his lefties, turning to Matt Gage in the seventh, who got two quick outs before walking Freeland.
That brought up what was, at the time, the most intriguing bullpen decision by Vitello, and one that you rarely ever see. With his lefty reliever cruising, looking good, and having thrown just 14 pitches, and with a trio of left-handed hitters up next, the Giants skipper trudged out to the mound, took the ball, and brought in a different lefty. The oh-so-rare lefty-replacing-lefty.
But if you know anything about Erik Miller, it’s that no one on earth has proven as capable of getting Ohtani out, and so Vitello turned to his secret weapon. And in a cruel twist of fate, Ohtani hit a soft infield single to keep the inning going.
Just long enough for Tucker to strike out swinging.
Vitello’s decision to turn to Miller was unconventional, but it was both savvy and analytically sound. What happened in the ninth, however, was a bit more controversial.
After a smooth eighth — Miller retired two batters, and left one runner on for Keaton Winn, who absolutely obliterated pinch-hitter Will Smith, with a nasty sequence of sinkers and splitters — Vitello had a choice to make. I assumed it would be a four-out save opportunity for Winn, who has had perhaps the most electric stuff of anyone in the bullpen this year.
But no. Vitello turned to Ryan Walker. The same Walker who was fresh off a blown save in a similar opportunity. The same Walker who has flirted with disaster enough recently that you can hear — even through the TV — the reaction in the stands as the nerves kick in.
Arguably the biggest selling point of Vitello was his ability to manage players and get the most out of them. Bob Melvin lost his job because once the Giants started slumping they simply couldn’t stop, and that wasn’t just a team issue: it happened at the team level because it happened so frequently at the individual level.
That’s why Vitello is in San Francisco where, he admitted before the game, he finally stepped out to enjoy the local culture on Monday night.
I don’t want to give all the credit for good baseball plays to one of the few people in uniform who wasn’t making baseball plays, but I had to wonder: had Vitello’s motivational ways worked some magic on Walker?
He looked fantastic striking out pinch-hitter Andy Pages, who has been one of the best hitters in baseball this year, on just four pitches. Perhaps Vitello’s show of trust was helping him settle in.
He looked excellent getting Call to fly one out to left field, never falling behind in the count. Maybe Vitello, who has refused to name a closer publicly, has said the perfect things privately.
He looked dynamic striking out Freeland with an other-worldly sinker, then unleashed the roar of someone who felt like himself for the first time in a while. Like someone who has made no attempts to hide that they want to be the closer, and that they believe they should be the closer.
The buttons correctly pressed. A Caining on the other foot. Another data point suggesting Roupp is That Guy. Some timely hits. And a bullpen that maybe isn’t so bad, after all.
Most importantly, LA beaten. By a delightful 3-1 margin.
