SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: Bubba Chandler #36 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park on May 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home hosting the Philadelphia Phillies today at beautiful PNC Park.
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ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 15: Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Friday, May 15, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s hard to read too much into all of two games, but the Dodgers have scored 11 runs over their last two games, more than any three-game stretch of the previous six games. They’ve scored four, five, and six runs over the last three games, and you don’t need Disco Stu to see this is a positive trend.
The Dodgers scored at least five runs in consecutive games for the first time since April 25-27, while averaging only 3.43 runs in the 14 games in between, which included nine losses. And they did so while Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman each got rare nights off.
Three straight wins have also lined up with two shutouts by the pitching staff, sandwiching a two-run game during which the only runs came on a weird bounce and a misplay on what turned into an inside-the-park home run. Had the Dodgers lined up those three pitching performances over any of the previous four-game losing streak, they would have won at least two games, if not three. But of course, baseball doesn’t really work like that.
The Dodgers’ two longest streaks of scoring at least five runs this season are four games (April 3-6 at Washington and Toronto) and three games (April 25-27 at home vs. Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins). They go for a third straight game on Saturday while facing Angels right-hander José Soriano, who has allowed zero or one run in seven of his nine starts this season.
The day after a bullpen game is always a day in which a team could use a starting pitcher going deep into a game, and to that end that’s what Justin Wrobleski has been doing since joining the rotation, even in his one bad start out of six, when he went 8 2/3 innings. Wrobleski has lasted six innings in each of his last five starts, including starts of eight and seven innings in addition to last Sunday against the Atlanta Braves.
DENVER, CO - JULY 14: Turbulent weather produced a spectacular sunset over the skyline of the Denver downtown as seen from the stadium as the Milwaukee Brewers face the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 14, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
ROCKIES
Ketel Marte – DH
Willi Castro – 2B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Brenton Doyle – CF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
TJ Rumfield – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Hunter Goodman – C
Ildemaro Vargas – 2B
Mickey Moniak – DH
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Ezequiel Tovar – SS
Jose Fernandez – 1B
Sterlin Thompson – RF
James McCann – C
Kyle Karros – 3B
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Jake McCarthy – LF
E. Rodriguez – LHP
Tomoyuki Sugano – RHP
Welp, I’m glad I decided to check the baseball scores. For I was under the impression this was another evening game. But turns out it’s effectively a little after noon, so I am scurrying to assemble a quick GDT. Nice to see the bullpen get another day off. The past week has been largely a holiday for them. Jonathan Loaisiga hasn’t pitched at all since May 8th, while Brandyn Garcia and Juan Morillo have thrown only seven and ten pitches. Paul Sewald is the only guy with more than two appearances in that time, having taken the mound on three occasions. Not often any bullpen get an entire day off in Denver.
As noted yesterday, the D-backs’ bullpen ERA for May is currently the best in the majors at 1.99. If that is sustained for the rest of the month, it’ll be among the very best in franchise history. The only other times it has been below two for a calendar month, were in July 2015 (1.78 over 81 IP) and the start of 2018 (1.92 over 98.1 IP). The most recent “best” month was the last month of 2023, which you may remember as we rode the bullpen into the post-season, and on to the World Series. There, the Arizona bullpen posted an ERA of 2.31 over 117 innings, going 6-1. We’ll see what happens the rest of the month.
There needs to be a zero-tolerance approach to stealing other clubs’ secrets – Kim Hellberg’s emotional response shows just how deep this goes
Kim Hellberg was clearly upset and his press conference after Middlesbrough’s defeat at Southampton in the Championship semi‑final playoff second leg became unexpectedly moving as a result. In football, the Boro manager said, you accept that some teams have greater resources than others but where the coach of the less well-off team can gain an advantage is in the “tactical element”; it is in effect the only weapon he has. And if that weapon is made less effective by an opponent cheating, it is understandable that Hellberg should feel that his profession, the skillset he has developed to test himself against his peers, has been betrayed.
That disgust is, no doubt, genuine enough, and it is perhaps difficult for those of us who do not work in that world fully to grasp how frustrating it must be if strategies and ploys carefully conceived and practised are rendered ineffective, not by the in-game acuity of an opponent, but by espionage. But it is admittedly hard to square that righteous anger with the image published in the Mail this week of a sheepish young man lurking behind a tree with a phone.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Elmer Rodríguez #71 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Texas Rangers during their game at Yankee Stadium on May 05, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Unwilling, and rightfully so, to rush Gerrit Cole’s return date to a big-league mound, the Yankees will look to their Triple-A roster to help fill the absence of the recently injured Max Fried. With their ace hitting the shelf due to a left elbow bone bruise, the Yankees will bring up starter Elmer Rodríguez to fill out the rotation, temporarily.
This is hardly a surprising move, as Rodríguez has already been the go-to guy in emergencies for the Yankees on a staff that’s been reasonably healthy throughout the year. It wasn’t even two weeks ago that the rookie took the ball in a 7-4 win over the Rangers, allowing three runs in 4.2 innings of work in his second career start. The particular date of that start, May 5th, carries weight in this move, as it is the reason the Yankees didn’t first call a reliever to provide a bit more depth to the bullpen and then replace him with Rodríguez at the date of his start.
MLB rules required Rodríguez to spend at least 15 days in the minors prior to his return, unless there was an injury — in this case, Fried’s, whose IL placement allows for the quick return of Rodríguez. The general expectation based on Cole’s original timetable is that, much like in his last time with the big-league club, Rodríguez will make a pair of starts before heading back to Triple-A—the first of them within the next few days.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves: •Placed LHP Max Fried on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to 5/14) with a left elbow bone bruise. •Recalled RHP Elmer Rodríguez (#71) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The Yankees have updated their rotation schedule, and Elmer will start against the Mets on Sunday instead of waiting for early next week against Toronto.
May 15, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) and first baseman Bryce Harper (3) celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in ten innings at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Last night was a rather unhappy affair, until suddenly it wasn’t. Let’s hope the Phillies pick up where they left off last night, and keep it rolling through the weekend.
Cristopher Sánchez will take the mound for the visitors, as he continues a typically excellent season (4-2, 2.11 ERA).
Hank Borowy (center) may have taken an 11-game winning streak into a game vs. the White Sox on this day 82 years ago, but he left with it snapped.
1900 White Sox player-manager Dick Padden was clubbed over the head with a bat during a fight in the third inning at Detroit. The fracas started with the White Sox up, 4-2, after an uncalled balk by Chicago pitcher Chauncey Fisher that was then reversed under protest by the Tigers, scoring a run for Detroit. That in turn got the ire of Padden, to no avail.
After the arguments and consultation of the rule book, Padden returned to his position at second base as play resumed, but was getting cussed out by Detroit outfielder Ducky Holmes — who wasn’t playing in the game, and not even in uniform! Padden threw a punch at Holmes and missed, and in the ensuing melee a Detroit player crowned Padden with a blow from a bat.
Once things calmed again and play was to resume, Detroit manager George Stallings stormed onto the field with a policeman, demanding Padden be arrested; he was laughed off by all involved, and the White Sox prevailed in the game, 7-3.
1944 With a 10-4 win in the Bronx, the White Sox snapped pitcher Hank Borowy’s 11-game winning streak, which had dated back to Aug. 16, 1943. After a quiet first three frames, the White Sox exploded for seven runs over the next three frames. All of the runs were charged to Borowy, and the three earned runs were as many as he had given up all year to that point!
Thurman Tucker was a particular thorn in Borowy’s side, doubling twice off of the starter and having an overall afternoon of 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs.
1953 White Sox pitcher Tommy Byrne, who was knocked out of the game in an eventual win against the Yankees two days earlier, was sent up to pinch-hit for Vern Stephens in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and the Sox trailing, 3-1. Byrne, with just one career grand slam to Stephens’ 10 at the time, slammed a 2-2 pitch from Ewell “The Whip” Blackwell into the lower deck in right field at Yankee Stadium, for the only pinch-hit grand slam by a pitcher in team history! The Sox won the game, 5-3, scoring all of their runs in the ninth inning.
That was the only home run Byrnehit that year for the White Sox, although he totalled 14 in his big-league career.
1965 A doubleheader sweep of California, 6-2 and 5-4, completed the first 7-0 homestand in White Sox history. Since then, the White Sox have had four other 7-0 homestands.
1978 With the White Sox a dismal 9-20 and owner Bill Veeck knowing that there was no way he was going to be able to re-sign him after the season, slugger Bobby Bonds was traded to the Texas Rangers for Claudell Washington and Rusty Torres.
Bondsonly played in 26 games for the Sox, with two home runs and eight RBIs. Making matters worse was that Bonds was acquired the previous December for three players, including future All-Star Brian Downing.
Washington would become the target of fan displeasure because of his tendency to take it easy on the field while with the team. One fan made up a banner, hung over the right field wall, expressing that sentiment: “Washington slept here.”
1984 Carlton Fisk had one of his finest games, as he became the third player in franchise history to hit for the cycle in a game. It came against the Royals at Comiskey Park.
Despite Fisk’s efforts, the Sox lost, 7-6. Carlton went 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs in the game.
Per Baseball-Reference, as Fisk hit his only triple of the season as part of this cycle, he joined Pittsburgh’s Bill Salkeld as the only catcher of the century to hit the only triple of his season as part of a cycle.
1996 After getting picked off of first base in a 3-2 White Sox loss to the Brewers, Tony Phillips gets word postgame that battery charges were filed against him for a incident the previous night in Milwaukee. A fan was yelling racial slurs at Phillips, who later sought out the fan and got into a skirmish with him. Both men would be fined and charged with disorderly conduct.
Alex Smalley takes a two-shot lead into the final round but some big names lurk at Aronimink
Xander Schauffele fancies reclaiming the crown he won in 2024. He turned in 32, and now he’s just made his fifth birdie of the day at 11. He joins Rory as the only currently active member of the group at -3.
Justin Rose has rolled in two big putts on 18 already this week. Par savers both. And it’s three pars at the closing hole now, though he’s not so chuffed about this one, a 15-foot birdie attempt stopping just short. He cocks his head back in frustration, though it surely won’t sting for long, because that’s set the seal on a 65, and at -2 he’s right in the mix. He joins Kristoffer Reitan and Chris Kirk in the clubhouse lead.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MAY 09: Aaron Judge #99 and Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on May 09, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Height is a curious thing. Sure, all else being equal, it’s better to be taller if you’re a baseball player, but particularly for position players, this maxim ceases to apply after a certain point. More body mass means it’s harder to have precise control over your movement. Longer levers usually lead to more strikeouts. It’s harder to readjust your swing when it gets out of sync. There’s a reason why the list of baseball’s tallest players of all time isn’t quite a collection of greats. There are real drawbacks to being extremely tall.
It’s important, then, when extremely tall players do grace our team, that we recognize their rarity and celebrate their presence. And what better time for Yankees fans than now, when the newly promoted and impossibly large Spencer Jones has joined an outfield that already contained (barely) the gargantuan Aaron Judge?
On May 9th, during a 4-3 loss against the Brewers, the Yankees deployed an outfield for the ages – the duo of Judge and Jones in right and center, flanked by the 6-foot-3 Cody Bellinger in left, with a combined height of 19 feet and 5 inches. Seeing that, I thought to myself, this must be the tallest Yankees outfield ever. Turns out I was selling them short. According to the incomparable Sarah Langs, it was the first time any team had multiple position players listed at 6-foot-7 or higher in MLB history, let alone play them simultaneously. I assume that seals the deal for Judge-Jones-Bellinger to go down as the tallest outfield of all time, unless there was an outfield of three Frank Howard clones during the 60s that I’m not aware of.
While the question of the tallest outfield in Yankees history was settled, that got me thinking; what about the second-tallest one?
This was a question that not even Sarah Langs had publicly answered – though I imagine if I asked her directly she would have an answer for me in mere minutes. In fact, I tried Googling variations on “tallest Yankees outfield” and the only thing of substance I could find was this Reddit thread asking the same question but for all of MLB. So, I took matters into my own hands.
My methodology was intricately planned and foolproof (read: pretty haphazard and lacking rigor); try to come up with tall Yankees outfielders, check their teammates for any other tall outfielders, and search through game logs where they shared the field. Here’s what I found.
As I embarked on this task, my first line of inquiry was, “Did Judge have any other tall teammates in the outfield?”. Two names immediately came to mind; Giancarlo Stanton, our second favorite beeftank, and Joey Gallo, who serves as a high-end comp for Spencer Jones. I thought finding a game where all three players shared an outfield would be an easy task. Oh, how I was mistaken.
My foray into the Yankees’ 2021 game logs quickly turned into a seemingly unending slog. Even within the relatively rare occasions where Stanton took up a glove, the stars didn’t quite line up. When Gallo and Stanton were patrolling the grass, Judge would often be DHing, leaving Brett Gardner to handle center field. When Judge and Stanton were in center and right, Tyler Wade would spoil things by standing in left instead of Gallo. Eventually, though, I hit the jackpot with this August game against the Braves. With a combined height just one inch shorter than the presumed all-time record, I’m quite comfortable declaring this outfield to be the runner-up. (Postscript: the folks at esteemed podcast Effectively Wild came to the same conclusion, so now I’m even more confident!)
However, something about both outfields featuring Aaron Judge didn’t quite sit right with me. It felt too easy, too obvious – of course playing the Tallest Dude would lead to having the Tallest Outfield. So I got curious; what was the tallest Yankees outfield, non-Judge division?
As far as I know, after Judge and Jones, these three players are tied for third place on the tallest Yankees outfielder rankings: Darryl Strawberry, Dave Winfield, and Dave Kingman, all listed at 6f-oot-6. Assuming that these three were my best bet to find a suitably tall outfield, I began my search by trying to find out whether they had any tall colleagues.
I started with Kingman, as his eight-game stint for the 1977 Yankees meant that I only had to pore over a limited sample of game logs. However, it turned out that Kingman was ineligible for this exercise in the first place – he never took the field during his time with the Yanks, appearing exclusively as a DH or pinch hitter. It makes sense, given Kingman’s notoriously porous glove.
Undeterred, I turned my eyes toward Winfield. Here, I quickly noticed that his outfield-mates were quite lacking in height. During the Hall of Famer’s 1981-1988 Yankees tenure, only three other Bronx outfielders reached even 6-foot-3 – Gary Roenicke, Hal Morris, and Jay Buhner. I knew that today’s MLB players were on average bigger than their predecessors, but this was still jarring to me – a 6-foot-3 outfielder would be relatively unremarkable in today’s game, but in the eighties they would have been notably tall! For my purposes, this meant that I had to abandon Winfield – just one Tall Dude does not a Tall Outfield make.
That left me with Strawberry. As the troubled slugger was largely limited to DH and bench bat duties by the time he arrived in the Bronx, it was relatively easy for me to zero in on the games where he was stationed in the outfield. Not before long, I had my answer.
Tallest Yankees Outfield, non-Aaron Judge division: Paul O’Neill (LF, 6-foot-4), Bernie Williams (CF, 6-foot-2), Darryl Strawberry (RF, 6-foot-6)
Occasion: A bunch of times from 1995-1999
Combined height: 19 feet
Full disclosure: I’d completely forgotten that Paulie was so tall. In retrospect, I should have zeroed in on Strawberry and O’Neill on those dynasty teams at the start, but then again, I guess that would have made for a brief and uneventful article. Also, some of you might look at Bernie and go, “But he’s not that tall!”. However, aside from O’Neill, I could find only three outfielders whose Yankees careers coincided with Straw’s who were taller than Bernie; Rubén Rivera, Clay Bellinger, and Mark Whiten. Of the three, only Rivera saw time in center, and perusing the game logs, I could not find a game where Rivera, O’Neill, and Strawberry were all in the outfield. So, to the best of my knowledge, Paulie-Bernie-Straw is the tallest Yankees outfield that does not include Aaron Judge.
If nothing else, I hope this gave you the opportunity to Remember Some Guys. And if you think I’m overlooking any tall Yankees – a distinct possibility – please sound off in the comments!
The highlights speak for themselves; if this was any other year Caleb Wilson could very well go #1 overall in the NBA Draft. This year just so happens to be stacked with NBA ready talent. This draft in particular has been touted as a “Big 3” draft between Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, and Darryn Peterson, but I’m here to tell you that Caleb Wilson belongs in that same class.
Wilson dealt with some injury issues during his time at North Carolina but what he displayed in 24 games can’t be denied: nearly 20 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and nearly 3 stock (steals + blocks) a night. His shooting splits aren’t something that will be heralded but what he lacks in 3 point shooting he more than makes up for everywhere else.
What We Know
The NBA Draft Combine was a few days ago and what we know for sure are the measurables:
6’9.25” barefoot
210 lbs
7’ wingspan
9’ standing reach
39.5” max vertical
34.5” standing vertical
11.17 second in the lane agility drill
3.11 seconds in the shuttle run
3.23 second in the 3/4 Court Sprint
All of this information only confirms what we know: he’s a long, athletic, agile PF with huge defensive upside. It seems like there are a lot of pretty easy comparisons that I could make, and it looks like I’m not the only one.
“The bar seems like Kevin Garnett, the ceiling seems more like Giannis.”👀
Now with Kevin Garnett being my favorite player of all-time and THE reason that I even like the NBA at all I would make the argument that Giannis should be the bar and Kevin Garnett should be the ceiling, but I digress. Regardless of which Hall of Fame player you could compare him to, he has all of the tools to potentially live up to the hype. Now I have a personal rule that I’ll never judge a player that’s on his Rookie contract; there’s just so much that goes into evaluating a player that it would be unfair to judge a 22-23 year old and say that he’s capped out as a player. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t see major upside in his potential selection. He also brings the right attitude to the game.
Caleb Wilson:
“I will change your franchise, your culture, your program, your city. I did that at North Carolina.”
Even more than that he seems to show up when the lights are the brightest. In his limited play at UNC he was able to go up against two of the top 3 aforementioned players and he certainly didn’t disappoint.
24 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 9/11 FG against Darryn Peterson and Kansas
23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 stocks against Cam Boozer and Duke
So, just to recap, we have a kid with a great wingspan, he’s a great athlete, he passes the eye test with his highlight reel, he’s already drawing comparisons to two former MVP and Hall of Fame caliber players, he has a great mentality when it comes to the game of basketball, AND he shows up when it matters most. I guess the only question we have to answer now is this; Why would we draft Caleb Wilson over two of the “Big 3”?
Why We Should
If everything I’ve said so far isn’t reason enough, maybe this will be enough to sway you: he’s by far the most versatile defender in this entire class. He finished his season at UNC with a 97.8 defensive rating, he can guard 1-4, he’s strong enough to hold his own against more bruising players in the league, he’s got the wingspan to alter any shot, and while other people might think that Kevin Garnett is his floor, I’m more of a realist and think that Evan Mobley is his floor, which in case we forgot is a former Defensive Player of the Year.
I understand why people, especially after this playoff series against the Pistons, would be skeptical of drafting an elite defensive prospect who needs some work on the offensive end. I hear you, and I understand you, but Caleb Wilson and Evan Mobley are not the same kind of animal on the offensive side of the ball. Now, I want to be as clear as I can about my position on Evan Mobley. I am in no way saying that averaging 18/9/3.6 and nearly 2 blocks a game is a bad thing, but the way that Evan gets his shots are not the same as the way Wilson does. These two players are fundamentally different.
I’m no psychologist but there’s something between the ears that separates the two. I believe that Evan had “it” at one point but after playing with Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and now James Harden, I think that his drive to be this offensive force has died down quite a bit. I will refer you back to the video at the top of this article and ask you the simple question: does that look like someone who doesn’t have that drive to be a force on both sides of the ball?
Their shot diets are similar, yes, but between his transition game, his faceup game, his catch and shoot ability (despite the percentages), the fact that he shoots 72% at the rim and 44% from midrange (which would be comparable to what Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, and Jamal Murray shoot from that range), AND his shooting mechanics which are as sound as they come, there’s a real chance that Wilson could become a dominant two-way force in this league if given the time to develop.
Speaking of time to develop, I think we could offer that to him here in Utah. After the acquisition of Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline, our forward/center rotation will be filled with veteran players who are ready to contribute right away. If we were to select Caleb Wilson #2 overall we could give him a chance to develop behind a former Defensive Player of the Year AND a phenomenal rebounder and shot blocker in Walker Kessler (assuming everyone comes back). He wouldn’t need to help us win a championship immediately, and he could be a valuable piece off our bench for the first part of his career. Not to mention the fact that if I know anything about Trader Danny it’s that if he thinks we can get better without someone he won’t hesitate to pick up the phone. Maybe he starts to develop a little more quickly than expected and he’s able to outperform Jaren Jackson Jr. We could get younger in the process, insert a defensive demon in his place, and potentially get even more draft capital in return without missing a beat. If that doesn’t sound like a Danny Ainge masterplan, I don’t know what does.
Why We Shouldn’t
Having that impressive frontcourt I just mentioned does complicate things a little bit. I’m not one that believes we need to draft for fit this high in the draft, but the more natural selection we would make would be either Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa; whoever is available at the time. A Keyonte George/Darryn Peterson backcourt is enough to make my mouth water, and we could very easily slide Ace Bailey in at the shooting guard slot and run AJ Dybantsa at the 3. Drafting a player like Caleb Wilson at No. 2 when we already have JJJ and Walker Kessler on the roster wouldn’t exactly be maximizing our roster, and after the years of strategically tanking it seems like we’re ready to make a playoff push, and I think that Peterson or Dybantsa would help us more in that effort.
Something else that will be in question is his three point shooting ability. We’ve seen players be successful in the league without really making 3’s, but it is now becoming more and more of a requirement to be able to stretch the floor. There are rare exceptions, like what we’re seeing in Detroit with Ausar Thompson. Suffice it to say he is NOT a threat from deep (25% this year on VERY limited volume), but he’s able to be impactful on offense by living in the dunkers spot, slashing towards the rim, and getting active on the offensive glass. His athleticism helps him in that effort, and while I think that Caleb Wilson is indeed a great athlete, he’s not a 0.1% athlete like Ausar is. Wilson will be a good athlete in the NBA but he will undoubtedly need to add dimensions to his game if he wants to be great in this league, and without solid proof (other than open gym shooting drill videos) there is some level of skepticism to have about his offensive game.
If you couldn’t tell by this 1500 word article, I do think that Caleb Wilson will be great in this league for a long time, there is a part of me that isn’t sure that he’ll be great in this league while in Utah. I did an instant reaction mock draft after the Draft Lottery order was announced, and I have him slated to go No. 4 overall to the Chicago Bulls. That has not changed in the past week, and unless there is some MASSIVE news that drops between now and the NBA Draft, I don’t expect that to change. I still think that we’ll end up taking either Peterson or Dybantsa, but if we did select Wilson I certainly wouldn’t mind.
Who do you think we’ll take in the NBA Draft? Do you want Peterson, Dybantsa, or someone else entirely? Sound off in the comments!
SACRAMENTO, CA - MAY 01: Manager Stephen Vogt #12 of the Cleveland Guardians talks to the media prior to the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Friday, May 1, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Don Collier/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Guardians lost a frustrating game 6-5 yesterday. You probably know that by now.
In lieu of much further news, I am going to offer some takes for you to react to in the comments below:
-The cheapness of Guardians’ ownership is not showing up in their offense. I believe their offense will be fine. It is showing up in the bullpen. Knowing that Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz (who would have been either a serviceable back of the rotation starter or a good reliever) would not be with the team, a sensible ownership group would have spent to shore up that unit. I saw many people calling for Tyler Rogers – 19 innings, 1.86 ERA with Toronto, for a reunion with Jakob Junis – 1.89 ERA in 19 innings with Texas, with Brad Keller – 3.15 FIP in 18 innings with the Phillies, and, God forbid, they could have spent some actual money and got Ryan Helsley who landed a $28M 2-year deal with the Orioles and has put up a 2.53 ERA in 10 innings so far. Playing cheap and gambling they could shore things off of the Rule-5 and waiver wires was a silly way to cut corners. I am sure they will look to improve things at the deadline and we will all hope not to lose too many more games like yesterday.
-Peyton Pallette needs to go back to the White Sox when Sean Armstrong is healthy enough to return. Pallette is the perfect kind of player to carry on a rebuilding team or even a fringe playoff team. Cleveland needs to act like this is THEIR division to win to go on a playoff run and stop running an island for misfit relievers. Pallette throws the ball hard, yep. He has zero extension and can’t locate his secondaries. If he makes it through this season in Cleveland, they’ll immediately option him to Columbus next year, which should tell you all you need to know.
-Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz can kick rocks. Forever.
-I do not condemn Stephen Vogt for batting Steven Kwan leadoff. Managers across baseball will believe in their all-stars for at least 2-3 months of the season. He is not blind. He can see it is harming offensive production, and that’s why the move was made in the lineup tonight to put him in the sixth spot. I do wonder if it would be wise to let Kwan – still wearing a wrist brace – to see if some time on the IL would allow his wrist to regain some strength. This would allow the team to let Kahlil Watson get his first taste of the big leagues out of the way, and to move Travis Bazzana to the top of the lineup. For good. Because Kwan, except for 2024, has always been a #6 of #7 hitter in a good lineup.
-I am trying not to freak out about pushing Gavin Williams’ start back a day. I don’t think that happens unless he’s “feeling something.”
-I got a lot of pushback for tweeting about this, but the Guardians really need to do better in the fan experience at Progressive Field, especially for kids. Despite an entire offseason to work in an indoors, heated area, the lower level of the kids’ clubhouse is under construction. Until kids get off college, their wiffle ball tent is not set up. The place is barely staffed. And, the entire stadium feels… dirty. A significant portion of live concession workers have been replaced by automated machines, which feels icky, not that there were even enough concession workers. Even with all the renovations, much of the stadium feels like it is run by an entitled ownership group that just expects people to show up and makes no significant effort to make the ballpark THE place to be. But, they’ll surely remind you that attendance is the reason they couldn’t afford to sign Ryan Helsley.
-Jose Ramirez had a great night last night and Kyle Manzardo looks back to his old form. Travis Bazzana put up insanely good at-bats. Hopefully, this is all a good sign for days ahead.
Hopefully the Guardians win tonight to make me feel better. That’s what’s important, after all.
AROUND MLB: The Tigers won, but the White Sox, Royals and Twins all lost.
The Seattle Mariners look to even their series with the San Diego Padres when the teams meet at T-Mobile Park tonight.
My Padres vs. Mariners predictions and MLB picks key in on Seattle right-hander Logan Gilbert having a dominant outing on Saturday, May 16.
Who will win Padres vs Mariners tonight: Mariners -1.5 (+126)
Home runs seem to be the only way hitters can get to Logan Gilbert. The Seattle Mariners starter has allowed only five earned runs in his last three starts, all coming via solo bombs.
Since the start of April, Gilbert has posted the third-lowest walk rate of any qualified SP while stranding runners at the sixth-best rate. He will dominate a San Diego Padres lineup ranked 27th in xSLG, 29th in xwOBA, and 29th in K% over the past month.
Meanwhile, Walker Buehler has been a glorified BP pitcher for the Padres, owning a 10.13 ERA in three road starts. Seattle will punish him early and win easily.
COVERS INTEL: Although the Padres are 8-1 in Randy Vasquez’s nine starts this season, they have gone 18-17 in their other 35 games.
Padres vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-124)
Once Buehler is gone, the San Diego bullpen will take over and help keep the scoring low. Over the past month, their relievers lead the majors in xERA while ranking second in xFIP and GB%.
The Mariners' lineup also performs better outside of T-Mobile Park, posting a .347 wOBA on the road vs. just .320 at home the past month — and their bullpen has the fifth-best home in the majors the past two weeks, while ranking ninth in K%.
The Under is 7-2 in San Diego’s last nine and 8-2 in Seattle’s last 10, and that trend will continue.
Jason Ence's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 5-9, -4.94 units
Over/Under bets: 10-4, +5.96 units
Padres vs Mariners odds
Moneyline: Padres +144 | Mariners -172
Run line: Padres +1.5 (-152) | Mariners -1.5 (+126)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+102) | Under 7.5 (-124)
Padres vs Mariners trend
San Diego has hit the team total Under in 18 of its last 25 games (+10.45 Units / 36% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Mariners.
How to watch Padres vs Mariners and game info
Location
T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
Date
Saturday, May 16, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Padres starting pitcher
Walker Buehler (2-2, 5.20 ERA)
Mariners starting pitcher
Logan Gilbert (2-3, 3.78 ERA)
Padres vs Mariners latest injuries
Padres vs Mariners weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
A win tonight would mark the second time Buffalo has earned five wins in their first six road contests in a single playoff year. Buffalo split the first two road games of this series, emerging victorious in the most recent road matchup between the two teams in Game 4 (3-2).
In his last six games, Zach Benson has registered six points (3+3).Benson has four goals in the playoffs and is the first Sabres skater age 21 or younger to register four or more goals in a single playoff year since Pierre Turgeon in 1988 (4; 18 years old).
Josh Doan’s plus-5 rating is the best mark by a Sabres forward in the first 11 games of their playoff career since Paul Gaustad (plus-5) and Derek Roy (plus-6) from April 22 to May 13, 2006. In his last eight games, Doan has registered 10 points (3+7), including at least one point in each of his last six contests.
In his last seven games, Rasmus Dahlin has posted seven points (2+5), including an assist in three straight games. With an assist tonight, Dahlin would join Owen Power as the only Sabres defensemen who have registered an assist streak of at least four games in this year’s playoffs. Dahlin would become just the fourth Buffalo defenseman all-time (Power, Alexei Zhitnik, Jason Woolley) to register an assist streak of four or more games in the playoffs.
Tage Thompson has tallied 11 points (4+7) in 11 playoff games thus far, including four points (2+2) in his last three games.Thompson’s four multi-point games in the playoffs are tied for the third most among all NHL skaters.
Bowen Byram has recorded four goals in the playoffs and is one goal
away from recording the most goals by a Sabres defenseman in a single playoff year all-time.
Mattias Samuelsson (43 hits; three goals) is the only NHL defenseman with 40 or more hits and three or more goals in the playoffs.
As it is by now no secret, I enjoy watching Steven Adams play (also, his dog is cute) but that will not spare him from this article. With his production and injury, Adams, in retrospect, turned out to be one of the most important players for the Rockets this season, but unfortunately, on January 18, he suffered an ankle injury, and just 10 days later, it was announced that he would miss the entire season after surgery. After his injury, the Rockets were left with only Jeff Green and Clint Capela in the backup center’s arsenal.
In the offensive department, he enabled the Rockets, especially in offensive rebounding, since, outside of Kevin Durant, most of the players struggled with shooting, and sometimes it turned out that the best offensive play was to hope that the balls were repelled and the rebound was returned by Adams to another Rocket. As a result of all this, according to StatMuse, the Rockets had a strong net rating with their old man in the lineup. However, their great achievement also extended beyond the box score, as he was able to create second chance opportunities with elite offensive rebounding, protect the paint and be the tough guy on the court, which are not awlays fully calculated in a score.
Defensively, Adams helped make the game easier for Houston’s younger players. He played quarterback on the floor, always talking coverages and getting teammates in the right places. His ability to protect the post without having a ton of help defense gave Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. the freedom to play more aggressively on the perimeter. That defense was a huge reason Houston ascended the standings early in the year.
Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of Adams’ season was his chemistry with Alperen Sengun. On paper, many fans and media members wondered if two classic big men could prosper together in today’s NBA. The pairing often worked because the two players complemented each other’s skill sets. Adams focused on rebounding, screening and interior defense, while Şengün handled playmaking and scoring. The “double big” lineups in Houston physically wore out smaller teams and helped dictate the tempo of games. Houston was able to run some double big lineups with Clint Capela and Sengun, but those lineups were not as effective since truly nobody could replace Big Kiwi.
If you were to ask me for a grade for Adams’s season I would either lean a C, or incomplete since we only saw Adams be avalaible for 40 of the 82 games during the regular season. It was clear Houston missed him when he was off the court, but Adams needs to work on staying healthy, as the ankle is his second season injury in the past five years.
Houston Rockets post season reviews will continue on with Fred Vanvleet and Reed Sheppard, so be sure to check pack at The Dream Shake for most season reviews.
For the 10th consecutive season, the Detroit Red Wings are watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs from home.
Their fate was officially sealed after yet another late-season collapse, in which a once-comfortable lead above the playoff cut line vanished, culminating in a disappointing 5–3 loss and a chorus of boos from frustrated fans at Little Caesars Arena on April 11.
Down the stretch, it was McLellan who repeatedly decried what he viewed as "jerseys" on the ice, or players who weren't making a difference and weren't giving a complete, total effort.
So far, we’ve examined the lack of production from both Michael Rasmussen, Detroit’s former ninth-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and forward J.T. Compher, who hasn’t come close to delivering the level of production expected from a player carrying a $5.1 million cap hit.
While Appleton has never been a player that the clubs that he's played for so far in his NHL career expect to be a focal point of their offense, the Red Wings were counting on him to make more of an impact than he did in the second half of the season.
Appleton, whom the Red Wings inked to a two-year, $5.8 million deal last offseason with a cap hit of $2.9 million, began his tenure in Detroit on a positive note.
Not only did he score the game-winning goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs late in regulation in their fourth game of the season, but he was on track for around 35-40 points after his first month.
However, his offense began to taper off, and after the calendar flipped to 2026, was nearly nonexistent.
In fact, beginning on January 1, Appleton went 19 straight games without registering a single point, finally breaking that dismal streak with a pair of assists on March 2. But from that point on, he managed just one point over the next 14 games.
Ultimately, over his last 34 games of the season, Appleton scored just once.
Appleton was largely ineffective for the Red Wings in the second half of the season, leading to questions about whether or not he'll be offered a new contract upon the expiration of his current deal next summer - or if GM Steve Yzerman could potentially look to move on from him before then.
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COVERS INTEL: Although t
