CREMONA, Italy (AP) — Fiorentina beat fellow Serie A struggler Cremonese 4-1 in its biggest away win of the season and moved four points clear of the relegation zone on Monday.
It was only the second time all season that Fiorentina scored more than three goals in one game and moved it into 16th place.
The loss extended Cremonese’s winless run to 14 matches and left it third from last, four points behind Fiorentina and three behind Lecce.
Pisa and Verona shared last place.
Fabiano Parisi put Fiorentina ahead with a fine solo effort after 25 minutes and Roberto Piccoli doubled the when he converted a perfect pass from Robin Gosens.
Dodo made it 3-0 with a lovely solo goal early in the second half and although David Okereke pulled a goal back for Cremonese nearly an hour in, Albert Gudmundsson added the fourth for Fiorentina.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 15: Huascar Brazobán #43 of Team Dominican Republic pitches in the sixth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Semifinals Games between United States and Dominican Republic at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming off a successful stint with the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, Carlos Mendoza has confirmed that Huascar Brazobán will be a part of the Mets’ bullpen if he remains healthy to finish off the spring. When speaking about his 36-year-old right-hander, Mendoza added, “If everything continues to trend in that direction…he’s going to be a part of our bullpen.”
Mendoza faced 13 batters in the WBC and struck out seven of them. He walked one and did not allow a hit over four shutout innings. Brazobán has also allowed one hit and walked one while striking out five over three shutout innings with the Mets this spring prior to his WBC performance.
Brazobán was second among all Mets relievers last season with 63 innings pitched, trailing only Edwin Díaz on that front. Meanwhile, he was fourth in appearances (52) behind Ryne Stanek (65), Díaz (62), and Reed Garrett (58). He finished the year with a 3.57 ERA and a 4.04 FIP, with 57 strikeouts and 27 walks. Brazobán still has a Minor League option, which made his spot in the bullpen anything but a guarantee, but his strong spring performance made it an easy choice for Mendoza.
The Mets have now essentially locked in six of their seven bullpen spots with closer Devin Williams, set-up man Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, Luis García, Tobias Myers, and Brazobán. With the team expected to deploy a six-man rotation, Mendoza will run a seven-man bullpen, leaving one spot left to fill. Craig Kimbrel is the most high-profile name remaining, but his performance this spring has done little to earn him a spot. He is competing against guys like Bryan Hudson, Austin Warren and Joey Gerbe, to name a few. The Mets are expected to make their decision as close to Opening Day as possible, to allow for more time to analyze their options. The Mets open their season against the Pirates on Thursday, March 26 at 1:15 pm at Citi Field.
NEWARK, NJ - JANUARY 22: Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) and New Jersey Devils left wing Jesper Bratt (63) battle for the puck during a NHL game between the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on January 22, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (33-31-2) versus the Boston Bruins (37-23-6)
The Rules: If you have been a reader here, you already know the rules. But for the rest, a reminder: please do not swear in the comment section, and keep comments relevant to the hockey game going on. Beyond that, do not attack any other commenters, and do not ask for or pass along illegal streams on this board.
The postseason tournament backed by Fox Sports revealed its field Monday, March 16 for its second iteration. It was announced on the FS1 show "First Things First."
Teams in the 2026 Crown tournament are (in alphabetical order):
Baylor
Colorado
Creighton
Minnesota
Oklahoma
Rutgers
Stanford
West Virginia
Introduced in 2025, the College Basketball Crown is a postseason tournament in Las Vegas centered on name, image and likeness prizes for teams that didn't make the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska won the inaugural tournament.
The 2026 edition has eight teams instead of 16 like last year, and there were slots reserved from specific conferences; two teams from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East that didn't receive an NCAA Tournament bid, as well as two wild card selections. There is a $500,000 NIL prize pool for players in the tournament.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 12: Washington Nationals infielder Nasim Nunez (26) bats during a MLB spring training game against the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 12, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Nationals have lost their last couple spring games, so they will look to get back in the win column against the Mets. More importantly, the Nats quiet bats will try to get things going before the season starts in 10 days. We also get to see the return of Jacob Young.
This is a bit of an unusual looking lineup for the Nats. Jacob Young will hit second in his return to the lineup. He usually hits at the bottom of the order, but the team wants him to get more at bats. Dylan Crews is back in left field, as he gets more exposure to that position. Luis Garcia Jr. is back at his natural second base position after a couple games at first. Zach Penrod will be the opener in this one, so we should see plenty of relievers tonight.
The Mets lineup is mostly made up of reserves, but there are a couple notable faces in there. Catcher Francisco Alvarez is the biggest name in the lineup. Nats fans will also get a look at the Mets top hitting prospect Carson Benge. David Peterson has been a mainstay in the Mets rotation for a few years now, and he will get the ball tonight.
With the season just 10 days away, we are winding down Spring Training. It would be great for the Nats bats to show more life against a starter they will see plenty of this season. Hopefully the likes of James Wood and Dylan Crews can snap out of their malaise at the plate. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats!
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 08: Bilal Coulibaly #0 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball against the Miami Heat at Capital One Arena on February 08, 2026 in Washington, DC. 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 G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena. Chat about it in the comments below!
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto will make his (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
It’s only fitting that the pitcher who recorded the Dodgers’ final eight outs of the World Series will take the mound on opening day, as the club tries to pick up where it left off in 2025 and chase a third straight championship in 2026.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will toe the rubber for the March 26 opener at Dodger Stadium against the Arizona Diamondbacks — the second straight year he's had the honor and the first time at home, after pitching last season's opener in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs.
Roberts added Yamamoto is expected to return to Camelback Ranch soon, after participating in the World Baseball Classic with Team Japan. The Samurai Warriors, seeking a second straight WBC title, were eliminated by Team Venezuela Saturday night in the quarterfinals.
Yamamoto is expected to make one more start in the Cactus League before opening day, although the date has yet to be scheduled, according to Roberts.
Shohei Ohtani returned to Dodgers camp Monday morning, and Roberts plans to have a conversation with him soon about configuring his throwing plan leading up to regular season play. Per Roberts, Ohtani threw four innings in a simulated game while with Team Japan last Thursday.
“He’s going to get here and throw a bullpen,” Roberts said, adding: “I’m trying to figure out when we can get him into a game, but it should be here in the next day or two, to take some at bats. But as far as his progression, there’s going to be a bullpen soon, and [we’re] trying to figure out what day he’s going to pitch this week. It should be this week, but I’m not sure which day yet.”
Ohtani has not pitched in a Cactus League game and did not pitch in the WBC. Roberts does not expect the four-time MVP to be fully stretched out by the start of the regular season. Still, as Roberts notes, he’s further along than he was at this time a year ago, when he was working his way back from Tommy John surgery.
“I think this year we’re certainly north of that, I don’t see how we won’t be able to get to three or four innings in a major league game, so that’s certainly a better jumping-off point than last year, so we’ll see how it goes,” Roberts said.
Beyond Yamamoto, Ohtani and trusty veteran Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers’ back end of the rotation is still taking shape. Though Roberts had considered a six-man rotation to begin regular season play, he indicated Monday that he expects the club to use a five-man rotation, noting that things are still "fluid."
Last week, Roberts said he "didn’t see a world in which Roki Sasaki doesn’t break [camp] as a starter." That would leave one rotation spot up for the taking, with 25-year-old Justin Wrobleski, 26-year-old Emmet Sheehan and 27-year-old River Ryan among those in the running.
Sasaki to make Cactus League start Tuesday
Sasaki is scheduled to make a Cactus League start Tuesday night against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium.
Sasaki struck out nine of 13 batters he faced in B-game last week against Chicago White Sox minor leaguers on the backfields of Camelback Ranch.
“The last outing was really good, albeit on the other side,” Roberts said. “I’m looking to see it myself and see just more of what he did. So, if he can throw the fastball the way he did, throw the split the way he did, he should be able to manage major league hitters. So, I’m really excited about what we see from him tomorrow. Hopefully, the plan is to get him through five innings, and that would be a huge win.”
Dodgers ‘dodge a bullet’ with Gavin Stone
While Gavin Stone has not yet returned to throwing since he was shut down two weeks ago, Roberts shared an encouraging update regarding his 27-year-old pitcher that he is working his way back from shoulder surgery that caused him to miss all of 2025.
“He is pain-free now, yes,” Roberts said. “I know that he’s close to starting to ramp up again. I think it was two weeks that we wanted to have him not throw a baseball, and so, just building up the arm strength, getting that soreness out. But I think we dodged a bullet, considering where we were at a few weeks ago.”
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 13: Jabari Smith Jr. #10 of the Houston Rockets congratulates Kevin Durant #7 in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Toyota Center on March 13, 2026 in Houston, Texas. 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 Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers
March 16, 2026
Location: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas
TV: Peacock
Radio: KBME Sports Talk 790
Online: Rockets App, SCHN+
Time: 830pm
Probable Starting Lineups
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun
Lakers: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Lebron James, Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton
Every year, in the days leading up to the start of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, millions of people across the country with wildly varying levels of ball knowledge fill out brackets to try to determine who will make the Final Four and be crowned the national champion.
Oftentimes, there’s a tiebreaker for those bracket competitions: Seeing who comes the closest to picking the combined number of points scored in the national championship game.
While you could always just guess — which is mostly what filling a bracket’s all about, right? — why not make a potential March Madness bracket-winning prediction with a little more knowledge?
Here’s a closer look at the average score of national championship games:
Average score of March Madness final
Since 2016, the average combined point total from NCAA men’s basketball championship games is 142.4 points.
That time marker is a notable one. Ahead of the 2015-16 season, the NCAA cut the shot clock down from 35 seconds to 30, a rule that’s still in place today. So while championship games before that could provide some helpful guidance, it’s most useful to work only with title games that have come under the same time constraints as today, with more possessions and a generally faster pace of play.
During that nine-season stretch, the highest-scoring championship game came in 2019, when Virginia and Texas Tech combined for 162 points in the Cavaliers’ 85-77 victory, though that game went into overtime. Since 2009, it’s the only title game that has required overtime. The lowest-scoring game of the bunch came last year, when Florida and Houston had 128 combined points in the Gators’ narrow 65-63 win.
Interestingly, two of the past three championship games have had a combined 135 points exactly, though in what’s likely just a coincidence, both of the games in question involved UConn. If you’re looking for a sweet spot for point totals, it might be this: five of the past nine championship games have had between 135 and 141 combined points.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 10: David Peterson #23 of the New York Mets pitches during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Clover Park on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Phebe Grosser/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 5: Bilal Coulibaly #0 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Detroit Pistons on February 5. 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Detroit Pistons tomorrow night. Let’s get to the preview.
Game info
When: Tuesday, Mar. 17 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Capital One Arena
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
Injuries: For the Wizards, Kyshawn George (elbow), Anthony Davis (hand, groin), Cam Whitmore (shoulder), and D’Angelo Russell (not with team) are out. Leaky Black and Alex Sarr also will sit out tonight’s game against the Warriors.
For the Pistons, Isaiah Stewart is out.
What to watch for
I am writing this recap before the Wizards’ game against the Golden State Warriors. Let’s just say that the Pistons just lost to the Toronto Raptors in their last game and won three straight before that. The second half of the storm hitting the Washington area and much of the eastern USA hasn’t arrived yet. And hey, while I’m sure I’ll still have a roof over my head, I’m not sure if I’ll have power. So I’m writing this now.
The Wizards are underdogs as usual, but hopefully we’ll see an upset.
The most startling performances of recent months have involved revitalised tennis from Medvedev and Djokovic
In the uncertain early stages of his Indian Wells semi-final contest with Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev swiftly made his intentions clear. Having established a 3-1 lead, he chased down a trademark Alcaraz drop shot, then a lob, before slamming the door shut on the point by firing an ultra-flat inside-out backhand winner on to the edge of the line.
This was a statement point and it formed part of the most startling performance of the year so far. Few gave Medvedev a serious chance against Alcaraz, who had won their four previous meetings, conceding just one set. It took one of the best matches of Medvedev’s distinguished career to turn the tables on Alcaraz in only two sets.
We’re now less than two weeks away from Opening Day, and the Yankees have a few choices left to make regarding their roster. Namely, they’re whittling down who on the pitching staff is going to be heading with the team to San Francisco, and then based off of that deciding if they’re going to carry an extra infielder or not. On top of that, they’re waiting for the rest of their players to return from the World Baseball Classic, which will be wrapping up tomorrow, freeing them to start making more of the expected cuts to their spring camp.
As we approach the start of the 2026 season, it’s time to start nailing down the final pieces of the puzzle. Who will be the last handful of relievers that the Yankees carry with them to start the year? Will they opt for a shorter bullpen to give themselves an extra position player on the bench, and if they do how do they solve things once the off-days shorten up? How well do you expect the team to do in their opening month or so, and will the early standings be favorable or an uphill battle? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.
Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of March 19th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke on a number of topics prior to Monday’s game against the Nationals on SNY…
What’s left for Benge to show
Carson Benge has done everything the Mets have asked of him in his bid for an Opening Day roster spot.
After another strong showing this weekend, the youngster is now hitting .367 with a triple, a stolen base, five RBI, and a .840 OPS over 10 games.
He also lifted an opposite-field solo homer in a exhibition against Team Israel.
With just a week of spring games left, the Mets are simply looking for Benge to keep doing his thing.
“A lot can happen between now and Opening Day,” Mendoza said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do -- I like how he’s playing defense, got into a couple of games in center, and I like the at-bats he’s taking -- there’s just a lot to like.
“He doesn’t need to do anything extra at this point, just continue to go out there and be himself and let us make that decision, which is not an easy situation to be in for a young player like that.”
Mixed feelings over McLean’s opportunity
Mendoza's experienced the WBC before.
He knows when Mets righty Nolan McLean takes the mound for Team USA in the Finals on Tuesday night, it'll be unlike anything he's ever experienced.
“I had the opportunity last WBC, and it’s nothing compared to a playoff atmosphere at the big-league level,” he said. “You’re representing your country, you have the world watching and have USA on playing with and against the best players -- it’ll definitely be different than what he experienced last year.”
Still, he can't help but to be a bit nervous seeing the Mets' young talent throw on such a big stage.
"I have mixed feelings, I'm not going to lie," he said. "The fact that he’s going to have that experience is something unbelievable, we'll be praying, but it's awesome -- as far as him pitching in that environment, he’s wired and built for that, just based off of what we saw last year and being around him -- the moment is not too big.”
Mar 15, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) hits a single in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Clover Park. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Lindor came in Monday and felt good after making his spring debut Sunday afternoon.
The All-Star shortstop was a full participant during a full squad workout this afternoon, and if he comes back feeling okay again on Tuesday he’s expected to be back in the lineup against the Marlins.
The team will continue to take things day-by-day from there.
Following Wednesday’s off day, they’ll start talking about getting Lindor into back-to-back games before they break camp for the start of the regular season.
Lindor played four innings in the field and got three at-bats on Sunday.
The Mets really like that they’ve seen from Scott in his return to the mound.
While the right-hander will begin the year in Triple-A, Mendoza is confident that he is going to play a big part in the clubs success moving forward.
Scott is expected to stretch out to four innings and around 60 pitches on Monday.
“Another exciting arm,” the manager said. “He was important for us in 2024 and we felt it last year. He had to work really hard and what we’ve seen so far with the velo -- this is a guy who isn’t afraid, he attacks and stats on the attack.
“I think the biggest thing is just keeping him healthy -- I like the way he’s bouncing back and how he’s feeling in between outings -- his stuff is electric man, when he’s healthy he can do some special things.”
The right-hander struck out five batters over three scoreless innings before leaving the Mets for the WBC.
He continued that dominance pitching for the Dominican Republic, putting together more clean appearances, including his last in Sunday’s semifinal loss to the United States.
Though it's just exhibition games, the Mets certainly like what they’ve seen.
“I don’t know if we’re looking at the results, even though it’s a competitive environment facing some of the best hitters in the world on that stage, but it was good to see him throw the ball the way he did,” Carlos Mendoza said.
“The biggest thing we were looking at was just the buildup -- looking at the one-plus which he ended up doing close to 30 pitches, so the fact that they lost and we’re gonna get him back, he’s coming back in a pretty good spot.”
The team will wait and see how Brazoban feels when he reports back to camp this week, but if he finishes spring training healthy, he will officially be part of the Opening Day bullpen.
With the 36-year-old just about locked in, that leaves one spot with a week of games to play.
As long as everyone continues to stay healthy over that stretch, Mendoza expects that the difficult decision could take them right up to hours before first pitch on Opening Day.
Among the arms who are still in the mix are veterans Craig Kimbrel and Bryan Hudson, both of whom have impressed the third-year skipper with their stuff thus far in camp.
“We’re going to take what we feel is best and is going to give us the best chance to win,” Mendoza said. “Looks, angles, pitch shapes, I’m not sure we put too much into that now -- we’ll see how things play out the next few days.”
