LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 12, 2026: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) plays tight defense on Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on February 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks (24-53) are home for an early Sunday evening game against the Los Angeles Lakers (50-27). The Mavericks are coming off a loss against the Orlando Magic, but one where Cooper Flagg was on fire from the field and he scored 51. The Lakers had a devestating loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in more ways than one on Thursday.
Here are the main things you need to know:
WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers
WHAT: Dallas tries to end a long, long home losing streak
WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
WHEN: 6:30 pm CST
HOW: NBC/Peacock
The Mavericks are fielding as close to a full team as we’ve seen in several games. Caleb Martin is out with his plantar issue. Moussa Cisse is questionable and I don’t think he’ll play given who Dallas has available. Tyler Smith is questionable due to illness. John Poulakidas is probable to play. Marvin Bagley is as well after dealing with a shoulder injury.
The Lakers are in a brutal injury position. Luka Doncic went down with a very bad hamstring injury against the Thunder. Austin Reaves also suffered a very bad oblique injury. Both players will be out for weeks and weeks and I don’t see how the Lakers win a playoff round. Dallas native Marcus Smart will miss this game with an ankle injury. Jarred Vanderbilt is questionable as of this writing with a calf issue.
Give how close to the end of the regular season we are, the Mavericks winning this game is going to drive some people mad. But the Lakers don’t have the horses and I don’t care how bad Dallas has been as of late, when the top heavy Lakers are missing two of their three best players, the Mavericks should have more than enough juice to win.
Be sure to chime in with your predictions in the comments!
Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rickard Rakell scored twice, Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 on Sunday.
Rakell scored his first goal for the Penguins with 48 seconds left in the first period on the power play, assisted on by Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. His second came with 1:52 left in the second period.
Bryan Rust and Elmer Soderblom also scored for the Penguins. Carter Verhaeghe and Cole Schwindt each scored for the Panthers.
Pittsburgh's Arturs Silovs stopped 29 shots after tandem mate Stuart Skinner was ruled out with an upper-body injury. Daniil Tarasov allowed five goals on 23 shots in defeat.
Up next
Penguins: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
Panthers: Visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
The Golden State Warriors haven't been at full strength for seemingly the entire season. But with five games left to go before the play-in begins, they're reportedly set to bring back their most important piece.
An official announcement will likely come closer to the 7 p.m. PT tip-off but in the meantime, here's everything you need to know about Curry's impending return:
Is Steph Curry playing tonight vs. the Houston Rockets?
It hasn't been officially announced yet as of 3:15 p.m. PT, but all indications are that Curry will be cleared to play Sunday night for the first time in over two months. ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater first reported on Curry's impending return on Friday, April 3.
Official word from the Warriors on Curry's status will likely come closer to Sunday night's 7 p.m. local time tip-off.
Steph Curry stats
Prior to injuring his knee in February, Curry was averaging 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 39 games played this season, while shooting 46.8% from the field, 39.1% on 3-pointers and 93.1% on free throws.
Curry participated in a scrimmage at Warriors practice on Friday, and head coach Steve Kerr came away from it hopeful about his star.
"Everything went well. Yeah, he looked good," Kerr told reporters. "He’s pretty good. He looks like Steph Curry."
Warriors playoff outlook
Golden State has been in turmoil ever since Curry went down. They were already dealing with several injuries, but being without their best player sent them spiraling. The Warriors went 9-18 in the 27 games Curry missed, but his return is just in time for the most important time of the year.
Though they won't be able to catch the sixth seed, the Warriors' spot in the play-in tournament is set. With five games left to go in the regular season, Golden State currently holds the 10th and final seed as they trail the seventh-seeded Phoenix Suns by six games and the No. 9 Los Angeles Clippers by three.
"Yeah, I mean he brings hope to a tough situation," Kerr told reporters on Friday. "I thought [Spurs] game, we were never really in the game, but the guys fought, they competed, they stayed with it until the end. The vibe was good. When Steph’s around, the vibe tends to be better. It’s definitely better right now so hopefully we’ll have another good effort tonight and he’ll be on the sidelines cheering. We’ll see how it goes the next couple of days but we’re obviously dying to get him back.”
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 03: Sam Merrill #5 talks with head coach Kenny Atkinson of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Rocket Arena on March 03, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 113-109. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t had many opportunities to see how this team looks when it’s at — or even near — full strength. That’s one of the downsides to having a team undergo renovations at the trade deadline.
As of now, head coach Kenny Atkinson still doesn’t know who the starting small forward will be in the playoffs. Right now, the plan is to decide who’s in that spot based on the matchup and how they’re playing.
Atkinson was asked if Max Strus was going to be the starting small forward going forward, and said no.
“That position is going to be flexible in terms of starting and finishing,” Atkinson said before the Indiana Pacers game on Sunday. “You have to earn it.”
Atkinson listed five options for who could be in the starting small forward spot: Max Strus, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, and Keon Ellis.
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As you can see, the sample size is incredibly small. So much so, the data from any of these numbers isn’t really that useful. The Cavs shouldn’t be making any decisions based on this. At the same time, it is encouraging that they have performed well in the limited time their four best players have shared the floor.
Atkinson admitted before Sunday’s game that he’s still trying to figure out how to best use Harden, who will be playing in just his 24th game with the Cavs on Sunday.
“I’m still looking back at James’s career, stealing ATOs (after timeout plays) from Houston,” Atkinson said. “How did the spacing look with the Clippers? I look at some of the Nets’ stuff. … Past teams, have used him as a defender on the four-man?”
The Cavaliers are in a tough position. The playoffs are two weeks away, and they’re still assessing what they have and how to use their best players. There was really no way around this problem when the Cavs decided to overhaul the roster in February. The hope was that talent would win out this season. And at times it has. Other times, they’ve looked like a team still piecing things together.
We’ll see how this looks in the playoffs. As of now, Atkinson doesn’t know who will be at the starting small forward spot. He is, however, confident in the options that he does have.
“It’s a good problem to have, but these are tough decisions to make, so it’ll be flexible,” Atkinson said.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 05: Jericho Sims #00 of the Milwaukee Bucks scores on a dunk during the first half of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum on April 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Bucks closed out their two-game home stretch on Easter with a 131-115 win over the Memphis Grizzlies to improve to 31-47. Ryan Rollins, returning from a hip strain, contributed 24 points to the Bucks’ victory, while Rayan Rupert led the Grizzlies with 33.
The Grizzlies, missing an alarming number of players to “injury,” jumped out to an early 9-3 lead, fueled by two-way guard Rayan Rupert’s early five points. However, the Bucks quickly embarked on a 13-0 run through three-pointers from Myles Turner and AJ Green, and they built on their lead as the first quarter wore on. Ryan Rollins shook off ten-day forward Toby Okani on a smooth pair of dribble moves before cleanly converting a mid-range fadeaway, showing that the Bucks were beginning to find their rhythm. The Grizzlies were still in it, largely thanks to Milwaukee’s persistent defensive lapses, like Taurean Prince’s hard flagrant foul on Rupert. Cormac Ryan closed out the first frame with a buzzer-beating three to take Milwaukee up by nine, 34-25.
Rollins led Milwaukee to a dominant start to the second quarter. He used a dizzying array of body checks and step-backs to get to his spots. His eight early points in the second fueled Milwaukee’s early 12-3 run, and before long, the home side found itself up by as much as 19 points. It was obvious that the Grizzlies’ hodge-podge lineup didn’t really click; spacing worked against them on both sides of the ball, and they looked helpless against the pick-and-roll. Rupert was their only bright spot; the Frenchman poured in 25 first-half points, torching the Bucks’ defense. The Grizzlies clawed back some ground in the game by getting to the line in droves and strung together a 12-0 run, but the Bucks still held a 62-56 lead at half.
The Grizzlies and Bucks went back and forth in the third quarter. The Bucks’ offense began to take off through Rollins’ tough buckets and interior plays from Myles Turner. However, the Grizzlies took off at the same time. Rookie Walter Clayton Jr. finally woke up from his quiet first half, and Rupert continued to slice Milwaukee’s defense with his dribble. Despite Milwaukee gradually losing ground as fatigue kicked in, the Bucks ended the penultimate quarter up five, 92-87.
Olivier Maxence-Prosper’s breakaway jam trimmed Milwaukee’s once-mighty lead to just two early in the fourth quarter, and, suddenly, it felt like this game could go either way. However, Jericho Sims’ heroics halted Memphis’ momentum. His defense, denying Dariq Whitehead and Taylor Hendricks key looks at the rim, kept Memphis quiet on offense. It was his intelligent assist that found Ryan open under the rim, it was his screen that freed up Prince for an emphatic three, and it was his putback dunk to widen Milwaukee’s lead to double digits with just six minutes left of game time. Milwaukee continued to flow offensively, limiting Memphis to tough under-the-rim attempts and finding quick transition points. The Bucks accentuated their Easter Day victory with a smooth Alex Antetokounmpo midrange jumper and a technical-foul-inducing lob to Thanasis that set Fiserv on fire.
Stat That Stood Out
The Bucks’ bench scored 61 points in Sunday’s win, 32 more than the Grizzlies’. Sims’ and Ryan’s contributions in crunch time helped Milwaukee go the distance and fight off a dangerous Memphis comeback.
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball’s pitch clock was no match for the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins.
New York’s 9-7 win Saturday night lasted 3 hours, 49 minutes, the longest nine-inning game since the pitch clock was instituted for the 2023 season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
MLB had not had a nine-inning game that long since Boston’s 13-9 with over Baltimore went 3:57 on Sept. 27, 2022, according to Elias.
The previous high for a nine-inning game since the pitch clock started in 2023 was 3:45 for the Oakland Athletics’ 7-6 win at the New York Mets on Aug. 15, 2024.
New York and Miami combined for 379 pitches by 13 pitchers, and Marlins pitchers walked 10, increasing their total to 21 in the first two games of the series. There were 21 runners left on base, including 12 by Miami.
MLB’s average time of a nine-inning game dropped from 3:04 in 2022 to 2:40 the following year when the clock was instituted and decreased to 2:36 in 2024, its lowest since 1984’s 2:35. It rose to 2:38 last year.
The average game time passed 3 hours for the first time in 2016. It reached a record 3:10 in 2021 before the introduction of the PitchCom electronic pitch-calling device helped bring it down to 3:04 in 2022.
DALLAS, TEXAS - JANUARY 22: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on prior to the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 22, 2026 in Dallas, 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 Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors will reach the midway point of their five-game homestand with Sunday night’s primetime matchup against the Houston Rockets. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM PT in San Francisco and will be nationally televised on NBC, with streaming available on Peacock.
The Warriors had a chance to snap their two-game losing streak against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night, but their late push came up short in a 118–111 loss. After playing severely shorthanded the night prior, Golden State welcomed back several key contributors, including Gui Santos and Kristaps Porzingis, who finished with 25 and 16 points, respectively. In addition to that, Brandin Podziemski tied Santos for the team-high with 25 points of his own.
Their combined scoring helped keep the game competitive, but Cleveland’s star power ultimately proved too much. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined for 44 points, while Max Strus caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down six of his 10 three-point attempts to seal the Warriors’ 41st loss of the season.
The biggest storyline entering Sunday night’s matchup against the Rockets is the expected return of Steph Curry. The Warriors’ superstar has missed 27 games with a knee injury suffered in January, but after fully participating in practice earlier this week, he appears on track to return.
On Saturday, Curry spoke about the injury during his press conference.
Steph Curry details the knee injury that held him out 27 games
“I thought I was going to be out a week. Ten days max.”
“There is nothing structurally wrong with my knee. So it’s not like I’m compromised out there. It is a new normal, though.” pic.twitter.com/5ZIL6xyyJN
If Curry does suit up, one key element to watch will be his on-court fit with Porzingis. The Warriors’ starting big man has already shown he can thrive in team’s system, but his ability to complement Curry could elevate the offense to another level. With Porzingis providing both floor spacing and a vertical lob threat, and Curry’s gravity consistently drawing multiple defenders, the pairing has the potential to be highly effective.
“I don’t know how people are going to guard our pick and roll.”
Steph Curry is excited to play with Kristaps Porzingis. Warriors face the Rockets tmrw. pic.twitter.com/OWjChjKWbG
Of course, with just five games remaining, the Warriors are virtually locked into the 10th seed in the Western Conference, making the results of these final games largely insignificant from a standings perspective. Still, Curry understands the importance of building momentum heading into the Play-In Tournament and will look to make the most of his time on the floor as Golden State prepares for the challenge ahead.
Steph Curry on what can still be ahead for the Warriors this season
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 05: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics drives with the ball against Sandro Mamukelashvili #54 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half at TD Garden on April 05, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jaylen Brown’s 26 points led the Boston Celtics to a 115-101 win over the Toronto Raptors on Easter Sunday at TD Garden, completing the team’s 4-0 season sweep over its division rival.
That “rivalry” has been pretty lopsided in recent years. Boston has gone 15-1 against Toronto over the past four regular seasons and has not lost a season series against the Raptors since 2016-17.
While the teams have not faced off in the playoffs since the 2020 NBA Bubble, that could change this year.
With today’s win, the Celtics are 53-25 and hold a commanding three-game lead over the New York Knicks for second seed in the Eastern Conference, with only four games left to go. Unless Boston bottoms out over that final run, it will face the seventh seed as determined by the Play-In Tournament.
With today’s loss, the Raptors are 43-35 and tied record-wise with the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Toronto loses that tiebreaker since its 4-11 division record is worse than Philly’s 9-7. That leaves the Raptors as the East’s current seventh seed and lined up for a potential appearance in the play-ins.
Today’s game was the first time all season that the Celtics’ injury report was clear, as Nikola Vučević returned almost a month after undergoing surgery to stabilize a fractured right ring finger.
Boston started Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta.
The Raptors were without Immanuel Quickley, who missed his eighth straight game to plantar fasciitis in his right foot, and Chucky Hepburn, who tore the meniscus in his right knee in January and has yet to return.
Toronto started Ja’Kobe Walter, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl.
Boston got off to a hot start, taking a 10-2 lead less than three minutes into the game. A lot of that can be credited to Neemias Queta, who got three easy buckets off of assists from Brown and White as Toronto’s defense crowded the perimeter and left the paint open for Queta to dominate.
With the help of some sloppy play and three Celtics turnovers, the Raptors went on a mini-run and tied the game at 12-12, but a Tatum three-pointer, Queta putback and four straight points from Brown put Boston back up 19-15.
With five minutes to go in the first quarter, Coach Joe Mazzulla subbed in Baylor Scheierman — who immediately hit a three-pointer — Vučević, Jordan Walsh and Payton Pritchard for everyone but Brown.
Vooch looked rusty in his first minutes back on the court, turning the ball over on a bad pass and missing his first three-point attempt. During that time, Toronto took its first lead of the game 24-22, with about two minutes to go in the quarter.
During the last play of the quarter, Tatum drove to the rim and made an impressive pass to Vučević on the perimeter, but Vooch missed his second three-point attempt. The quarter ended with the teams tied 26-26.
Early in the second quarter, Tatum strong-armed a block on RJ Barrett, leading to an open Hauser three-point make and a technical foul on Barrett, who was upset with the no-call.
Tatum hit the technical free throw to put the Celtics up 31-30, but the Raptors hit the next two shots and took a 34-30 lead with 10 minutes to go in the half. Ja’Kobe Walter led Toronto’s early efforts with a 13-point start on 5-6 shooting from the field and 3-4 shooting from three-point range.
A 10-0 run increased the Raptors’ lead to 38-30, but the Celtics got a few offensive rebounds on the next play to snap their scoreless run with a strong Queta layup. His early dominance continued into the second quarter, as he got another putback bucket, as well as an easy cutting dunk off of a Tatum assist.
While the Celtics continued to struggle on offense, the Raptors shared in the lull, allowing Boston to tie the game at 42 with about three minutes to go in the half.
Derrick White hit a three-pointer to take the lead back, 45-42, and after some back-and-forth scoring, Tatum hit a three from the top of the key to go up 52-46.
Brown hit the team’s final shot of the quarter to extend the lead to 54-46 at the half. He finished the half with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists on 6-10 shooting from the field.
Tatum had 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals on 50% shooting from the field and 2-3 shooting from three-point range, but also had 5 turnovers — more than half of the team’s 9 total turnovers — and 3 personal fouls at the half.
Queta was the Celtics’ undisputed MVP of the first half, leading the team with 16 points on 8-9 shooting from the field, 5 rebounds and an assist. He was at the heart of the Celtics’ 24-8 run to end the second quarter, which began when he subbed back into the game with less than nine minutes to go in the half.
To begin the third quarter, Tatum slithered past a solid Queta screen and through the Raptors’ defense for a dunk. He also secured his sixth double-double in seven games with his 10th rebound with 22 minutes left to go in the game.
Queta’s strong play continued with a pair of soaring blocks over the first few minutes of the second half, but he was subbed out in favor of Vučević with about 7:30 to go in the third quarter as the team was up 62-57.
Vooch got his first bucket of the night off of an offensive rebound, but did little else during his second stint on the court.
Boston’s struggles with turnovers did not let up in the third quarter, as the Celtics racked up 5 more turnovers over the first six minutes of the second half. The Raptors kept up the pressure and tied the game at 69-69 with less than five minutes to go in the third quarter.
Queta was subbed back in for Vučević with about four minutes left to go in the third quarter and he got his third block of the night shortly after.
Toronto again tied the game at 75-75, but a wild corner three from Brown once again put the Celtics on top, 78-75.
The teams went back-and-forth over the last two minutes of the third, which finished with Boston leading 80-77.
The fourth quarter began with an absurd behind-the-back pass from Tatum to an open Payton Pritchard for a three-pointer, then a Vučević bucket to put the C’s up 85-77.
With the help of another Pritchard bucket and a Toronto turnover, then a foul on a Tatum three-pointer, the Celtics secured their first double-digit lead of the night at 89-79 with 10 minutes to go in the final frame.
When it looked like the Raptors may bring the lead back to single digits, Sam Hauser got an and-1 to extend the lead to 96-83.
Toronto cut the lead to 98-91 with a couple Brandon Ingram jumpers over Pritchard, but Queta got a massive putback dunk and White hit his second three-pointer of the night to extend the lead back up to 103-91 with about four minutes remaining.
The Celtics all but ended the night with a sudden scoring explosion sparked by Brown in the final minutes. Brown used some slick moves to make Barrett buckle over and touch the court before he blew by for an easy driving layup. He then got his own rebound off of a free throw miss and put it back in for another bucket to put Boston up by 14.
After a Tatum layup and White fadeaway, Brown got a steal and dunked it to bring the Celtics’ lead to 18 points with less than three minutes to go.
Brown finished the game with 26 points on 55% shooting from the field, with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Tatum had 23 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals and 5 turnovers.
Queta racked up 18 points, 7 rebounds — five of them on the offensive end — 4 assists and three blocks.
In Vooch’s first chance to play alongside Jayson Tatum, he finished with 4 points, 4 rebounds and an assist in 13 minutes of play.
Overall, Boston shot an abysmal 8-28 (28.6%) from three-point range, but finished the game with 76 points in the paint and 9 more rebounds than Toronto (44-31). While turnovers were an issue for the Celtics, both teams ended with 15 turnovers, and there was only a 2-point difference in points off of turnovers for the game.
The Celtics’ next game will be another potential first-round preview, as Boston will take on the rolling Charlotte Hornets at 8 p.m. EST on Tuesday, April 7, at the TD Garden.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 5: Mickey Moniak #22 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field on April 5, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies successfully avoided the sweep in their first home series of the season, putting away the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Very strong pitching—a key theme through most of the nascent season thus far—helped the Rockies keep the Phillies at bay while three home runs from Rockies bats powered them to victory.
Some Sugar in your Easter basket
We can see why they call him “Tommy Sugar,” because Tomoyuki Sugano’s (菅野 智之) start this afternoon sure was sweet. The veteran Japanese righty was excellent in his Coors Field debut. He gave up just one earned run—a solo home run off the bat of slugger Adolis García in the second inning—through six innings of work. He became the first Rockies starter of the season to go six innings and the first to notch a Quality Start. Sugano struck out five Phillies hitters while giving up just four hits and one walk. He was also efficient and commanded the zone well. Sugano threw 78 pitches, 51 of which were strikes. Sugano also did a good job keeping the ball out of the air, recording eight outs via the groundout.
All four of the Rockies’ runs scored in their win against the Phillies came via some much needed power swings. Mickey Moniak opened things up with a solo home run in his first at-bat during the first inning. When Hunter Goodman reached via single, rookie TJ Rumfield showed off some thump of his own by sending the ball over the right field wall.
However, Moniak wasn’t one to be shown up. Perhaps to make up for losing the ball in the sun twice on defense during this series—once during the Home Opener and once today—Moniak sent his second home run of the game out of the park in the bottom of the fifth inning.
It may be early in the season, but this Rockies bullpen is earning their stripes through their first three series with a combined 3.12 ERA for one of the better marks in the league. The bullpen was dialed in after taking over for Tomoyuki Sugano. Jaden Hill pitched a hitless and scoreless frame, though he also received a little help from the former Gold Glove winner Brenton Doyle. After a runner reached on an error from Edouard Julien, Doyle made an outstanding leaping catch into the wall to keep the Phillies off the board.
Brennan Bernardino worked an excellent 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts while Victor Vodnik entered the game for his second save opportunity of the season after blwoing a save in Toronto. Vodnik gave up a leadoff single to Alec Bohm before striking out Bryson Stott. There was a little sweat on a warm and sunny day when Adolis García reached via a single that got past first baseman Troy Johnston, but Vodnik struck out the next two batters to end the game and earn the save.
Starting tomorrow evening the Rockies will host the Houston Astros for a three-game series. The right-handed Ryan Feltner is scheduled to make the start for the Rockies, while the Astros have yet to announce their starter after their ace Hunter Brown was placed on the injured list today. First pitch will be at 6:40 PM MDT.
Tim David belted eight sixes in a blistering 70 not out to fire Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second win of the IPL season, hammering Chennai Super Kings by 43 runs on Sunday.
Apr 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies right fielder Mickey Moniak (22) hits a solo home run in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Phillies were going for a sweep over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Sunday. But two home runs by Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak and a second straight day of quiet offense from the Phillies allowed the Rockies to avert the sweep as they beat the Phillies 4-1.
Taijuan Walker was looking to rebound after a poor start his last time out, and after quickly retiring the first two batters of the game, it looked like he might. But then Mickey Moniak sent a ball into the right field stands, and after a Hunter Goodman single, T.J. Rumfield hit a home run of his own to put the Phillies in a 3-0 hole.
Walker settled down after that and kept the Rockies off the board until the fifth. That’s when the player the Phillies took with the first overall pick of the 2016 draft hit another ball out of the park.
I’d say this was Moniak’s revenge game, but I’m not sure what he’s getting revenge for; Being a massive disappointment, prompting them to trade him for Noah Syndergaard? I guess good for him for establishing himself as a major league player, but this was annoying.
In Coors Field, a three-run deficit shouldn’t be insurmountable, especially since the Phillies’ bullpen chipped in three scoreless innings behind Walker. But since the early explosion on Friday afternoon, the Phillies’ bats have been quiet. The last two days have featured far too many meek at bats, and it seems like the few hard-hit balls have been hit to the wrong part of the park.
That Kyle Schwarber fly out came off the bat at 107.8 mph and traveled 421 feet.
It had an expected batting average of .970 and would have left 28/30 parks. That would have put the Phillies ahead.
The top five of the Phillies’ order went 2-19 against Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano and three relievers, and that’s not good enough, especially in a hitter’s park.
It would have been nice to come away with another win, especially since the Phillies will travel to San Francisco for a three-game series. The Phillies haven’t won a series in San Francisco since 2017, and if the bats don’t show more than they did this weekend, that streak is likely to continue for another year.
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 16, 2026: Kevin Alcántara #13 of the Chicago Cubs hits an RBI double during the fifth inning of a spring training game against the Cleveland Guardians at Goodyear Ballpark on March 16, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Right-hander Ryan Jensen joins the I-Cubs to take Riley Martin’s spot.
Starter Vince Velazquez got the win with five strong innings. He allowed just one run on two hits. He struck out seven and walked just one.
Tyler Santana bounced back from a terrible first outing of the year to throw three shutout innings of relief. He also allowed just one hit and issued one walk. Santana struck out three.
Third baseman James Triantos led off the game with a single. He then stole second, went to third on a bad throw and scored on a single by first baseman Jonathon Long.
Velazquez gave up a solo home run to Michael Chavis in the bottom of the third, but Iowa struck back with three runs in the top of the fourth. Catcher Christian Bethancourt had an RBI single and then Triantos struck again with a two-run double.
Keep 'em comin. James Triantos brings home two more to give the I-Cubs a 5-1 lead in the fourth! pic.twitter.com/CQBUYY526Q
Iowa’s sixth and final run came on a solo home run by right fielder Chas McCormick. It’s McCormick’s third game in a row he’s homered and his third home run in just four games this year.
We tried telling y'all to move the fences back 🤷♂️ Three straight games with a HR for Chas McCormick! pic.twitter.com/5wBzasbb7q
It was a rough start for Yenrri Rojas, who got hammered for ten runs, nine earned, on eight hits. Rojas walked four and struck out three.
The Smokies got 3.1 scoreless innings of relief out of Grant Kipp, although he did let three runners inherited from Rojas to score. Kipp gave up three hits, issued one walk and hit one batter. He struck out three.
Grant Kipp worked out of the bullpen in AA this afternoon. He tossed 3.1 scoreless innings, striking out 3 and generating 7 whiffs.
The sequencing looked sharp, working high-RPM breaking stuff off a mid-90s fastball. pic.twitter.com/XrbRMxd1tG
Tyler Ras threw two scoreless innings of relief in his Cubs organizational debut. He allowed one hit. He didn’t walk anyone but he did hit one batter. Ras struck out two.
Second baseman Karson Simas hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning.
MONTREAL, CANADA - FEBRUARY 08: Dawson Mercer #91 of the New Jersey Devils and Juraj Slafkovsky #20 of the Montreal Canadiens skate against each other during the third period at the Bell Centre on February 8, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (39-34-3) versus the Montreal Canadiens (45-21-10)
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PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 05: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his first period goal with Evgeni Malkin #71 against the Florida Panthers at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 5, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Pregame
The Penguins use the same lineup from yesterday — including in net with Arturs Silovs playing. Taylor Gauthier got the quick call up from Wheeling last minute to serve as backup, Stuart Skinner was unavailable with an upper body injury.
Pittsburgh strikes first, Tarasov clears the puck to the wall but unfortunately for him it serves as a pass almost straight to Elmer Soderblom. Soderblom accepts the gift and quickly fires it back into the unguarded cage.
Pittsburgh is able to answer right back 35 seconds later. Sidney Crosby shows off the jets streaking down the left side and scores from distance. 2-1, Pens back in front.
Parker Wotherspoon and Matthew Tkachuk drop the gloves in a fight, Tkachuk picks up an extra minor penalty and the Pens score a back-breaking goal before the end of period to extend their lead to 3-1. Rickard Rakell takes a feed from Crosby and whips it into the net.
WELCOME TO RAK CITY.
Rickard Rakell is riding an eight-game point streak (9G-3A) with goals in five straight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Mn803paAd9
Most of this period looked like a continuation from yesterday, a very good thing for the Penguins to keep taking care of business.
Second period
The teams go up and back the ice, in a way going through the motions while still bringing some level of chippiness. Rakell stays red hot and scores another goal late in the period, taking a pass from Evgeni Malkin and adding to the lead to 4-1.
The Pens tack on another, why not. Crosby makes a spinning backhand pass that isn’t particularly good but Bryan Rust has plenty of time and space to spin around and receive it. Rust then gets to the net and scores. 5-1.
Connor Clifton takes his second penalty of the period and the Panthers make them pay. Carter Verhaeghe makes his stats for the end of the season look a little better with the late goal. 5-2.
The offensive production right now is just electric with 30 goals in the last five games, the first stretch for the franchise since the ‘Score Lords’ days of 1996 with Lemieux, Francis and Jagr. The wild thing about the current run is it’s not star-driven, it’s been incredibly balanced with every line pitching in and consistent contributions from all over the place.
That being said, the big boys are starting to get it going. Malkin followed up his hat trick yesterday with two assists today. Crosby looked the best he has in a long while since dealing with his dual leg injuries of the last few months. Three-point night, which is great, seeing the captain showcase the skating ability and finishing touch to score from distance was an even better sign.
Rakell, too, has been unbelievable lately. Go play center? No problem. Rakell has scored 10 goals in the last 10 games, and he has at least one goal in eight of the last 10 games.
The goalie situation might have just gotten interesting. Skinner was able to serve as backup yesterday but apparently something happened recently that wasn’t allowing him to dress today. The team reportedly didn’t have enough time to physically get Sergei Murashov from Wilkes-Barre to Pittsburgh in time for the 3pm start, so they went somewhat local to bring Taylor Gauthier up from Wheeling to serve as something of a professional EBUG for the day. According to Josh Yohe at The Athletic, Murashov would be coming to Pittsburgh if Skinner is going to miss more time. That’s an area worth watching in the coming days, though since the next game isn’t until Thursday, there is some time to figure things out and see where it goes.
Interestingly though, Silovs was decent enough today, certainly his best performance in a long while. It’s been well-documented that goalies see a drop off in stats when they’re asked to play two days in a row. But it’s goalies, right? So of course someone like Silovs who has struggled lately actually ends up playing his best game in a while on his second day in a row.
Great weekend for the Pens to take care of business and win two relatively drama-free games against an eliminated opponent. Pittsburgh’s playoff magic number is down to just 2, and there’s a pretty good chance that the next time they take the ice on Thursday in New Jersey that they will have already officially clinched a playoff berth due to the outside results over the next few days.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 5: Chase Burns #26 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches against the Texas Rangers during the second inning at Globe Life Field on April 5, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chase Burns got the start for the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday in Arlington as the good guys looked to complete the three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers.
Brock Burke got the save for the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday in Arlington as the good guys did, in fact, complete the three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers.
Burns completed 6.0 IP of scoreless ball before finally yielding a run in the Top of the 7th, but Cincinnati’s offense managed to small-ball their way to runs on two separate occasions to make it a nervy, yet brilliant 2-1 win. The brilliance – timely singles by the middle of Cincinnati’s lineup aside – was in the deliveries of some of their electric young arms, who backed Burns on a day when some of their most proven relievers were unavailable.
Pierce Johnson and Sam Moll managed to get around an inherited runner left by Burns in the 7th, at which point things were turned over to Connor Phillips for the Bottom of the 8th inning with the heart of the Rangers lineup coming to the plate. Given that Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan, and Emilio Pagan were gassed from holding things together in the previous two wins of the series, it was going to be up to Phillips – and eventually Burke – to get to the finish line in this nailbiter of a game.
Those two did so with aplomb, even though Phillips struggled a bit to get his third out after looking completely filthy getting the first two.
Both Phillips and Burke flirted with 100 mph on their heaters, and Phillips’ slider in particular looked to be moving as well as it ever has. And if you polled the poor Rangers hitters who were tasked with facing those two after 6 dominant innings from Burns, well, I’m not sure exactly who they’d say was the toughest to pinpoint as all three looked simply absurd.
Burns, who finished with an ER, 5 H, BB, and 9 K on 87 pitches, continued his ascent to the top of Cincinnati’s rotation with his second gem of the early going. He’s today’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game, and it won’t be the last of those honors he takes home this season.
Other Notes
Elly De La Cruz went 2 for 5 with a run scored, a ribbie, and his first stolen base of the season.
The Reds, who entered play today with just a lone steal on the season as a team, actually swiped four bags on the day as each of TJ Friedl, Elly, Sal Stewart, and Matt McLain got in on the action.
The Reds actually struck out 15 Rangers on the day. That’ll do!
Will Benson did not start today, and instead came on mid-game for Noelvi Marte when a right-handed reliever was on the bump. Benson doubled and singled in his pair of plate appearances.
The 2026 Reds are now 6-3 despite having scored the second fewest runs of any National League team, to date.
The Cincinnati Reds will head to Miami later this evening and on Monday they’ll begin a series against the Marlins. Brandon Williamson will get the start looking to improve significantly on his pretty dismal first outing since the 2024 season, and first pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET.
