Olympic administrator who helped secure the Games for London in 2012 and stood up to Russia over doping
Sir Craig Reedie, who has died aged 84, was a key figure in London’s successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympics. As a member of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games from 2005 to 2013, he formed a brilliantly effective campaign partnership with Sebastian Coe, the bid leader, doing much crucial work behind the scenes, first by helping to win the support of British politicians and then by marshalling the all-important votes of Olympic delegates who would determine where the Games would go.
Coe, to whom Reedie was a long-time mentor, was under no illusion that without the older man’s diplomatic skills and influential presence within the Olympic and Paralympic movement, which he had developed earlier as chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA), London might never have won the right to host the 2012 Games.
LOS ANGELES — The New York Mets’ bats have all but gone silent during a seven-game losing streak. With their best hitter Juan Soto sidelined, the rest of the lineup is pressing to generate offense.
The latest setback was a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They’ve been outscored 36-10 during their skid and are mired in the NL East cellar at 7-11.
Soto is nursing a calf injury and isn’t expected back for another two to three weeks.
Francisco Lindor raised his batting average 18 points to .194 with a leadoff home run — his first RBI of the season — against World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It snapped the team’s streak of 20 scoreless innings and helped the Mets avoid three consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1992.
But Yamamoto promptly set down the next 20 batters in a row.
New York’s only other hits were a double by Bo Bichette in the seventh and singles by Carson Benge and Lindor in the eighth.
Trailing by a run in the ninth, the Mets got overly aggressive at the plate and Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia struck out the side to end the game.
“We chase and it’s hard to score in situations like that,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “You really have to force those guys to come in the strike zone and right now we’re not doing that, especially at the end of the game.”
The Mets are hitting .178 during the skid, including .083 with runners in scoring position (2 for 24). They are averaging 1.43 runs per game with just eight extra-base hits.
“You’re down one run and you’re basically trying to hit one out of the ballpark and that’s when the chase comes,” Mendoza said. “If you continue to swing at pitches out of the strike zone, they’re going to continue to do that, so we have to make adjustments.”
The Mets struck out 11 times, their fourth straight game with double-digit strikeouts. Jorge Polanco, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos had two strikeouts each.
“It’s easy to put too much pressure on yourself,” Mendoza said. “You got to go back to your fundamentals, you got to go back to what got you to this level, understanding that you are a great hitter.”
If not, he said, the offensive struggles can spiral.
“I know it’s tough right now, but the last thing you could do is just panic and try to do too much,” Mendoza said.
The lone bright spot for the Mets was rookie Nolan McLean. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up one run and two hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.
“He pretty much dominated one of the best lineups,” Mendoza said. “It sucks losing when you get that type of outing.”
McLean has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of his first 12 major league games.
“It was fun to watch McLean pitch,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Man, he’s special.”
The Montreal Canadiens’ second-round pick at the last draft, Alexander Zharovsky, saw his KHL season come to an end yesterday when the Ufa Salavat Yulaev crashed out of the playoffs. The underdogs were swept in four games by Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, which featured former Hab Alexander Radulov.
In the fourth and final game of the duel yesterday, Lokomotiv won 4-0, with Radulov scoring a goal and recording two assists. As for Zharovsky, he spent just over 16 minutes on the ice across 19 shifts, had two shots and two blocked shots.
In 10 playoff games, the 19-year-old only put up a pair of assists. That’s nothing to write home about, but it’s important to remember that he’s still very young and playing against seasoned players in Russia’s top league. Just like in the NHL, the level of play goes up in the postseason.
The right wing put up 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points in his first complete season in the KHL. The 6-foot-2 and 176-pound player still needs to fill up before he’s ready to face North American professional hockey.
Speaking on BPM Sports earlier this week, former NHL coach Bob Hartley, who’s now at the helm of Lokomotiv, was asked about the Canadiens’ prospect. He explained:
We know the playoffs are a different animal; they beat their first-round rival in six games, and we shut them out in our first two games at home. There’s not much room on the ice against us. We have an experienced defence corps that’s robust as well, and we’ve kept a close eye on him. [..] The kid is only 19, and he’s coming to terms with the reality of the playoffs, but he’s always dangerous, he works very hard, and he’s an excellent skater. He sees the game well, he’ll keep on improving, and the Canadiens definitely have a jewel there. He’s an excellent hockey player, and from what I hear, he’s a hard worker with an A1 attitude and a kid who, off the ice, is a great deal like [Ivan] Demidov.
- Bob Hartley on Zharovsky
That sounds very promising, and it looks like Zharovsky, just like Demidov, will be worth the wait. Martin St-Louis has shown time and time again what he can do with young players who have a knack for reading the game. The end of next season could be very interesting for Canadiens’ fans when both Zharovsky and Michael Hage turn pro.
The Florida Panthers are about to cross the finish line of frustrating, injury-filled season.
Despite coming into the year as the NHL’s defending, back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions, the Panthers couldn’t stay healthy and constantly found themselves behind the proverbial eight ball.
Now, with their playoff hopes long gone and the focus shifting to the future, Florida is looking to the upcoming offseason with a potential major bargaining chip in their back pocket.
That’s because the Panthers’ 2026 first-round pick, which was previously included in the 2025 Trade Deadline deal that brought Seth Jones to Florida from the Chicago Blackhawks, was top-10 protected.
Entering play Wednesday, Florida holds the eighth-worst record in the NHL. A finish anywhere in the bottom eight will guarantee they keep their pick, regardless of what happens at the NHL Draft Lottery.
There are two draws at the Draft Lottery, one for the first overall pick and one for the second overall pick, meaning there is a chance that two teams could move up and bump Florida backwards.
A loss to Detroit in any fashion will guarantee the Panthers a bottom-eight finish.
If the Panthers collect two points, they would need the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues to each pick up at least one more point (San Jose has two games remaining, St. Louis has one) in order to guarantee the bottom-eight finish.
The Panthers are expected to welcome forward Matthew Tkachuk back into the lineup for the finale.
Tkachuk has missed Florida’s past four games to be with his wife Ellie for the birth of their first child, a baby girl named Camille.
He told media members after the Panthers’ morning skate that he would be playing on Wednesday night.
In addition to the bevy of injured players who are already out of the lineup, Florida will be without Tomas Nosek, who broke his leg on Monday, and Gus Forsling, due to several ailments he’s been nursing.
Needless to say, Florida’s defensive corps will be on the younger side when they suit up to battle the Red Wings.
The average age of the six blueliners dressing for the Cats will be 23.5 years old.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Wednesday’s season finale against Detroit:
Photo caption: Oct 15, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes the save on Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) in the second period at Little Caesars Arena. (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 13: Trent Grisham #12 of the New York Yankees celebrates his fifth inning pinch hit three run home run against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium on April 13, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Monday night’s game against the Angels had a chance to be the most demoralizing loss of the Yankees’ season, even amid a five-game losing streak that included getting one-hit by the A’s and a 17-inning stretch where they failed to score. The offense had rightly come under fire for failing to uphold their end of the bargain as more than half the lineup languished below the Mendoza Line. You can therefore imagine the anxiety produced by the bats finally coming alive in the series opener against the Angels, only for the pitching staff to squander three separate leads.
It was admittedly difficult to muster even a mote of optimism after Mike Trout hit the second of his lead-altering home runs, leaving the Yankees in a two-run deficit heading into the ninth — Aaron Judge and his pair of home runs not due to bat again barring a lengthy rally. However, Jazz Chisholm Jr. led off with a single against closer Jordan Romano to offer the slightest glimmer of hope, bringing Trent Grisham to the plate as the possible tying run, the struggling center fielder having already impacted the game with a pinch-hit, three-run blast in the fifth.
Romano has been a two-pitch pitcher for the last four years, throwing the four-seamer and slider in roughly equal proportions, and he starts this AB with the heater.
The pitch is over the plate, but sails a bit on Romano to land above the strike zone. Centrally-located, elevated four-seamers are tough pitches to lay off for the hitter because of how well you see the ball out of the hand, but Grisham doesn’t even flinch as he watches it into the catcher’s glove for ball one.
Romano sticks with the fastball given that the previous pitch didn’t miss by all that much.
This one’s also decently close to the zone, about knee-high but a half a foot off the plate away. Once again, there’s not even a twitch out of Grisham as he takes it for ball two. It’s pretty clear between his previous two AB’s and these first two pitches that Grisham is seeing the ball well.
After watching Grisham spit on the last two fastballs, Romano tries to steal a strike with the backdoor slider to get back into the count.
He misses his spot, but it’s still a decent pitch, landing just an inch or two below the zone for a ball. It’s actually a hell of a take by Grisham, the pitch in the zone right up until the last five feet before home plate when it’s downward break tilts it below the bottom edge of the zone. Somehow, Grisham is still able to identify this as a ball almost immediately out of Romano’s hand, despite how long it looked like a strike.
Behind in the count 3-0, Romano has to throw a heater down the pipe to avoid putting the tying run on base with no outs.
Pretty straightforward here: no reason to give the green light and risk a double play ball — Grisham is taking all the way knowing he still has the count leverage fully in his favor if it gets to 3-1.
Interestingly, Romano doesn’t give in with the count 3-1 and throw another heater in the zone. He tries to throw a chase slider below the zone hoping for a whiff or, better yet, for Grisham to roll over a weak grounder.
Instead, he leaves this breaking ball right in a lefty’s wheelhouse down and in, and Grisham does not miss. It’s awesome to see his mechanics and approach in this situation. He gets his front foot down early in case it’s a heater. However, he holds that front hip square and keeps his weight back, allowing him to be right on time to the off-speed while still maintaining a solid base to drive it with power. This tells me that Grisham is almost sitting on a mistake slider in the zone in this situation, which demonstrates excellent knowledge of his opponent. He barrels the ball to right for his second home run and fifth RBI of the night to truly ignite the game-winning rally.
Speaking to the media prior to the start of this series, Judge called out the offense as a whole for pressing and trying to play hero. He implored his teammates to simplify their approaches — hunt a pitch in a particular zone and pass the baton to the next hitter if that pitch does not come. Grisham’s approach in this AB exemplified his captain’s commands. Knowing Romano’s propensity to be wild both in and out of the zone, it looks to me that Grisham is waiting for Romano to make a mistake with the slider in the zone. He disregards all the other pitches that don’t match the criteria of what he is hunting before ambushing the slider that he knows he can do damage on, and boy did he come up clutch after starting the game on the bench. His home run leveled the scores at ten apiece, setting up José Caballero’s double, steal of third, and scamper home on a walk-off wild pitch by Romano in this early contender for game of the year.
Grisham was such an important piece for the Yankees last season, his revamped approach underlining the front office’s decision to bring him back on the qualifying offer. He’s still the same remade ballplayer in 2026, placing in the 94th percentile or better in hard-hit rate, chase rate, walk rate, and squared-up rate. The results obviously weren’t there the first two weeks of the season, but the process remained sound and had to bear fruit eventually. This performance is hopefully just the shot in the arm needed to restore confidence and kickstart what I feel can be just as productive a season as 2025.
The Chicago Cubs (8-9) and Philadelphia Phillies (8-9) meet in the decisive third game of their series. The teams split their first two games. Starting pitchers are scheduled to be Shota Imanaga for the Cubs and Jesús Luzardo for the Phillies.
How to Watch Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy is leaving open the possibility he could at least temporarily consider other closing options due to Trevor Megill’s early-season struggles.
Megill, an All-Star last season, was booed by the American Family Field crowd while allowing three runs in the ninth inning of a 9-7, 10-innng loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The outing left Megill with a 14.40 earned run average.
“I’m definitely way better than that,” Megill said. “Pitches can be a lot better. Pitch execution can be a lot better. A lot of things can be better.”
Murphy said afterward he may consider using someone else in the ninth inning, but noted that he didn’t want to decide that issue immediately after such an emotional loss.
He also emphasized Megill shouldn’t be getting booed, particularly after the way the veteran right-hander performed last year. Megill came back from a late-season arm injury and earned the save in Milwaukee’s Game 5 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Division Series.
“These aren’t machines out there,” Murphy said. “These are people. I thought that was in poor taste, but I’ve done things in poor taste, too.”
Megill has given up eight earned runs through five innings this season. Last year, he didn’t allow his eighth earned run until mid-June.
“Is he throwing the ball well? No,” Murphy said. “Is he giving up hard contact? Yes. Do they swing at it like they know it’s coming? Yes. But did the guy save 30 games for us last year. I think he did. My heart goes out to him right now. It bleeds for him. He’s feeling it.”
Megill entered the game with a 4-3 lead, but he opened the ninth by walking Eloy Jiménez and allowing a ground-rule double to Davis Schneider. Both runners eventually scored. Kazuma Okamoto and Ernie Clement had RBI singles off Megill.
The bullpen’s inability to protect a lead caused Milwaukee to lose its sixth straight, which represents its longest skid since 2023. The Brewers wasted a gutsy performance from Jacob Misiorowski, who overcame an illness to work 5 1/3 innings while allowing two runs.
One reason Murphy could stick with Megill in the closer’s role is because the right-hander had handled that assignment so effectively before this year. Megill had a combined 51 saves from 2024-25. He posted a 2.49 ERA with 60 strikeouts over 47 innings last year.
The Brewers also don’t have many great alternatives.
Abner Uribe was one of the game’s top setup men last season, but he also is off to a slow start. He has allowed three runs over his last two outings and has a 5.68 ERA after finishing last season at 1.67.
Jared Koenig, who had 27 holds and a 2.86 ERA last season, is on the injured list with an elbow issue.
Murphy takes issue with the notation that the early-season struggles of these relievers is due to their heavy workload last year as the Brewers advanced to the NL Championship Series. Murphy noted that Megill, for instance, is throwing at a similar velocity as he did at this point last year.
Now, Murphy faces a hard decision as he decides whether to keep using Megill in that ninth-inning role.
“The way he’s throwing the ball now, he doesn’t deserve it,” Murphy said, “but he can earn it back.”
The Washington Nationals (8-9) take on the Pittsburgh Pirates (10-7) for the third of a four-game series. Pittsburgh won Monday's matchup, 16-5, but Washington took Tuesday's, 5-4 in a thriller.
Since the Pirates' five-game winning streak, the Buccos have gone 4-4 over the next eight games. Pittsburgh has gone 5-3 at home so far and the offense has been cooking at PNC Park. The Pirates have the second-best batting average at home (.278) and are tied 11th for the most RBI (44).
Washington is 4-1 over the last five games for its best five-game stretch of the season so far. The Nationals have outscored its opponents 34-30 in that span with the Pirates scoring 16 in one game. Washington is 7-4 on the road this season despite the pitching staff having a 5.06 ERA (25th) and the offense boasting the second-highest batting average (.283).
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Nationals at Pirates
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Time: 6:40 PM EST
Site: PNC Park
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
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Odds for the Nationals at the Pirates
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
Moneyline: Washington Nationals (+149), Pittsburgh Pirates (-181)
The Nationals’ CJ Abrams is hitting .356 with 21 hits, 41 total bases, and six home runs over 59 at-bats
The Nationals’ Nasim Nunez is hitting .192 with 10 hits and 12 strikeouts over 52 at-bats
The Pirates’ Oneil Cruz is hitting .328 with 22 hits, 40 total bases, and seven stolen bases over 67 at-bats
The Pirates’ Marcell Ozuna is hitting .106 with five hits, 12 strikeouts, and five walks over 47 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Nationals at Pirates
The Nationals 11-6 ATS this season
The Pirates are 11-6 ATS this season
The Nationals are 12-5 to the Over this season
The Pirates are 10-7 to the Over this season
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Nationals and the Pirates
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Nationals and the Pirates.
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Pirates on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Pirates at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Over on the Game Total of 9.5
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 9: Bronny James #9 and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers high five during the game against the Golden State Warriors on April 9, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers are going into the playoffs with few expectations.
Injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves leave them in an unenviable position. While they secured the No. 4 seed, they’ll limp into the playoffs as a clear underdog.
Shoutout to a handful of writers who think the Lakers are going to take it to Game 7 but lose at home with LeBron James and maybe a returning Luka Dončić and/or Austin Reaves. On the other hand, though, they at least have the Lakers winning some games.
Having said all that, it’s time to revive the #WeBelieve hashtag.
Even if it is just in this moment, it’s going to be a pretty easy rallying cry for head coach JJ Redick. An “us against the world” narrative can work for the first round with Luka and Austin out.
The purple and gold are going to have to figure a lot of things out on the fly. They’re going to have to heavily rely on LeBron James. They’ll need role players to step up in big ways. All of those things are tall asks. But there’s a path and that’s all the Lakers need.
Its win-or-go-home for the 9th-seeded Los Angeles Clippers and the 10th-seeded Golden State Warriors tonight in Southern California. The winner advances for another win-or-go-home game against the Phoenix Suns Friday night for the eighth seed and a date in the playoffs with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Clippers (42-40) take the court as the favorite to advance over the Warriors (37-45). LA won three of the four matchups against Golden State this season but probably more important is their overall body of work. The Clippers started the season 6-21 but have since gone 36-19. Kawhi Leonard is of course at the center of all that is good with the Clippers. Add in a pesky defense that has climbed to 10th overall in the Association and the results speak for themselves. Meanwhile, the Warrior closed the regular season with a record of 8-19 since the All-Star Break.
The Warriors are hoping their veteran core of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will step up and carry a banged up and inconsistent Golden State team. Jimmy Butler (knee)is still out as is Moses Moody (knee). Each of those injuries are big losses. Butler one on one against Kawhi would have been must watch TV. Without the pair, Golden State veterans and playoff champions Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will be called upon to get the Warriors to Friday night and the second round of the Play-In Tournament.
This matchup represents a clash of styles, with the Clippers relying on their stability, health, and defensive structure under Tyronn Lue, while the Warriors will rely on Curry’s shooting (which could be enough) along with the playoff experience of Green and Kristops Porzingis. If they can get hot from beyond the arc, have the potential to pull off an upset.
Just three days ago these teams met with the Clippers prevailing 115-110. Neither Kawhi Leonard nor Draymond Green dressed for that game. Benedict Mathurin came off the bench for the Clips and scored 20 points to lead LA to its third win in four games this season against Golden State.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Warriors vs. Clippers
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Time: 10PM EST
Site: Intuit Dome
City: Inglewood, CA
Network/Streaming: Prime Video
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Game Odds: Warriors vs. Clippers
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Golden State Warriors (+170), Los Angeles Clippers (-205)
Spread: Clippers -5.5
Total: 221.5 points
This game opened Clippers -3.5 with the Total set at 220.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Warriors vs. Clippers
Golden State Warriors
G Stephen Curry
G De’Anthony Melton
G Brandin Podziemski
PF Al Horford
SF Draymond Green
Los Angeles Clippers
PG Darius Garland
SG Kawhi Leonard
SF John Collins
PF Derrick Jones Jr.
C Brook Lopez
Injury Report: Warriors vs. Clippers
Golden State Warriors
Jimmy Butler (knee) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Moses Moody (knee) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Los Angeles Clippers
Bradley Beal (hip) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Isaiah Jackson (ankle) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Warriors vs. Clippers
The Clippers are 23-18 at home this season
The Warriors are 15-26 on the road this season
The Clippers are 42-40 ATS this season / 22-19 at home
Golden State is 35-47 ATS this season / 17-24 on the road
The OVER has cashed in 48 of the Warriors’ 82 games this season (48-34)
The OVER has cashed in 40 of the Clippers’ 82 games this season (40-42)
Kristops Porzingis has played 4 games in April and averaged 12 points and 7.5 rebounds per game
Benedict Mathurin’s 20 points on April 12 against Golden State were the most he scored in a game since March 29 when he scored 28 against the Bucks
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s Warriors and Clippers’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Warriors +5.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 221.5
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BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 14: Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 14, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Diamondbacks News
Merrill Kelly Makes Season Debut Merrill Kelly brought the team a vintage Kelly performance when he took the mound to make his 2026 debut against the Orioles in Baltimore.
Bullpen Holds Off Orioles, Giving Kelly Win in Season Debut After blowing a 7-1 lead the previous night, it was understandable that there was some tension when the Diamondbacks needed to protect a two-run lead for 11 outs, the same number of outs as they needed on that dreadful night.
Kelly’s Return Pushes Pfaadt to Bullpen A flurry of moves was made yesterday to accommodate the return of Merrill Kelly. Perhaps the biggest was hte moving of Brandon Pfaadt to the bullpen.
Moreno to IL Gabriel Moreno has been placed on the IL as part of five moves made by the Diamondbacks. Aramis Garcia has been called up to take Moreno’s place for now. Pavin Smith was moved to the 60-day. Merrill Kelly was activated and Taylor Rashi was optioned to AAA-Reno.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to Start Rehab Assignment Gurriel suffered a torn ACL on 1 September of last season. The rehab assignment now puts a ticking clock on Moreno’s return to the 26-man roster.
Blaze Alexander Discusses Facing Former Club The utility man speaks about facing some of his old comrades as the Diamondbacks try to take down his new club, the Baltimore Orioles.
Craig Albernaz has Fractured Face A scary incident occurred on Monday night when a foul ball was rocketed into the Orioles bullpen and struck manager Craig Albernaz in the face. Albernaz returned to duty Tuesday night, despite numerous cheek fractures and a broken jaw. He’s currently unable to blow his nose for six weeks but looks to be able to avoid surgery.
Other Baseball News
Top-100 Prospects Making Promotion Noise The fact that only three names are listed here gives some idea of just how slow some players can get started when it is still chilly out.
What Players Think About ABS Now that we have a few weeks of ABS in the bigs, players have been asked to weigh in on what they think.
The Golden State Warriors, ranked 10th in the Western Conference with a 37-45 record, face the LA Clippers, who are ninth in the West with a 42-40 record. The LA Clippers are favored with a -220 moneyline compared to the Golden State Warriors' +180. The winner will advance to face the Suns in the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament on Friday.
How to watch Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 21: Starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval #43 of the Los Angeles Angels shakes his hand and grimaces in pain after an injury on his throwing arm following a walk to Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the this inning at Dodger Stadium on June 21, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Struggling” out of the gate seems relative now with consecutive poor performances by Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray, but Patrick Sandoval doesn’t quite seem ready to rejoin the Major League roster in a few weeks (due to being a pitcher, he gets a month of rehab time.) He struck out just one through two innings, allowing five runs, and taking 59 pitches to do so with just 30 falling in for strikes. For the second consecutive start, he just generally looked like he couldn’t find the strike zone. Tyler Uberstine, usually a beacon of good stuff, even got knocked around by this Nashville (Brewers AAA) club, even though the staff did keep it in the park.
Offensively, you don’t stand much of a chance when the pitching walks eleven batters, or when the defense commits three errors, but the offensive support wasn’t awesome, either. Catcher Jason Delay hit an early home run, but it was downhill from there, as the WooSox left nine stranded.
Franklin Arias, who’s been hitting to the tune of a .500+ batting average on the young season, hasn’t really showcased his power tool yet. That changed on Tuesday night in Altoona (Pirates AA) as he hit his first home run of the season. The team didn’t particularly look great offensively outside of that home run, though Nate Biaz got himself a couple knocks. But Isaac Coffey, Cooper Adams, Cade Feeney and Patrick Halligan kept it a winnable game despite with thirteen strikeouts and only two runs allowed.
Shea Sprague had a blip, as he allowed two Hot Rod (Rays High-A) home runs in five innings. It’s honestly funny how serviceable the page the 2024 13th round draft pick has been for Greenville so far this April: his ERA is exactly 4. On Tuesday, he gave up four hits and a walk in five innings (for a WHIP of 1) struck five out, but did have those balls leave the park. But, the truth is, Sprague could have been a lot worse… or he could have been a lot better… but it wouldn’t have mattered HOW good he was, because Greenville could not hit the Bowling Green pitching, settling for just one baserunner all night, when Yophery Rodriguez, a return from the Quinn Preiser trade now residing at the bottom of the lineup (he hit first or second for most of the season in 2025), broke up the perfect game with a double in the bottom of the sixth.
If the offense was distributed better across the whole farm, we’d be having a different discussion. This seems obvious at its core, but this game looked close on the surface, but Salem pitching got taken for a ride a little bit, namely Adam Bates closing out the fifth for Leighton Finley and not having a particular awesome sixth. Skylar King hit his second home run in less than a week, but although his bat looks dependable, his key moments are in losing efforts. Where have I heard that before…
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 30: Ben Kindel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Carolina Hurricanes at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Based on preseason expectations there might not be a more improbable first-round matchup in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs than the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. Neither of these teams were expected to be here. Up until about three weeks ago, I am not sure the Flyers were expected to be here. But none of that matters now, and starting this weekend the battle of Pennsylvania gets renewed, with Sidney Crosby having a chance to deliver another punch to the Penguins’ cross-state rivals.
We know who the main players in this series and playoff run are going to be for the Penguins.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson are going to be at the top of the list, and their play will obviously have a major role in what the Penguins do and how far they can go. But no matter how well they play, they can not do it all for the Penguins. The team’s success or failure will also come down to the secondary and support players on the team and a few potential X-factors.
Let’s talk about some of them.
Ben Kindel
Every Penguins team that won the Stanley Cup or reached the Stanley Cup Final in the Sidney Crosby era has done so with a third-line that can carry play and swing games. A lot of times in the playoffs each team’s top players can cancel each other out due to the aggressive line-matching that tends to take place, and it can then come down to which team has the better support players.
In 2008 and 2009 it was the Jordan Staal line.
In 2016 and 2017 it was the HBK line.
Can the Penguins get something similar from the Kindel line?
It is going to be fascinating to see how his first playoff experiences goes. He is, after all, only 18 years old and will be getting his first taste of playoff hockey. He also seems to have hit another rookie wall over the past month with his offense going cold and some of his underlying metrics regressing a bit. From a big picture perspective, it is nothing to be overly concerned about. There is a reason most 18-year-olds do not get a full-season in the NHL. It is a huge adjustment and there are going to be some growing pains.
But everything resets now going into the playoffs, and regardless of who the Penguins put around him on a line they are going to need a big showing from his trio if they are going to advance and go on a potential run.
He has exceeded expectations and rose to the occasion all season. This is going to be his biggest test yet.
Sam Girard
You can include Kris Letang in this category as well, because their defense pairing is going to be significant.
When they were first put together following the trade with Colorado, they looked like an absolute disaster, with Girard especially struggling in his new environment. He seemed to lack confidence, was indecisive and just not playing well.
And then, about 10-12 games ago, something clicked.
It clicked for him.
It clicked for Letang.
It clicked for both of them together.
In their total time together, including the initial rocky games, the Girard-Letang pairing has outscored teams by a 13-9 margin with a 52.5 percent expected goals share during 5-on-5 play. Very solid numbers.
Over their past 10 games, however, those numbers go to an 11-5 goal advantage and a 57.8 percent expected goal share.
They are now carrying play.
Girard especially looks completely different and like a player that is oozing with confidence. Everything is being done with a purpose, there is no hesitation, he is joining the rush smartly and moving the puck well.
You know the Karlsson-Parker Wotherspoon pairing is going to give you a chance.
Having reliable pairings beyond them was always going to be the concern. If Letang and Girard can continue playing the way they have over the past month the Penguins are going to have a second pairing they can lean on. That is a game-changer, both in terms of their chances in this series, and their potential ceiling in the playoffs.
Connor Clifton
Sticking with the defense, the third-pairing is also going to be significant because at some point they are going to have to play. Even if you lean on the top-two pairings for more than 40 minutes, that still leads nearly a full period’s worth of hockey that the third-pairing has to log.
Sometimes playoff success or failure is not necessarily about what you do well or your strengths, but what you don’t do well and your flaws. The things that can be exploited in a best-of-seven series when opposing coaches are doing more in-depth game-planning and can drill down to weaknesses.
Clifton is one of those players that I fear being exploited.
I will say this: I think he’s played a lot better down the stretch, and a lot of his underlying numbers over the past month have, at times, been REALLY good. But over the course of a season his pairing has at times been the one that gets pinned in the defensive zone and has a tendency to lose the territorial and possession battle. That could be a problem. They do not need Clifton and Ryan Shea to be game-changers. They just need them to play to a 0-0 tie.
Stuart Skinner
Then we have the biggest X-factor on the entire team.
It is the goaltending. It is always the goaltending. It can lift a struggling team or sink a good team, and there might not be a more important player for the Penguins this postseason than Skinner.
It is just a matter of which version of him they are going to get.
He has big-game experience and backstopped the Edmonton Oilers to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals in each of the past two seasons. He is capable of putting together a good stretch of play, and we have seen signs of it down the stretch. He has clearly taken the No. 1 spot and at least earned the right to go into the playoffs as the Penguins’ starting goalie.
But can he do enough to give the Penguins a chance?
Over the past 20 games he has saved four goals above expected for the Penguins, which is good enough to give them a chance. The Penguins have the potential to score enough goals to win, and in at least the first round the Flyers do not have an overly potent offense. They are probably not going to need Skinner to steal many games. They just need him to not lose any.
