West of Nevada Athletics @ Texas Rangers
Friday, April 24, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / CW33)
The Shed
RHP Luis Severino vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi
Go Rangers!
Game 26 Game Day Thread – West Sacramento Athletics @ Texas Rangers
Game #26: A’s at Rangers Game Thread
A much-needed day off should have our A’s rested and charged for their second stop of this road trip. After going into Seattle and taking two of three the A’s are now in Texas to take on the Rangers for a three-game weekend series. Big stakes on the line between these two as both enter the series at 13-12 and the series winner will be in first place on Monday morning.
Righty Luis Severino is on the mound tonight for his sixth start this season. The veteran has been up and down mostly this year, and more down than up in recent outings. He’s given up nine runs combined over this two most recent starts so he’ll be looking to right the ship against a Texas team that is tied with the Athletics for first in the division.
Here’s how the Athletics’ lineup looks for the first game in Arlington:
Get used to this lineup, it might be a consistent one we see over the coming weeks. Manager Mark Kotsay seems to love Carlos Cortes in the three hole. And apparently he’s also comfortable with Zack Gelof in center field. He should get lots of run there with Denzel Clarke on the IL.
That starting nine will be tasked with taking down Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi. The veteran has a long track record of success against the A’s but has had a tough start to his season here in 2026, so the team needs to get on the right-hander quickly or else he could get on a roll.
The Texas lineup:
Let’s go A’s!
Royals vs. Angels Friday gamethread
The Royals desperately need a series win, and the Angels provide an opportunity this weekend.
Noah Cameron takes the bump after giving up a career-high seven runs his last start against the Yankees. Matt Quatraro goes with a righty-heavy lineup against lefty Yusei Kikuchi.
The Angels took two of three at Kauffman Stadium last year. They were off to a good start this year until they lost four of their last five.
Tonight’s game will be broadcast on both Royals.TV and free over-the-air on KCTV5 in Kansas City.
GAME THREAD: Guardians at Blue Jays, game 27 of 162
Here’s the Guardians lineup:
Here’s the Blue Jays lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
Rockets' Kevin Durant out for critical Game 3 vs. Lakers Friday with sprained ankle
Kevin Durant is out with a left ankle sprain on Friday night, missing a must-win Game 3 for the Houston Rockets.
This is a massive setback for a team that has struggled to generate offense through the first two games against the Lakers. Durant suffered the sprain during Game 2. Durant's status for Game 3 was moved to "questionable" on Thursday, but the widespread expectation was that he would play. Before the game, Rockets coach Ime Udoka said Durant was a game-time decision based on how his pregame workout went, but according to reporters in the building, Durant never went out for warmups.
Durant missed the first game of this first-round series with a knee contusion, and the Rockets scored only 98 points in that game. KD played in the second game, but the Lakers doubled him nearly every time he touched the ball, and while he still scored 23 points, he also had nine turnovers and had to pass out of the double a lot, and his teammates were not stepping up.
With Durant out, and looking to shake things up, Udoka said he would move Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason into the starting lineup.
The Rockets have a 106.1 offensive rating through two games in this series, 12.5 points per 100 possessions worse than their regular-season number. The Rockets need to find a way to generate offense on their home court Friday night, or they could find themselves in a 0-3 hole, something no NBA team has ever climbed out of.
Washington Nationals vs Chicago White Sox Game Thread
The Nationals are hitting the road, where they have been a much better team this season. They will face a White Sox team that is pretty similar to themselves. Both are rebuilding teams that do not have great records but have shown flashes of a bright future. This should be a fun little series.
The White Sox are using a lefty opener, so the Nats have made some lineup tweaks to account for that. Luis Garcia Jr. will be in the 8 hole so he can avoid the lefty. Daylen Lile will be in the 2 spot, which is the highest he has hit this season. Brady House will be the DH and hit third. That means the hot hitting Jorbit Vivas will be at third base. Drew Millas will be behind the plate. PJ Poulin will be the opener, while Miles Mikolas and Riley Cornelio will follow him.
This White Sox lineup is led by new addition Munetaka Murakami. The Japanese slugger is a true three outcome hitter. He is hitting third. Colson Montgomery is another exciting young power bat for the southsiders. This White Sox lineup has some big time power, but they do not hit for a ton of average. Lefty Bryan Hudson will open for the White Sox and he will be followed by former Nat Erick Fedde, who has had a lot of success against his old club.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Rate Field
Time: 7:40 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
It is not the sexiest matchup, but I am excited to watch these two rebuilding teams. Hopefully Murakami does not feast against this homer prone pitching staff. If the Nats can keep him and Montgomery in check, I like their chances. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
'You Don't Really Have Anything To Lose': With 3-0 Odds Stacked Against Them, Penguins Still Believe Comeback Is Possible
It has only happened four times in the history of the NHL.
In 1942, the Toronto Maple Leafs came back from 3-0 to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. In 1975, the New York Islanders accomplished the feat against the Pittsburgh Penguins in their Wales Conference quarterfinal series. In 2010, the Philadelphia Flyers shocked the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
And, the most recent case in 2014 involved the Los Angeles Kings looking lifeless in their first three games in the opening round against the San Jose Sharks, only to storm back, win the series, and go on to win the Stanley Cup.
Coming back from down 3-0 to win a series in the NHL is extremely rare air, as the 209 other teams in NHL history that have gone down 3-0 went on to lose their respective series. But, even if it's near-impossible, it's not, in fact, impossible, and it has happened. Special teams make history for a reason.
And, this year, there are three different opportunities in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs for history to repeat itself. The Ottawa Senators trail the Carolina Hurricanes by a 3-0 series deficit, as do the Kings against the mighty Colorado Avalanche.
Then, there are the Penguins, who are on the brink of getting swept by their cross-state rival Flyers.
These teams have both been players in this situation before: The Penguins were on the wrong end of it in 1975, while the Flyers did the improbable in 2010. It is the Penguins who are faced with the improbable this time around, and - to be quite frank - they have looked much like the Kings did in 2014 prior to their out-of-the-blue comeback against the Sharks. And they look just like most of those 209 other teams that couldn't pull off historical feats.
Takeaways: Penguins' Strong Start Goes Sideways As Flyers Take Commanding 3-0 Series LeadAfter a tension-filled Game 3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves in a near-impossible 3-0 series hole heading into Game 4 on Saturday. In Games 1 and 2 in 2014, the Kings lost 6-3 and 7-2, respectively. They did take home a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 3, which - oftentimes - is the nail in the coffin for teams in that situation. But they somehow flipped a switch, and they found a way to dominate the remaining four games. They won by sequential scores of 6-3, 3-0, 4-1, and 5-1, and - again - went on to defeat the New York Rangers in five games during the Stanley Cup Final.
There was belief, just like there is with a lot of teams in this situation. And that belief is still alive and well in the Penguins' locker room, despite the daunting task that lies ahead of them.
And one Penguins' player has some experience in this arena, as his former team came pretty close to accomplishing the feat.
"You win one game, and a lot of things can happen, a lot of things can change," said goaltender Stuart Skinner, whose Edmonton Oilers recovered from a 3-0 deficit against the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final only to lose in Game 7. "As a team that's up 3-0, and you lose that first game... it's a tight second game, and you end up losing that second game... I mean, it's a series. Momentum shifts, and that can change a lot of things. One win can do a lot."
What Changes The Penguins, Senators And Kings Must Make To Avoid Playoff SweepThe Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings need a miracle to reverse-sweep their first-round playoff opponents. But this is what they can do to win Game 4.During media availability following Friday's practice, Skinner recalled that series, talking about how - one by one - plays built up throughout Game 4 that snowballed and allowed Edmonton to find their game again, forcing Florida to back into a bit of a corner. They took it one play at a time, one game at a time.
And that will be the Penguins' focus heading into Game 4 on Saturday in Philadelphia: win one game. It can be a bit hard to get into that headspace, especially knowing that four consecutive wins are necessary to stay alive.
But Skinner dove into the mental side of things as well, and he is confident in his own ability to do that.
"I've done a lot of that work in, just, my career in general, because it's the same thing in a season, too," Skinner said. "You can be having a couple tough bad games or, just, results aren't going your way, and you've got to find out how to switch that up in your mind.
"To be honest, I've been in so many situations that this feels - I don't want to say, 'normal,' because we're down 3-0, but - just normal in the sense of mentally juggling. I feel like I know how to do that."
Key For Penguins In Rest Of Series Against Flyers May Be One Simple ThingThe situation may look bleak for the Pittsburgh Penguins, as they trail their best-of-seven series to the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-0 - but there is one thing that could, potentially, make all the difference for them the rest of the way.It helps, too, that the Penguins have a nice collection of veterans in the room who know what it takes to win. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Sam Girard all have Stanley Cup wins on their resumes, and the adversity of the playoffs is something they've all experienced to the very end, when they - ultimately - had the chance to hoist Lord Stanley in celebration on the ice.
"It's pretty clear. I think, being in this position, you can't look too far ahead, you've just got to look at what's in front of you, and that's tomorrow and making sure that we put our best game on the ice," Crosby said. "I don't feel like we feel like we've done that for a complete game yet. Maybe different parts of games, but that first period's more of how we want to play. We just weren't able to sustain it. So, if we can put some periods together like that, then we can give ourselves a chance."
He added: "Ultimately, as a player, this is the best time of year, and it's not an ideal situation. But, at the same time, we would have took this last year. So, I think it's a matter of having the right approach, enjoying it, and just making sure we focus on what's in front of us here."
But, even though winning means everything to every player in that locker room, for guys like Skinner and Erik Karlsson - veterans who have "been there, done that" but never got to the finish line - defining moments like this mean even more.
"We believe in ourselves, and I believe in my team."
— x - Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 24, 2026
Evgeni Malkin speaks to the media after practice ahead of Game 4 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rh0j5l2vJg
The last time Karlsson skated in the playoffs prior to this season was in 2019 with the Sharks. The closest he came to the Stanley Cup Final was in 2017, when the Penguins beat the Senators in dramatic fashion during a memorable Game 7 double-overtime - and when Karlsson was the best player on the ice for either team in that series.
Karlsson and the team know what's at stake. But, at the end of the day, he's also aware that it's important to embrace the feeling of playing in the hardest postseason in sports, having fun with it, and understanding the opportunity that lies in front of them.
“We're going to have to embrace and understand that being in this situation, even though we're down 3-0, is still a lot of fun, and we would have paid a lot of money to stand here today back in October and say this is where we were going to be,” Karlsson said after Game 3. “We've just got to realize that and understand that we're a good hockey team here. We've got a great opportunity."
And, as who understands what it takes to come back in an a near-impossible situation, Skinner believes this group of Penguins has what it takes to seize that opportunity and do something very few others in NHL history have managed to accomplish.
“You know it's possible,” Skinner said. “Statistics are fun to look at. But, it doesn't mean they're always right. What really helped me in my experience was it, kind of, just frees you up. You don't really have anything to lose.
“We've got the bodies in here. We've got a resilient group. I can say that over and over and over again, but we've proven it. We've shown it. This is the group that can definitely come back from this deficit. I certainly believe that.”
Top-5 Moves That Shaped Penguins' Successful 2025-26 SeasonThere are many moves that NHL GM of the Year frontrunner Kyle Dubas made this season to contribute to the Penguins' success - but there are five that were crucial to their first Stanley Cup Playoff berth in four years.Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Game Thread: Off days after wins are infuriating
Go Rays!
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Game #25 GameThread: Guardians @ Jays
There were some bits of Jays news while I was out:
- The Jays traded ‘cash considerations’ to the Rangers for catcher Willie MacIver, who they optioned to Buffalo. Tyler Fitzgerald was DFAed to make room. And, judging by his picture, he has enough hair for the whole team to share.
- They also announced that Jeff Hoffman wouldn’t be closer anymore, that they would go closer by committee for the next while.
- The team is deciding if Trey Yesavage will make his next start in the majors or the minors
Tonight’s lineups:
GO JAYS GO
Game #26: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers, April 24, 2026, 7:40 p.m. ET
Location: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet
Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (3-1, 3.27 ERA) vs. Brandon Woodruff (2-0, 3.42 ERA)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the Milwaukee Brewers looking to grab a win.
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Friday night Orioles game thread: vs. Red Sox, 7:05pm ET
Where to watch: MASN/MASN+
Probable pitchers: RHP Brandon Young (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 K) vs. RHP Brayan Bello (1-2, 6.75 ERA, 13 K)
The Orioles return to Camden Yards Friday night after a road trip that had more reasons for concern than celebration. Across seven games in Cleveland and Kansas City, the O’s went 3-4, while continuing to show the inconsistent offense and starting pitching that’s plagued them throughout their 12-13 start.
Getting off to strong starts in games has been the Orioles’ biggest problem in 2026, as they often find themselves playing from behind and in need of last-ditch comeback attempts. In the first three innings of games, MLB as a whole is hitting .237 while scoring 1.46 runs/game across innings 1-3. The Orioles, conversely, are hitting .184 in the first three innings of games, while putting up 0.88 runs/game in the first three frames. Combine those early inning offensive struggles with a starting rotation sporting a 4.37 ERA (21st in baseball) and get a consistent game script that never leads to comfortable victories.
The few positives coming from the Orioles’ road trip are the steady resurgence of Pete Alonso’s bat and the continuation of Ledoy Taveras’ hot start. After shuffling through the first six series of the season with an average under .200, Alonso hit .250 on the road trip with a .751 OPS and his third Orioles homer. Taveras slashed .273/.360/.545 across the two road series, and broke up a no-hitter in Cleveland, collected a game-winning, extra-inning grand slam in Kansas City and swatted a game-tying single in the Royals series finale.
The only team in the AL East that’s been more disappointing than the Orioles this year is tonight’s opponent, the Red Sox. Boston comes into tonight’s contest with the Major’s 26th-ranked offense to go along with a middle-of-the-pack rotation. Right-hander Brayan Bello has struggled to begin the season, failing to make it through 5 innings in three of his four starts, while struggling with walks and home runs. Bello does have a 3.13 ERA and .181 BAA in four career starts at Camden Yards, but the O’s will hope they can pile on his early-season struggles.
Opposing Bello is Baltimore’s recently recalled right-hander, Brandon Young. The 27-year-old Texan was sharp in his only previous start this season, tossing five scoreless innings while only allowing two hits against the White Sox. It will be Young’s first career start vs. Boston, with the righty holding a 8.72 career ERA in seven starts at Camden Yards. Also returning to the Orioles’ active roster tonight is former Red Sox Tyler O’Neill and set-up man Andrew Kittredge.
Orioles Lineup
- Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
- Taylor Ward (R) LF
- Adley Rutschman (S) C
- Pete Alonso (R) 1B
- Dylan Beavers (L) RF
- Samuel Basallo (L) DH
- Leody Taveras (S) CF
- Coby Mayo (R) 3B
- Jeremiah Jackson (R) 2B
Red Sox Lineup
- Jarren Duran (L) LF
- Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF
- Masataka Yoshida (L) DH
- Willson Contreras (R) 1B
- Wilyer Abreu (L) RF
- Trevor Story (R) SS
- Marcelo Mayer (L) 2B
- Caleb Durbin (R) 3B
- Carlos Narváez (R) C
Top players remaining in college basketball transfer portal, what we're hearing
The pickings are beginning to become slim in the men's college basketball transfer portal.
With the recent commitments of Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam to Michigan, Charleston center Chol Machot to Georgetown, Arizona State's Massamba Diop to Gonzaga, Georgetown's Julius Halaifonua to Oklahoma State and Florida Atlantic's Josiah Parker to Georgetown we saw a good portion of our previous top 10 best available players get snatched up.
That leaves just five of USA TODAY Sports' Top 50 portal prospects still on the market. And most of those are going through the NBA Draft process before making a decision.
Here's a look at our top 10 uncommitted players in the college basketball transfer portal, with the latest intel on each player:
Conferencestrackers: ACC | SEC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Big East
Last updated May 1.
Best remaining players in 2026 college basketball transfer portal, latest news
- F Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
- Latest intel: Duke, Kentucky, Florida and Kansas reportedly in the mix; declared for NBA draft but could return to college
- G Juke Harris, Wake Forest
- Latest intel: Michigan, Tennessee and North Carolina fighting it out, with On3 casting a prediction for the Vols.
- F Allen Graves, Santa Clara
- Latest intel: Duke and LSU among those in the mix; declared for NBA Draft but leaving door open to college return. He was invited to the Scouting Combine.
- G Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
- Latest intel: Another going through draft process; heavy Kentucky interest.
- G Paul McNeil, NC State
- Latest intel: Another with Kentucky interest, North Carolina and Michigan reportedly involved, but a return to NC State not being ruled out. His former coach at NC State, Will Wade, is now at LSU, which could be another suitor.
- F Jordan Burks, UCF
- Latest intel: A late addition to the portal, Burks had previous stops at Kentucky and Georgetown. He averaged a career-best 13.3 ppg and 4.8 rpg for the Knights this past season. A 6-9 forward who is a 37% shooter from deep should be a hot commodity.
- G Hamad Mousa, Cal Poly
- Latest intel: The 6-8 Qatari guard began his career at Dayton before transferring to Cal Poly prior to last season. There he averaged 20.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg and shot 37.2% from behind the arc.
- G Tijan Saine Jr., Weber State
- Latest intel: Per ESPN, Saine is hearing from Washington, Missouri, NC State, Mississippi State, LSU and Texas State.
- G Vyctorius Miller, Oklahoma State
- Latest intel: He recently finished a visit to Kansas.
- G Abdi Bashir Jr., Kansas State
- Latest intel: Has Zoom calls set up with Kansas and NC State and has already visited St. John's.
Five more to keep an eye on: Christian Harmon (Arkansas State), Akai Fleming (Georgia Tech), Cayden Charles (St. Bonaventure), Mihailo Petrovic (Illinois), Dennis Parker (Radford)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball transfer portal news: 2026 best players still available
Game 26: Red Sox @ Orioles – Bello vs Young
I’m already exhausted with this team. Can we survive this night?
⚾️ First Pitch: 7:05pm ET —Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
📺 TV: NESN
📻 Radio: WEEI
GameThread: Tigers vs. Reds, 6:40 p.m.
Detroit Tigers (14-12) vs. Cincinnati Reds (16-9)
Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Great American Ball Park
SB Nation Site: Red Reporter
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.30 ERA) vs. LHP Andrew Abbott (0-2, 5.84 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valdez | 5 | 30.0 | 15.7 | 7.1 | 53.6 | 3.24 | 0.7 |
| Abbott | 5 | 24.2 | 13.2 | 9.6 | 47.1 | 4.32 | 0.4 |
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Braves vs. Phillies Game Thread: April 24, 2026
It’s a big night for the Braves partnerships team tonight… Apple TV has the broadcast, and Star Wars Night at the ballpark. I wish I could muster even a little bit of a reference for you, dear readers of Battery Power, but this is one of my cultural blind spots. And at this point, I’m committed to never remedying that.
Here’s what they’re giving away. I can only assume the Star Wars licensing rep asked “do you have anyone who is Pedro Pascal-adjacent and/or hot?” and the answer was… Matt Olson.
This isn’t a unique promo item, though. The Yankees are giving away the exact same thing, except it’s Max Fried under the removable helmet.
Grant Holmes kicks off the homestand for the Braves as they face off against the Philadelphia Phillies. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 pm ET and will be on Apple TV.