"I'm going to prepare as if I'm in the lineup, day in and day out, and try to help the team win games."
Torrens, 29, is slashing .227/.303/.336 with one home run and 13 RBI through 46 games this season. His defense has been a strength and is something that he takes pride in.
"I feel like that's something I've been working on since the offseason, and to be able to put those into action with games, it feels good, and that's what we work for," Torrens said through an interpreter.
An 0-for-3 Sunday followed a 2-for-4 Friday in which he was a bright spot during the Mets' 10-2 loss, and Torrens hopes that the lineup consistency will keep his offense trending up.
"Yeah, I expect so," Torrens said through an interpreter.
Carson Benge appears to be moving up the ladder. The Mets' 2024 first-round pick has been promoted from High-A Brooklyn to Double-A Binghamton, MLB Pipeline reports, after a fantastic campaign for the Cyclones.
In 60 games, Benge slashed .302/.417/.480 with four home runs, five triples, 18 doubles and 37 RBI. He added 15 steals with just two caught stealing and had a .897 OPS.
MLB's No. 83 prospect and the Mets' No. 5 prospect, according to SNY contributor Joe DeMayo's prospect list, Benge ended his time in Brooklyn with at least one hit in six of his last seven games and will look to continue that production with the Rumble Ponies for the duration of their season.
Selected No. 19 overall out of Oklahoma State in 2024, the outfielder has done nothing but impress since joining the Mets' farm system. In 15 games with Low-A St. Lucie after getting drafted, the 22-year-old hit .273 with an .856 OPS -- numbers good enough for him to start this season at High-A Brooklyn.
A two-way player in college, the lefty-swinging Benge focused solely on hitting as a pro and has already become one of the best position prospects in the game. If he keeps up his trajectory, the Mets could potentially see Benge in the majors either in 2026 or 2027.
OKLAHOMA CITY — When it mattered most, the Thunder looked like the team that had dominated the NBA all season.
For six-and-a-half games, Indiana’s pressure defense and sharp rotations frustrated the Thunder offense. Oklahoma City was slow to get into its actions, was forced to play more isolation than it prefers, and — as long as the Pacers were taking care of the ball — the Thunder were stuck in the mud. Indiana was relentless, kept scoring, kept pushing.
Then, for the final 24 minutes of Game 7 (against a shorthanded Pacers team), the Thunder looked every bit the best team in the NBA, forcing turnovers, playing with pace and hitting their shots. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked like the MVP, scoring and also orchestrating the game, finding his teammates. For 24 minutes, everything clicked.
It was a fitting end to a season in which the Thunder were the best team in the league, boasting 68 wins and a historic +12.8 net rating. The best team won.
"I think the most impressive part was the group that did it, the group we had, we had so much fun playing together," Gilgeous-Alexander said of this team. "It made it feel like we were just kids playing basketball. It was fun."
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was deservedly named NBA Finals MVP, the first player since LeBron James in 2013 to win the regular season MVP and Finals MVP awards, as well as an NBA title.
SGA IS AWARDED THE BILL RUSSELL TROPHY AS THE NBA FINALS MVP
He cemented his name on that trophy in Game 7 when he made the Pacers pay for the lower pickup point they had success with in Game 6, he turned the corner on drives then either hit his patented fadeaway or kicked out to the open shooter. It was a masterclass from SGA, who finished with 29 points and 12 assists.
This game, however, was essentially decided in the first quarter, and in the saddest of ways.
Tyrese Haliburton was not afraid of the moment. He came out with three early deep 3-pointers for nine points that had the Pacers up by a handful early, and it looked like this could be one of those nights for him. Then came the sickening moment that silenced even the OKC crowd.
Haliburton had to be helped back to the locker room, a towel draped over his head. He would not return to the game with what the team officially called a “lower leg injury,” but Haliburton’s father confirmed to ABC that it is a torn Achilles.
That didn’t take the fight out of the Pacers — they continued to play pestering elite defense, contesting every drive and shot inside the arc while the Thunder shot just 4-of-18 from beyond the arc in the first half.
The Pacers shot 8-of-16 from beyond the arc in the first half and were up 48-47 at the half because of it. For the game, Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell had 16 points and played their hearts out.
Then came the second half and the game changed.
The Thunder got four offensive rebounds and a couple of turnovers by the Pacers in the first three minutes, which changed the momentum of the game. As did this Lu Dort 3.
LU DORT HITS A MOONBALL WITH THE SHOT CLOCK EXPIRING!
Then the rest of the Thunder started to hit their 3s — after the game was tied 56-56, the Thunder forced two more turnovers, hit three consecutive 3-pointers, the lead was up to nine and the building was rocking. The Pacers hit some shots, but they fell into the habit of trying to do too much individually, not moving the ball like they are capable, and this is where not having Haliburton to settle them made a huge difference. All the while, the Thunder kept forcing turnovers, and hit more 3s in the third quarter than they did all of the first half.
By the end of the third it was 81-68 Oklahoma City and the party was on. The Pacers were the Pacers and never quit, making the Thunder work for it, but the party never stopped.
And it carried out into the streets and the Oklahoma City night.
Oklahoma City Thunder players hold the Larry O'Brien Trophy aloft after claiming the NBA title.Photograph: Manuela Soldi/EPA
The Thunder became NBA champions on Sunday evening, topping the Indiana Pacers 103-91 to capture Oklahoma City’s first major pro sports title.
Oklahoma City’s Game 7 answer, as during their dominant regular season, was youth. NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points and dished 12 assists to lead his team, supported by strong efforts from forward Jalen Williams (20 points) and Chet Holmgren (18 points, eight rebounds). The game was won amid decibel counts above 100, with thousands of Thunder fans stamping in unison as the team’s trio of young stars pushed the club toward the franchise’s first title since moving from Seattle in 2008.
“We definitely have room to grow that’s the fun part of this, we don’t have many people in their quote unquote prime,” said Gilgeous-Alexander after the game.
In the US, all games will air on ABC. Streaming options include ABC.com or the ABC app (with a participating TV provider login), as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, fuboTV, DIRECTV STREAM and Sling TV (via ESPN3 for ABC games). NBA League Pass offers replays, but live finals games are subject to blackout restrictions in the US.
In the UK, the games will be available on TNT Sports and Discovery+. As for streaming, NBA League Pass will provide live and on-demand access to all finals games without blackout restrictions.
In Australia, the games will broadcast live on ESPN Australia. Kayo Sports and Foxtel Now will stream the games live, while NBA League Pass will offer live and on-demand access without blackout restrictions.
The Thunder overcame yet another relentless performance from the Pacers, who worked most of Game 7 without Tyrese Haliburton. The All-Star point guard splashed three three-pointers in the game’s first seven minutes before falling to the floor in the first period driving on the Thunder defense, crumpling without contact, immediately slapping the floor in anguish. The Pacers ruled him out for the remainder of the game with a lower leg injury. The player’s father, John, later told ESPN his son had injured his achilles.
“I could not imagine that happening in the biggest game of my life,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “It is so unfortunate, it is not fair.”
The Pacers led by five with Haliburton on the floor, and the first half featured 11 lead changes with nine ties, but Indiana ran out of energy competing without their All-Star as the evening moved along. Reserve Pacer point guard TJ McConnell, whom the Thunder already prepared to hound after his superb Game 5 and 6 finals performances, contributed 16 points and six assists but also seven turnovers, working a season-high 28 minutes.
The Thunder kept their longtime large starting lineup. Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren started together, and the home team remained tall, keeping the two bigs in the lineup as super sixth man Alex Caruso entered alongside the two seven-footers (a rare look) in the first quarter, immediately splashing two three-pointers.
Caruso started the second half and was key in spreading the floor for Williams, only 24, who scored nine points in the third quarter. Holmgren, who recently turned 23, managed seven in the period. Gilgeous-Alexander, who will be 27 in July, hit for six points and three assists in the third as the Thunder outscored the visitors 34-20 in the decisive third quarter, driving a close game into a rout.
A three from Myles Turner tied the score at 56-56 in the third before the Thunder responded with a trio of three-pointers from their foundational triptych: Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, and Williams in a row. McConnell turned it over twice in the stretch as the Thunder ran a one-point half-time deficit into an 81-68 advantage meeting the fourth quarter.
Bennedict Mathurin’s transition scoring dragged Oklahoma City’s 22-point lead down to 12 with 4:40 left in Game 7 before Gilgeous-Alexander pushed the Thunder into the free-throw bonus, a whistle earning ire from Pacer coach Rick Carlisle, who was close to being ejected.
Gilgeous-Alexander extended the lead to 14 with two free throws, McConnell missed a layup over Holmgren, and the Thunder saw their first NBA title in Oklahoma City take hold.
Gilgeous-Alexander was named finals MVP, capping a brilliant season for the Canadian star.
“This isn’t just a win for me,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “This is a win for my family. This is a win for my friends. This is a win for everyone who was in my corner growing up. This is a win for the fans.”
The night was dampened by Haliburton’s injury and absence. The Pacer guard delighted NBA fans in canning buzzer-beating, game-winning baskets over Milwaukee, Cleveland, New York, topping the Thunder in Game 1 with the game’s deciding basket after yet another Pacer comeback win. An achilles injury could knock Haliburton out for all of 2025-26, knowledge not lost on his teammates as they sweated to battle the Thunder.
Sunday's 7-1 loss at the Philadelphia Phillies was the Mets' eighth defeat in the past nine games. The finale of New York's third straight series loss saw left-hander David Peterson last four innings, done in by a five-run fourth where the Phillies (47-31) batted around, while the Mets (46-32) went scoreless through seven.
The combination leaves New York a game behind Philadelphia in the National League East Division entering this week's four-game series against the Atlanta Braves, which starts with Monday's 7:10 p.m. opener at Citi Field, and manager Carlos Mendoza is aware of the strain on his bullpen.
"Not going to say concerned, but we lost two quickly," he said when asked about being more concerned about the pitching than the lineup. "... I feel like the concern now is more like the state of the bullpen and how we've used those guys.
"Obviously, we've been shuffling a lot of guys. But we've got to find a way, we've got to find a way. We've got some really good arms in this room, and they'll get back on track and they will get us back on track here."
Peterson's season-low four-inning start Sunday came at a time where the Mets, who are in the throes of a 13-game stretch without a day off from June 17-29, could have used the length.
"I wouldn't say surprised," Peterson (5-3, 2.98 ERA), who allowed five runs on six hits (two homers) while striking out four and walking three, said when asked if he was surprised about not getting past the fourth inning.
"It's part of the game. Obviously not happy with it. But I'll go back and watch it and see what I did well and see what we need to work on, and we'll move on to the next one."
Up next, the Mets get a rematch with Atlanta (35-41) after this past week's three-game sweep.
The Braves enter with two defeats in their past three games after they lost this weekend's series at the Miami Marlins.
"I think it's important to remain positive, to remain united," catcher Luis Torrens said through an interpreter. "We know that situations like this are going to happen, but I think, at the same time, it's important to continue to go out there. We know what we're capable of doing ... winning games how we're trying to."
Miller is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1 and is in need of a new contract extension.
At the NHL Draft Combine, Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects shared a similar sentiment.
“One player whose name keeps popping up at the Combine is K'Andre Miller,” Robinson wrote via X. “I'm told the Rangers have let teams know he's available, but clubs are weighing that option versus the Offer Sheet route. Appears to be significant interest in the 25-year-old.”
A night after the Mets' offensive explosion, New York's went cold in Sunday's rubber game at the Philadelphia Phillies, a 7-1 loss.
Here are the takeaways...
-Cruising for the first three innings, David Peterson was jumped by the Phillies in the fourth after Kyle Schwarber tagged him for a solo shot to lead off the frame and break a scoreless tie.
After getting the first out of the inning, Nick Castellanos swung at Peterson's first offering and lined a double to put Philadelphia back in business. A walk to J.T. Realmuto and a single by Otto Kemp doubled New York's deficit and all of a sudden Peterson was on the ropes.
Still just one out in the inning, Edmundo Sosa, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, had the big hit with a 430-foot three-run bomb that put the Phillies ahead, 5-0, as the crooked inning continues to haunt the Mets.
Peterson's night was done after four innings, his shortest outing of the season, and five earned runs allowed on six hits and three walks. The rough outing came after three straight starts in which the lefty had pitched at least seven innings, a stretch that included his shutout at home against the Washington Nationals.
The five earned runs was also the most Peterson has allowed this season and increased his ERA from 2.60 to 2.98.
-On the other side, Jesus Luzardo turned in a masterful performance as he continues to torture New York. Entering Sunday, the left-hander was 4-2 against the Mets with a 3.02 ERA in 44.2 innings over eight starts, all with the Miami Marlins. Luzardo ended up going 6.2 scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and a walk while striking out seven.
-The Mets did have an opportunity to get to their nemesis in the first inning after Francisco Lindor led off the game with a single before advancing to second on a wild pitch following a strikeout. With a runner in scoring position, Juan Soto flied out to right field and Pete Alonso struck out as New York's problems with RISP continue. The team finished 0-for-3 in that situation.
-Tyler Zuber made his season debut in the seventh after his recent call-up and it didn't go well with the right-hander giving up two earned runs on three hits. He came back out for the eighth and pitched a clean inning.
-Prior to Zuber, Dedniel Nuñez made his first MLB appearance since May 16 and pitched a scoreless inning -- a possible good sign for the Mets who are in need of bullpen help.
-Lindor got New York on the board in the eighth with a solo shot. It's the first time in their last 29 games the Mets lost a game in which Lindor homered.
Game MVP: Jesus Luzardo
The lefty continued his string of impressive performances against the Mets.
A scouting report on NBA draft prospect Ace Bailey:
Position: Wing
Height: 6-foot-7.5 (without shoes)
Weight: 203 pounds
College: Rutgers
Strengths
Bailey plays with a serious smoothness and self-assured nature. He has explosive bursts — out-of-nowhere blocks, emphatic slams — but largely seems to glide with an athleticism beyond combine testing numbers.
Rutgers’ listing of Bailey’s height at 6-10 was a bit generous. Still, he’s got good size for an NBA wing, including a wingspan just over 7 feet. It also helps that Bailey has a high release on his jump shot and can fire it very quickly.
Shotmaking is the most attractive aspect of Bailey’s game. He scores plenty of tightly guarded buckets — catch-and-shoot jumpers, pull-ups, leaners, post-up fadeaways. As a freshman in the Big Ten, Bailey averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and one steal per game.
He believes he can make anything and that he’ll be great in the NBA. Asked about players he’s modeled his game after at the combine, Bailey told reporters, “(Kevin Durant), Paul George, Jayson Tatum and (Tracy McGrady). I can see some (Carmelo Anthony) in me, too. We create shots, we can shoot over defenders, create our own space.”
Bailey’s defensive tools are eye-catching. It’s not hard to imagine his positional versatility and weak-side shot blocking being significant assets at the next level. Given Bailey’s youth (18 years old) and the muscle he’s likely to gain over the next few years, the notion that he’s due for major development on both ends is reasonable.
Weaknesses
On a 15-17 Rutgers team, Bailey’s decision-making wasn’t stellar. He dished out just 38 assists over his 30 games and committed 61 turnovers.
If Bailey continues to lean on shooting in the NBA, it’s fair to have questions about why his basic numbers were unimpressive. He shot 46 percent from the floor, 34.6 percent from three-point range and 69.2 percent at the foul line. Shot selection is relevant here, and Bailey was much better on free throws in the second half of the season — 46 of his final 56, 82.1 percent — but he doesn’t have the sharpshooting résumé of prospects like Tre Johnson and Kon Knueppel.
Bailey’s lack of physical strength may be limiting early in his NBA career, especially when it comes to reaching the paint and scoring there. If that’s the case, he’ll need to be an elite jump shooter in order to score efficiently.
Separate from Bailey’s skills, his handling of the pre-draft process has drawn headlines. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported, “The feedback from his interviews at the draft combine in Chicago was not all that positive, with some teams expressing concern about his lack of preparation and focus.” Bailey canceled a scheduled workout with the Sixers and has not yet visited any teams, ESPN reported.
Fit
The Sixers may wind up with a guard-heavy core of the future that features Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and Quentin Grimes. Bailey certainly would not be redundant.
For any team, the optimistic vision of what Bailey could be is appealing. No one would mind a two-way wing who drains tons of tough shots.
Of course, it’s possible to think Bailey could become a fantastic NBA player and still feel someone else like VJ Edgecombe is a better overall prospect. There’s clearly no consensus.
George is a noted admirer of Bailey.
“I think he has big-time potential,” George said on his podcast. “He has big-time talent. He can score from any spot on the floor. He has an isolation game, which you don’t see that often in kids that size that early. He can make plays, he can shoot over the top of defenses, he can take advantage of mismatches, he can handle the ball in pick-and-rolls. He can catch and shoot. He can defend.
“I’ve seen him play elite defense on chase-down blocks … running guys off threes, keeping guys in front of him. I think he just has tremendous talent across the board. … I love his upside, man. I’ve been a fan of his game for a little while now and I think he’s going to be huge in the league. People think it might take him a minute, based on his skill set, but I think he’s going to come into the league and make noise right away.”
OKLAHOMA CITY — Tyrese Haliburton said he understood the risks of playing through a calf strain to be on the court for Games 6 and 7 of the NBA Finals.
"I have to understand the risks, ask the right questions," Haliburton said before Game 6. "I'm a competitor; I want to play. I'm going to do everything in my power to play. That's just what it is."
In the first quarter of Game 7, Haliburton planted to drive past an Alex Caruso closeout and his leg gave way and he fell to the ground in obvious pain.
Instantly he was surrounded by a circle of teammates, and the usually deafening Paycom Arena got quiet. Haliburton had to be helped back to the locker room, a towel draped over his head. For everyone in the building, it was hard to see.
There is no official announcement, but this has all the earmarks of a ruptured Achilles (something that can happen playing through a calf injury). It was eerily reminiscent of Kevin Durant going to the ground in the 2019 Finals when he tried to return too early from a calf injury and ended up tearing his Achilles.
The game was tied 16-16 when Haliburton was injured.
But there was someone not fazed by the rowdy cheers and excitement of 18,000-plus fans.
That someone was Isaiah Hartenstein’s baby son.
As the Thunder celebrated being crowned the latest NBA champions, fans noticed how Hartenstein’s son was knocked out asleep on his father’s chest on the podium. Even teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, also named Finals MVP, helped prop up his head to avoid being further slumped.
Isaiah Hartenstein's kid is the star of the NBA Finals trophy celebration. Unshakable resolve to sleep. pic.twitter.com/k4cbmywgqp
ESPN reporter Lisa Salters talked to Hartenstein on the podium and asked him about his son.
“I don’t know why he’s asleep right now, but I guess it’s not loud enough,” Hartenstein said before giving fans an order. “I’m going to need y’all to get louder real quick.”
"I guess it's not loud enough…"
Isaiah Hartenstein's son was sleeping through the raucous trophy celebration 😂 pic.twitter.com/XtEmb4E9T9
He becomes the fourth player in NBA history to win MVP, Finals MVP, a scoring title and play for a champion in the same season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it once, Michael Jordan then did it four times, and Shaquille O’Neal was the last entrant into that fraternity — until now.
“A lot of hard work, a lot of hours in the gym,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “This isn’t just a win for me. This is a win for my family. This is a win for my friends. This is a win for everybody that was in my corner growing up. This is a win for the fans, the best fans in the world.”
The title caps a season where the Thunder won 84 games, tied for the third most by any team in any season in NBA history. Gilgeous-Alexander finished the season with 64 games of at least 30 points. The only other players to score 30 points that many times in a season: Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Bob McAdoo, James Harden, Jordan and Abdul-Jabbar.
It is amazing company. With due respect to those legends, Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t care. The Thunder are NBA champions. That’s more than enough for him.
“Focusing on just being the best version of myself for this basketball team, for whatever it takes, for however many games it is, however many possessions is needed, however many moments,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Ultimately, I’m just trying to stay in the moment. I think that’s what’s gotten me here. That’s what has helped me achieve the MVP award, achieve all the things I’ve achieved. It’s helped this team win basketball games.”
This was not a sneak attack up the ladder of superstardom. Gilgeous-Alexander has been climbing those rungs for years.
He’s one of only two players — Giannis Antetokounmpo is the other — to average at least 30 points per game in each of the last three seasons. He led Canada to a bronze medal (over the United States, no less) at the World Cup in 2023, been an All-Star and first-team All-NBA pick for three years running, played in his first Olympics last year, and just finished a season where he posted career bests in points and assists per game.
He scored 3,172 points this season, including playoffs, the ninth-most by any player in NBA history.
Oh, and he’s a champion now.
“He’s getting better every year in just about everything,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I think he’s really improved as a playmaker. … And then he’s an unbelievable scorer, and incredibly efficient. We lean into that. He leans into that. He’s learned when teams load up on him and they overcommit, to get off it early, and I think that’s reflected in the way we’ve played offense throughout the course of the season.”
Opponents have no choice but to marvel at how Gilgeous-Alexander does what he does. He’s not a high-flying artist like Jordan, not an unstoppable force of power like LeBron James, not a 3-point dazzler like Stephen Curry. He looks like he’s playing at his own pace much of time, largely because defenses have few ways to slow him down or speed him up.
“Shai, he’s so good,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton — who suffered a serious lower leg injury that knocked him out of Game 7 in the first quarter — said during the series. “He’s so slippery in between those gaps. He splits screens, like, I don’t know how he’s doing that. … He’s a really tough cover.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is the face of basketball in Oklahoma City, is rapidly becoming one of the faces of the NBA — his jersey is now one of the highest-selling — and it’s no secret that he is the icon for fans in Canada now. It used to be Steve Nash, the first Canadian to win NBA MVP.
Now, Nash has help.
“You can only imagine and get excited about all the kids around the world, but in particular Canadians that will be affected so positively, whether they’re basketball players or not, by the way he carries himself, by the way he executes and commits to his profession,” Nash said. “It’s remarkable and he’s an amazing example for everybody out there, not just kids.”
There’s no question Nash had some impact on Gilgeous-Alexander’s rise in the game. Another great who did: Kobe Bryant.
There are parallels: similar body types, even similar ways they answer questions. Bryant famously said “job’s not finished” when asked about his Lakers getting within two wins of a title one year; Gilgeous-Alexander had a similar moment after the Thunder got to three wins in this series, saying “we haven’t done anything.”
They have now.
“He is probably my favorite player of all time,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of Bryant. “Never got the chance to meet him. With me, with kids all across the world, his influence has gone through the roof. He’ll be remembered forever because of the competitor and the basketball player he was. Yeah, I’m hopefully somewhere close to that as a basketball player one day.”
He’s not there yet.
But Gilgeous-Alexander got one day closer Sunday, when he reached basketball’s mountaintop for the first time.
“It means everything,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We rose to the moment. And here we are.”
English golfer three-putts on 18th while Bradley birdies it
American Ryder Cup captain wins by one shot
The US Ryder Cup captain, Keegan Bradley, birdied the final hole of the Travelers Championship and soared past England’s Tommy Fleetwood to win the tournament in a stunning finale in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Bradley shot a two-under-par 68 for a four-round total of 15 under to win by one stroke over Fleetwood (72) and Russell Henley (69).
Max Muncy tosses his bat after hitting a three-run home run in the Dodgers' 13-7 win over the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on Sunday. (Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Upstaging Shohei Ohtani, especially on a day he pitches, is no easy feat.
But at Dodger Stadium on Sunday afternoon, teammate Max Muncy did it twice — hitting two home runs and matching a career high with seven RBIs to lift the Dodgers to a 13-7 defeat of the Washington Nationals, and make Ohtani more of the sideshow in his second pitching start of the season.
Despite two strikeouts over a scoreless first inning from Ohtani to begin the day, Dodger Stadium had sat in relative silence for the next five innings.
Ben Casparius, who replaced the still workload-restricted Ohtani on the mound in the second, gave up a three-run home run in the third, when a flyball deflected off Hyeseong Kim’s glove at the wall before hitting a fan reaching over the barrier.
Michael Soroka, the former All-Star turned inconsistent journeyman, held the Dodgers hitless into the fifth, racking up a career-high 10 strikeouts while protecting the 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, however, an opportunity for the Dodgers finally arose.
Dalton Rushing led off with a slicing ground-rule double down the left-field line. Ohtani drew a walk with the help of two favorable ball-strike calls. Badly slumping Freddie Freeman was bailed out of an 0-and-2 count on a wild slurve from Soroka that hit his foot.
And suddenly, the Nationals had to go to the bullpen, summoning left-hander Jose A. Ferrer to face Muncy with the bases loaded.
After just three pitches to Muncy, Ferrer called out the grounds crew to rake the mound and smooth out his landing area on the downslope.
But at the plate, it gave Muncy time to think about his at-bat against Ferrer the night before, mentally lock in on what to expect, and catch his breath in the biggest moment of the game.
“When he’s ready, he’s ready,” Muncy said he told himself. “And let’s get a swing off.”
Muncy did on each of the next two pitches, fouling off one center-cut sinker before lining the next deep to left for a script-flipping, deficit-erasing, go-ahead grand slam.
“I saw the guy last night, so had a good idea of what he was throwing in there and how to approach it,” Muncy said. “I was trying to keep the ball off the ground, get something in the air, get at least one run in. Just trying to do a job. And I got a good swing off and got the ball in a good spot.”
Ohtani started the day as the main attraction.
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers in the first inning against the Nationals on Sunday. (Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
The two-way star drew a crowd as he came onto the field for pregame warm-ups and got loose in the left-field bullpen — prompting fans even up in the upper reserve-level deck to lean over railings and get a look at his dual-role talents.
And once the game began, Ohtani climbed atop the mound and showed progress from his season debut as a pitcher six days before.
"I thought he was considerably better today,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The stuff, the life of the fastball, the command of his pitches — much better.”
Ohtani's scoreless inning included strikeouts of Luis Garcia Jr. on a sweeper and Nathaniel Lowe on a cutter, representing his first strikeouts since returning from Tommy John surgery. He worked around a dropped infield pop-up from Mookie Betts in an otherwise efficient 18-pitch, 12-strike outing. He hit 99 mph with his fastball while mixing in a healthy dose of sweepers, cutters and splitters to complement it.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits a home run in the eighth inning Sunday against the Nationals. (Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
"Overall, I was able to relax much better compared to my last outing," said Ohtani, who noted that the plan for Sunday’s start was to once again be limited to only one inning.
"I think that it's just more of just trying to get the foundation, the building blocks as he's taking at-bats,” Roberts added. “Getting an inning here, an inning there, and then just gradually progress.”
Ohtani also quieted recent questions about whether his return to pitching was affecting his bat.
After entering the day two-for-19 in five games since resuming two-way duties, Ohtani helped the Dodgers (48-31) pull away late. In the seventh, he laced a bases-loaded, three-run triple past the first base bag, turning a narrow one-run lead into a comfortable four-score cushion over the Nationals (32-46). In the eighth, he added more insurance, belting a two-run homer to left-center field for his National League-leading 26th long ball.
“When he's going to the big part of the field, I think he's really, really good,” Roberts said. “So today was good. And hopefully it quiets the noise a little bit with the days that he pitches."
Not to be outdone, however, Muncy raised the ante himself in the latter innings, following Ohtani’s seventh-inning triple with a three-run home run to right three batters later.
“You look at the last 30 days, I think he's been our best hitter,” Roberts said. “We never wavered in our confidence, and we've shown that, and he's proven us all right."
Indeed, Sunday continued a stunning mid-season turnaround for Muncy — giving him a .305 average with 10 home runs and 38 RBIs over his last 39 games; compared to a .177 average, one home run and seven RBIs in his first 35 contests.
It moved him into third place among National League third basemen this season with an .815 OPS — making a player who once seemed bound for trade rumors this summer unexpectedly on the fringes of the All-Star conversation.
And, it somehow managed to top the all-around production Ohtani displayed in his two-way encore, lifting the Dodgers to a weekend series win and 7-3 record overall on this 10-game homestand.
“It’s definitely a snowball effect,” Muncy said. “Confidence is high right now.”
The NBA championship is headed to Oklahoma City for the first time ever.
In Game 7 of the NBA Finals Sunday, the Oklahoma City Thunder emerged victorious at home with a 103-91 win over the Indiana Pacers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took home the Finals MVP honors in the same season he won his first league MVP.
The excitement was palpable, given it was the first Game 7 in a final series since 2016 when the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame the Golden State Warriors.
But the good vibes were sucked out of the air at Paycom Center and behind TV screens at the five-minute mark of the first quarter.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who entered the game with a calf strain suffered earlier in the series, went down with an Achilles injury and was later ruled out. He was visibly in tears and overcome with emotion after a blazing-hot start. His season ended with a lead on the biggest stage in basketball.
Without their franchise cornerstone, the Pacers needed to do the improbable. Indiana looked shaken after Haliburton left the court, but remained composed and actually went into overtime with a 48-47 advantage.
But the Thunder turned it around in the third quarter, showing much more determination and less nervy hands than the opening half. They opened to a nine-point lead before T.J. McConnell, Haliburton’s backup, singlehandedly took matters into his own hands.
McConnell’s run didn’t last long enough, however, as Oklahoma City then pushed to a double-digit cushion and led by 13 going into the fourth. The 33-year-old guard was responsible for his team’s last 12 points, with Pascal Siakam questionably on the bench.
The lead ballooned in favor of Oklahoma City in the early stages of the fourth to as much as 22. Indiana, which had a miraculous run of stunning comebacks victories in its journey to this stage, did not have one last complete turnaround in the tank despite trimming the gap.
Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 29 points. He struggled on 8 of 27 shooting, but went 11 of 12 from the foul line. Jalen Williams, who had a major 40-burger earlier in the series, added 20 points on 7 of 20 shooting.
Chet Holmgren turned in a smoother performance, going 6 of 8 from the floor for 18 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace each chipped in 10 points off the bench.
Indiana was led by Bennedict Mathurin’s 24 bench points and 13 rebounds, while McConnell had 16. The starters didn’t have the momentum, as Siakam finished with just 16 points on 5 of 13 shooting in 37 minutes. Andrew Nembhard was the only other player in double figures with 15 points on 4 of 10 shooting.
Defense wins championships, and the key difference boiled down to the turnover differential. The Thunder had eight turnovers and conceded 10 points off them. Indiana coughed up the rock 23 points, allowing 32 Thunder points to come to fruition.
It’s a whopping tilt, especially given the 3-point numbers that have become ever so important in the modern game. The Thunder went 11 of 40 for a 27.5% rate, while Indiana shot 11 of 28 from deep for a 39.3% clip. Should Indiana have let it fly more in a do-or-die scenario?
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, 40, also won his first league title, exhibiting a steady five-year climb from being at the bottom of the Western Conference to the top of the NBA summit.
Both teams entered the series seeking their first ever NBA championships. Oklahoma City started the season with contending aspirations given its upward trajectory the last few years, with the last Finals appearance coming in 2012 — a loss to LeBron James and the Miami Heat with a core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
The Thunder do have a championship under their name from 1979, but that was when they were the Seattle Supersonics.
For Indiana, it also has just one other Finals appearance in its current history. That came in 2000 when the Pacers fell to a Los Angeles Lakers side anchored by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Indiana’s core featured Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose, Chris Mullin and Mark Jackson.
Pacers fans and the entire organization and will now forever ponder the “What if?” of Haliburton staying healthy after how the game began.
The NBA championship is headed to Oklahoma City for the first time ever.
In Game 7 of the NBA Finals Sunday, the Oklahoma City Thunder emerged victorious at home with a 103-91 win over the Indiana Pacers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took home the Finals MVP honors in the same season he won his first league MVP.
The excitement was palpable, given it was the first Game 7 in a final series since 2016 when the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame the Golden State Warriors.
But the good vibes were sucked out of the air at Paycom Center and behind TV screens at the five-minute mark of the first quarter.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who entered the game with a calf strain suffered earlier in the series, went down with an Achilles injury and was later ruled out. He was visibly in tears and overcome with emotion after a blazing-hot start. His season ended with a lead on the biggest stage in basketball.
Without their franchise cornerstone, the Pacers needed to do the improbable. Indiana looked shaken after Haliburton left the court, but remained composed and actually went into overtime with a 48-47 advantage.
But the Thunder turned it around in the third quarter, showing much more determination and less nervy hands than the opening half. They opened to a nine-point lead before T.J. McConnell, Haliburton’s backup, singlehandedly took matters into his own hands.
McConnell’s run didn’t last long enough, however, as Oklahoma City then pushed to a double-digit cushion and led by 13 going into the fourth. The 33-year-old guard was responsible for his team’s last 12 points, with Pascal Siakam questionably on the bench.
The lead ballooned in favor of Oklahoma City in the early stages of the fourth to as much as 22. Indiana, which had a miraculous run of stunning comebacks victories in its journey to this stage, did not have one last complete turnaround in the tank despite trimming the gap.
Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 29 points. He struggled on 8 of 27 shooting, but went 11 of 12 from the foul line. Jalen Williams, who had a major 40-burger earlier in the series, added 20 points on 7 of 20 shooting.
Chet Holmgren turned in a smoother performance, going 6 of 8 from the floor for 18 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace each chipped in 10 points off the bench.
Indiana was led by Bennedict Mathurin’s 24 bench points and 13 rebounds, while McConnell had 16. The starters didn’t have the momentum, as Siakam finished with just 16 points on 5 of 13 shooting in 37 minutes. Andrew Nembhard was the only other player in double figures with 15 points on 4 of 10 shooting.
Defense wins championships, and the key difference boiled down to the turnover differential. The Thunder had eight turnovers and conceded 10 points off them. Indiana coughed up the rock 23 points, allowing 32 Thunder points to come to fruition.
It’s a whopping tilt, especially given the 3-point numbers that have become ever so important in the modern game. The Thunder went 11 of 40 for a 27.5% rate, while Indiana shot 11 of 28 from deep for a 39.3% clip. Should Indiana have let it fly more in a do-or-die scenario?
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, 40, also won his first league title, exhibiting a steady five-year climb from being at the bottom of the Western Conference to the top of the NBA summit.
Both teams entered the series seeking their first ever NBA championships. Oklahoma City started the season with contending aspirations given its upward trajectory the last few years, with the last Finals appearance coming in 2012 — a loss to LeBron James and the Miami Heat with a core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
The Thunder do have a championship under their name from 1979, but that was when they were the Seattle Supersonics.
For Indiana, it also has just one other Finals appearance in its current history. That came in 2000 when the Pacers fell to a Los Angeles Lakers side anchored by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Indiana’s core featured Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose, Chris Mullin and Mark Jackson.
Pacers fans and the entire organization and will now forever ponder the “What if?” of Haliburton staying healthy after how the game began.
