The Minnesota Timberwolves did not blink when Victor Wembanyama blocked shot after shot in Game 1. They proceeded to upset the San Antonio Spurs thanks to an offensive outburst in the fourth quarter.
My Timberwolves vs. Spurs predictions and these NBA picks expect Minnesota to lean into that fourth-quarter recipe come Game 2 on Wednesday, May 6.
Timberwolves vs Spurs Game 2 prediction
Timberwolves vs Spurs best bet: Rudy Gobert Under 11.5 rebounds (-125)
The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the fourth quarter Monday night trailing the San Antonio Spurs by three. Rudy Gobert went to the bench for the next 10:16; when he returned, the Timberwolves led by seven.
Minnesota had scored 32 points in those 10 minutes, already eight more than it had in any previous quarter. A five-out lineup featuring Julius Randle and Naz Reid as the Timberwolves’ big men pulled Victor Wembanyama too far from the hoop to bolster his inflated blocks stats, and suddenly, Minnesota could score.
Expect more of that look in Game 2, costing Gobert minutes as the game wears on.
COVERS INTEL: The Spurs outscored the Timberwolves 45-40 in the 21:32 that both Gobert and Wembanyama were on the court in Game 1. That went better than Minnesota expected, but it is still a matchup the Timberwolves should want to lessen.
Timberwolves vs Spurs Game 2 same-game parlay
Fewer Rudy Gobert minutes should help both Minnesota’s and San Antonio’s offenses. In the 21:32 that Gobert faced Wembanyama, the Spurs’ offensive rating was 104.7 while the Timberwolves’ was 93. For the entirety of the game, San Antonio’s offensive rating was 106.3 while Minnesota’s was 108.3.
The math does not need to delve further than that. Gobert serves a purpose in this series, but his minutes need to be limited compared to Wembanyama’s, and that should propel both offenses.
Timberwolves vs Spurs SGP
Rudy Gobert Under 11.5 rebounds
Rudy Gobert Under 8.5 points
Over 215.5
Timberwolves vs Spurs odds for Game 2
Spread: Timberwolves +9.5 | Spurs -9.5
Moneyline: Timberwolves +300 | Spurs -380
Over/Under: Over 215.5 | Under 215.5
Timberwolves vs Spurs betting trend to know
After Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said his team “lied” to him all season, evidenced by their Game 1 loss at Denver, Minnesota has gone 5-1 against the spread, exceeding bookmakers’ expectations by an average of 14.5 points, even when including the ATS loss. For what it’s worth, that ATS loss came by just the hook. Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Spurs.
How to watch Timberwolves vs Spurs Game 2
Location
Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Date
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Tip-off
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Timberwolves vs Spurs latest injuries
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Dallas landing Masai Ujiri to take over basketball operations is seen by many as a coup. One of the most respected front office minds in the league, the man who built the Toronto Raptors into champions, comes to a Mavericks team in the midst of a self-inflicted rebuild (including rebuilding its reputation with its fans) after Nico Harrison made the Luka Doncic trade.
Why did Ujiri choose Dallas? Two words: Cooper Flagg. Ujiri made that abundantly clear at his press conference.(Quotes via Abby Jones.)
"The one difficult thing to find anywhere, anywhere in sports, it's a generational player, and we have one. We've planted a Flagg here. We have one player here that can turn everything and it is so hard to find in sports." And...
"You've got Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and Nikola Jokic all for the next 7-15 years. Okay, now you have to convince me that I have to beat all those guys. Okay, you gotta come with something in your pocket, okay? …And in his pocket he had Cooper Flagg."
"We have a saying in Africa, we say, 'when kings go, kings come' and a king went [Luka] and we have a little prince [Cooper Flagg] here now. He's turning into a king and I think we have to start thinking that way."
Also from that introductory press conference.
• Ujiri said he was going to look at every aspect of basketball operations and reassess it. With that, Jason Kidd may not be safe as head coach.
Masai Ujiri says he spoke to Jason Kidd yesterday. Ujiri was noncommittal when I asked him if Kidd will be Dallas’ head coach next season.
• Ujiri said he is excited to see what Kyrie Irving, who missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL, looks like next to Flagg. It did not sound like Ujiri is looking to trade the nine-time All-Star point guard.
• Team governor Patrick Dumont reiterated that ownership is committed to Dallas, and while they are looking to build a new arena that will be their home "for 40 years" that will be in the greater Dallas area.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 18: Andrew Abbott #41 of the Cincinnati Reds takes the field prior to the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Saturday, April 18, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Michael Turner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On the surface, just about everything that Cincinnati Reds lefty Andrew Abbott has been throwing this year is the same as it was during his All Star campaign in 2025.
His fastball, never a true heater, is within 0.4 mph of last year’s average, and obviously he’s been pitching in the cooler weather of April. It’s usage is almost identical, and he’s leaned on his curveball and change just about the same exact amount this year as last. He’s virtually abandoned his cutter (just 0.3% of his pitches this year), but even last season it was used just 4.3% of the time.
The only thing that jumps off the page when breaking down his stuff this year is that his velocities on his secondary pitches have been oddly off. While he chucked his curve at 81.0 mph on average last year, it’s nearly two full mph slower in 2026 (79.3 mph). Meanwhile, the speed on his change has bumped up almost a full mph to 85.7 from 84.8 last season.
It should maybe come as no surprise that the pitch values, per FanGraphs, on those two pitches have cratered as he has struggled to begin 2026. However, his fastball last season – a pitch that was valued as one of the 21 best in the sport among pitchers who threw 100+ IP – has lost almost all of its value.
One particularly interesting bit on how his season-over-season stuff has changed, though, is with his arm angle. Per Statcast, his 2025 season saw him pitch with a 48 degree arm angle, yet that’s increased to 52 degrees so far in 2026. Whether that’s by design I do not know, but that seems like a significant enough change that maybe, just maybe, it’s what’s tweaking his ability to locate his pitches.
Abbott’s 4/30 start against the Colorado Rockies was his best since Opening Day, though that, of course, came against the Colorado Rockies. The hope is that on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley, he’ll be able to once again show that he’s rounding back into form and that the bulk of his April drubbing was the exception, not the rule.
He’ll be up against Jameson Taillon in the second game of the series after last night’s devastating walk-off loss. The Reds are mired in a 4-game losing streak as they road trip through the NL Central, and man, would it ever be nice to see them pick themselves up off the mat and get a victory to shake those trees.
First pitch is set for 7:40 PM ET, with hopefully fewer weather issues than last night.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 29: Taj Bradley #26 of the Minnesota Twins pitches against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning of the game at Target Field on April 29, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch: 5:45 PM CDT
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App, LosTwins.com
The Twins start their road trip in Washington, and will face the Nationals 2022 first round pick, RHP Cade Cavalli. On the mound for the Twins will be Taj Bradley.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 04: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres hits a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the first inning at Oracle Park on May 04, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For so many reasons, the San Diego Padres should have won.
The San Francisco Giants were coming off a road trip in which they lost all six games, the Friars had one of their aces on the mound in Randy Vásquez and San Francisco had the rookie Trevor McDonald making his 2026 debut. It all seemed to point toward a needed win for San Diego.
But that’s not how the story went. McDonald pitched seven innings of one-run ball against the Friars. And, although Vásquez was only tagged for three runs in 5 2/3 innings, it was all San Francisco would need.
The Padres attempted a ninth-inning rally with Ramón Laureano hitting a moonshot to make it 3-2, but the Giants got the final three outs after him and ended the rally where it began.
San Diego needs some offense. It hasn’t been for lack of thump, they have six homers in their last five games. But they need to string their hits together. The Padres will hope to scrap something together against San Francisco ace Logan Webb.
Taking the mound
Logan Webb (SF) v. Walker Buehler (SD)
Webb has had a tough time settling into a groove this season, posting a 4.30 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. But what he has done is eat innings for the Giants, pitching 44 innings for the club.
He had an encouraging outing last week, pitching seven innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, giving up only one run in the process. The Friars will hope to tag him for a few more than that in tonight’s game.
On the other hand, Buehler has been a somewhat steadying part of the rotation (though the term steadying is used here with some apprehension). He’s pitched to a 5.40 ERA but has at least been a semi-reliable back end option for San Diego.
He started in last week’s loss to the Chicago Cubs but only gave up two runs to the Northsiders. If he can do just that against the Giants tonight (and go at least five innings), it would start to turn the tides for a struggling Padres club.
Batter up!
Jackson Merrill really seems to be turning things around. After starting the year with an abysmal .220 average, he’s slashed .276/.300/.379 in his last seven games. It’s not earth-shattering, but it’s a step up from the .172/.238/.241 line from the previous 15 games.
His (and Manny Machado’s) return to some form of normalcy could go a long way toward waking up the offense. With everyone on the roster having experience against Webb, manager Craig Stammen will likely go for those who have had the most success in the past.
Ramón Laureano, LF
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gavin Sheets, 1B
Miguel Andujar, DH
Luis Campusano, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Those nine have a combined .297 career batting average and a .730 OPS to go with 18 RBI (200 at-bats). Machado, Merrill and Sheets all have averages above .300, and the latter two have an OPS over 1.000 against Webb. If they can do damage like that tonight, the Padres will have no trouble forcing the rubber match on Wednesday.
Relief corps
Vásquez pitched about as well as he normally does. Though it wasn’t quite the ace form that we’ve come to expect of him this year, he made it through 5 2/3 innings of work, ensuring that the Padres only had to use three relievers (Kyle Hart, Bradgley Rodriguez and Wandy Peralta) to finish the game.
The three used were low-leverage so San Diego will have plenty of options in a close game. Those include Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Ron Marinaccio, Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon. All but Marinaccio are high-leverage moves for Stammen to make.
Miller leads the league in saves (11) and could notch his 12th tonight. He’s currently on pace to end the season with 53 saves. If he did, it would be just the second time a Padre has saved 50-plus games (Trevor Hoffman, 1998), and the first 50-plus save season in MLB since Edwin Díaz in 2018.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 10: (NEW YORK DAILES OUT) Jason Alexander #54 of the Houston Astros in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 10, 2025 in New York City. The Astros defeated the Yankees 7-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros have announced the following moves to the active roster:
RHP Jason Alexander and OF Zach Dezenzo have been recalled from Triple A Sugar Land.
IF Nick Allen has been reinstated from the 10-day IL.
C Yainer Diaz has been placed on the 10-day IL today with a left oblique strain.
OF Dustin Harris has been designated for assignment.
RHP Ryan Weiss was optioned to Triple A last night.
Alexander will slide into a bullpen desperate for fresh arms. He last pitched April 30th, so he is capable of giving the team multiple relief innings if needed.
Harris was 7×31 (.226) with the Astros with a .286 OBP and .576 OPS.
Weiss, after another tough outing yesterday, currently sports a 7.62 ERA and 2.12 WHIP, has just awful numbers and has struggled badly in his last 6 appearances. After allowing only 1 run in his first 3 appearances (covering 6 innings) in which he walked 2 and struck out 7, Weiss has been tagged for multiple runs in each of his six appearances since, inflating his ERA from 1.50 to 7.62. In those 6 outings covering 20 innings, Weiss has allowed 21 ER, 18 walks, and a staggering 7 HR.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Draymond Green #23 (R) of the Golden State Warriors stands with head coach Steve Kerr during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 111-96. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The offseason is underway for the Golden State Warriors, which seemed like a good time to answer some mailbag questions. Thanks to everyone who responded to the prompt in The Feed.
ScottWarrior: 1. who do you like for the Warriors at 11?
2. Will the Warriors trade the pick or draft a player and keep him?
3. If you had to pick a number, how many seasons away are we from Steph’s retirement?
It’s hard to answer the first question without answering the second question first; and it’s hard to answer the second question! Ultimately, I think the Warriors will try fairly hard to trade the pick, simply because they’re going to explore every possibility to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, and any other All-NBA caliber talent. I expect them to fail in that endeavor, which means they’ll probably keep the pick. Given what we know of the front office’s recent frustrations, it seems very unlikely to me that they would trade a lottery pick for a role player. Everything will be on the table for a star, but nothing will be on the table for a sixth man.
As to whom they pick, assuming they stay at No. 11, that also depends on so many factors. Most importantly: is Steve Kerr the coach? If so, then I would anticipate a polished player who can slot into the rotation fairly early — partially because that’s the type of player Kerr works best with, and partially because Kerr’s return increases the odds of signing/retaining quality veterans that can make the Warriors competitive, which will further enforce the idea of chasing the current timeline, rather than the future one.
For those reasons (I expect Kerr to stay), I like Yaxel Lendeborg. He’s one of the highest-floor prospects in the draft, and, critically, fits both the offensive and defensive schemes. I will sympathize with any and all calls for the Dubs to chase a higher-ceiling player, but I’m hesitant to do that towards the end of the lottery. If they luck out and get a top-four pick, on the other hand…
As for Steph Curry’s retirement, if I absolutely had to pick a number, I would say three more seasons (but I think four is far more likely than two). Curry is aging like the quality of wine that he can afford to drink (must be nice), but I don’t see him as a player who is going to attempt to keep his career around as long as possible. He has too many interests — his family, his potential golf career, his numerous business pursuits, among others — to chase every last minute on the court. And he deals with enough injuries and ailments that I can’t imagine the reward will be worth the price of admission in a few years.
Here’s my bold prediction though: Curry and the Warriors will go the same route as Buster Posey and the San Francisco Giants, with Curry becoming a minority owner and a member of the board within a few years of his retirement (just don’t expect him to pull a Posey and try to oust Mike Dunleavy Jr.).
SantaCruz351: 1. What’s your latest take on how likely Steve Kerr is to stay?
2. If he stays, how many more seasons?
thanks
I think at this point it is extremely likely that Kerr stays, for the reasons I laid out last week. If he had wanted to leave, he likely would have chosen that already. The longer the indecision drags on, the more likely he is to return, as it points to the meetings being about the details rather than actual decisions.
It does feel to me like the goal for the Warriors is to line up Kerr’s timeline with Curry’s, and I think that will happen. My prediction is that he re-signs on a three-year deal, with Curry signing a two-year extension this summer, and everyone can target the 2028-29 season as the final run for that historic duo.
SantaCruz351: I thought of one more.
Since your post-game player grades are so interesting, how about doing Final player grades for the entire season? Sort of a basketball final exam if you will.
thanks
I have thought about doing that and this is a good reminder. I’ll get to it this week. Thanks!
Nopelongpause: When will the fan base stop hating on Podz? Does he need to be traded as he’s
A. One of the only players they have that other teams would want and
B. So universally hated by the fans for no reason I can tell. (Heard people hating on his hair?)
Sort of a joke question but still
The disdain for Brandin Podziemski is at times odd, but at other times kind of funny. I will say though, this is a case where the internet is not always reflective of other forms of reality. Podz gets a lot of late from the online segment of the fanbase, but he’s still a pretty popular player at the arena. I would say the average fan loves his energy and heart, his willingness to put his body on the line to make any play, and his craftiness (his unending support of the Valkyries is also great).
But the online segment of the fanbase? Sometimes they just latch on to people. Podziemski has said a few corny things in his career, and as Karl-Anthony Towns has proven, no amount of success on the court will shake that label.
JDGJDG: How in the world can the Warriors realistically become a legit contender again?
Well, they seem to think the answer is by acquiring a superstar. Antetokounmpo or Leonard, anyone? How about LeBron James?
That would certainly help, though it’s not particularly realistic, I fear. They’ll try like hell, though, and they’ve pulled it off before.
Otherwise, the plan is simple, if not particularly easy. They need a sprinkle of more talent and a dash of updating their schemes. I’m not fully convinced that the Warriors can’t be competitive running it back (which means re-signing Kristaps Porziņģis) and getting a healthy Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody for the second half of the season. But you can’t rely on that, so they need to do something a little more substantive (I’m curious to see if Porziņģis’ second-half surge boosted his value, and if he could be a sign-and-trade piece now, though I’m doubtful).
People will be quick to point out that the Warriors can’t rely on the health of Curry and Butler, and that’s true. But here’s the reality: the Warriors days of being title favorites are gone, and they’re not coming back for many, many years. But just because you’re not title favorites doesn’t mean you can’t be contenders, and just because you’re merely a contender doesn’t mean you can’t become a champion. Exhibit A: the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
If you’re a contender, you need a little bit of luck to really compete for a title, and for the next few years, that luck will likely have to come on the injury front if the Warriors have any chance of surpassing the West’s elite in the postseason.
Onepunman: Will Draymond exercise his player option?
Draymond Green is a hard one to figure out. We know he wants to stay with the Warriors, but as he showed a few years ago when he almost signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, he also wants to play somewhere where he is appreciated and compensated accordingly. Green has been very introspective about his current relationship with the organization, and how he doesn’t want to hang around just to hang around. But with Kerr likely coming back, it seems all but certain that Golden State will want Draymond to stick around. So my guess is that he doesn’t exercise his player option, and instead negotiates a new deal three-year deal with the Warriors for a lower annual value. That will line him up with Curry and Kerr, while also giving the Warriors more flexibility this offseason.
scizzorhands: Draft content. Options for trading down and/or trading to get more picks in the 2026 draft.
I’d be surprised if they trade their first-round pick for anything other than a star player. It seems unlikely that they would want to trade down to get more draft picks, and put more young, raw players on the roster, though they’ll probably do something in the second round, because that’s just what they do. But with the first-round pick, they’ll want to get the best player they can, rather than multiple lesser players.
May 4, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) speaks during an interview after the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
WASHINGTON – Joe Ryan got a second lease on the 2026 season. And now the Minnesota Twins hope that applies to them, too.
Ryan threw a scare into the entire organization on Sunday, May 3 when he exited his start against the Toronto Blue Jays after just two batters and nine pitches. Elbow soreness was the report, a nebulous diagnosis that had Twins fans spiraling for two days.
Ryan immediately left Target Field for an MRI and an already depleted organization braced for the worst, just two months after ace Pablo Lopez succumbed to Tommy John surgery in spring training.
But the MRI was clean and Tuesday, Ryan played catch without incident. He will throw a bullpen on Wednesday and, if all goes well, make his next scheduled start Saturday at Cleveland.
All normal stuff – and that’s a huge relief for Ryan given his state of mind after he motioned for manager Derek Shelton and left Sunday’s game under a cloud of uncertainty.
“Any time you dodge a bullet, you’re grateful for every day you get to come in and put the jersey on,” Ryan said Tuesday at Nationals Park, three hours before the Twins opened a three-game series at Washington. “That’s part of being in the big leagues – understanding that. I try to embrace that and not take anything for granted.
“Every day you get to do that, it’s a blessing. I think a little bit extra when you have a little bit of a scare like that.”
Especially when this burgeoning ace avoided major injury at such a key time in his career.
Ryan, who turns 30 in June, was a 2025 All-Star on his way to a career-best season: 194 strikeouts and a 1.04 WHIP in 171 innings over 30 starts. That seemed to increase the likelihood the rebuilding Twins would trade him in the offseason, but he stayed.
He’s posted a 3.72 ERA through his first eight starts this season, his second-to-last before becoming eligible for free agency. Naturally, the Twins would not be able to trade a potential ace rehabbing an elbow injury.
Yet it’s early enough this season that the 15-20 club can appreciate that its ace is structurally sound as it loiters within 2½ games of first in an AL Central where no team is above .500.
“It’s relief,” says Shelton, the Twins' first-year manager. "I think the eternal pessimist in me is like, ‘I’m gonna wait until we get through tomorrow.’
“But today was a really good sign, because he threw well, was able to throw his breaking ball.”
Ryan said he felt the pain Sunday facing the second batter, Kazuma Okamoto. He threw a couple more pitches and it persisted. Not excruciating, he said, though he’s felt lesser pain and it’s turned out to be a more calamitous injury.
“You never know,” says Ryan, who will earn $6.2 million this season, “until imaging comes back.”
Yet Shelton appreciated that Ryan removed himself from the game. Arms, especially elbows, are not to be messed with.
“The one really great thing about Joe is he’s probably as in tune with his body as much as any player I’ve been around,” says Shelton. “He can articulate really well what he’s feeling.”
Now the Twins hope to develop some consistency. They won 11 of their first 19 games, then lost 12 of their next 15, salvaging the final game against Toronto after Ryan departed.
“We’ve played really well, we’ve played not well, and we’ve played well and not won games,” says Shelton. “I think the thing I’m most pleased with is our effort and our ability to play a full 27 outs.
“This is a younger group. There’s going to be times we have ebbs and flows. We just have to keep going.”
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 4: Michael Conforto #20 of the Chicago Cubs hits a pinch hit walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field on May 4, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tuesday notes…
STREAKING, PART 1: The Cubs have won 12 straight games at home. It is their 19th double-digit home winning streak of the Modern Era, which began in 1901, and their 15th at Wrigley Field, their home since 1916. This is their first such streak since they won 14 in a row, May 18-June 22, 2008. A 13-game streak in 2001 and a 10-game streak in 1998 are their only others of the kind since 1970. Their record is 18 straight, Sept. 4-22, 1935, during a surge that lifted them to the pennant. The 2008 streak was one of five of 14 games. The 2001 streak was the only one of 13. They also had a lone streak of 12, in 1927, for a total now of 10 streaks of at least 12 in a row. The 1927 streak was the only one that ended after 12 games, and did so with a thud: a 12-2 loss at home to the Phillies. The Cubs extended the 2001 streak to 13 by beating the Twins, 5-4. Ricky Gutierrez hit a two-run homer and Sammy Sosa added a solo shot. The 13th win in 2012 was by 3-1 over the Dodgers. Derrek Lee homered with one in the first and Aramis Ramirez homered in the eighth. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
STREAKING, PART 2: The Cubs are 16-3 in their last 19 games, their best 19-game record since they also were 16-3 from July 31-Aug. 20, 2016. They were 16-3 in four overlapping spans that season, in two in 2015, in three in 2001, in one in 1977 and two in 1967. They had an even 100 in 1903-45. The Cubs were 19-0 in three overlapping spans in 1935 and 18-1 in 20 spans, many overlapping, in 1906 and 1935. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
FACING THE REDS: This is the Cubs’ 83rd series vs. the Reds at Wrigley Field since 1994, first season of the Central Division. From 1969 through 1993, the Cubs were in the NL East and the Reds, for reasons that defy logic, were in the NL West. It is only the 17th of the 83 series at Wrigley that was scheduled to be more than three games. The Cubs swept four games in 2018. That is the only time they won even the first two games. They went 3-1 in four series, including the most recent before the current one, in 2023. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
SAVING THE DAY:The Cubs have had six different pitchers record saves already this year. In alphabetical order: Ben Brown, Corbin Martin, Hoby Milner, Daniel Palencia, Caleb Thielbar and Jacob Webb. Thielbar leads the team with two. Twelve different pitchers recorded saves for last year’s Cubs. Only five of those pitchers (Brown, Palencia, Rea, Thielbar and Jordan Wicks) are still in the Cubs organization.
Jameson Taillon has had some good starts this year, some bad, some middling. The last one, last Wednesday in San Diego, was really good — seven innings, three runs, six strikeouts.
Last year against the Reds, he made two starts, throwing 13.1 innings and allowing three runs, with only one home run allowed. More of that would be good. Current Reds are batting .264 (28-for-106) against Jamo with seven home runs, two each by Elly De La Cruz and TJ Friedl. Keep the ball in the yard tonight, please, Jamo.
Andrew Abbott has had three good years for the Reds and has been tough on the Cubs: Seven starts, 2.56 ERA in 38.2 innings.
But this year, Abbott is off to a rough start. He’s allowed four or more runs in three of his seven starts, though the last one, April 30 vs. the Rockies, was pretty good (two runs in six innings).
Current Cubs are batting just .183 (17-for-93) against Abbott, but Seiya Suzuki has homered off him, and Dansby Swanson has taken him deep twice.
Despite a season OPS of .830 vs. LHP this year, the Cubs are just 5-5 vs. LH starters. Hopefully that changes tonight.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
The Buffalo Sabres practiced on Tuesday in preparation for the opening of their second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night. The club finished off the Boston Bruins in six games, while Les Habitants went the full seven games with Tampa Bay. One of the keys to the Sabres' victory over the Bruins in the series finale was the play of youngster Zach Benson, who scored the insurance goal in the third period to give Buffalo some breathing room.
Throughout the series, the BC native was the focal point of the Bruins ire and an irritating presence on nearly every shift, something that Boston should be familiar with since they had Brad Marchand on their roster for 16 seasons. That pestiness provoked Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy to take a baseball swing at Benson after the Sabres winger tripped him near the end boards.
"He's hard to play against. There's the pest that's real annoying, there's a pest that's really hard to play against, and I think he's a real hard player to play against," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. "He plays the game the right way. He has the puck a lot. He can score. I mentioned yesterday that he's annoying, because he gets to the net all the time. He gets to the puck. He's the first touch. If he's not the first touch, he's all over you to try to get it back. Then he's got that kind of that smirk on his face that he irritates you too as an opposition player. It makes me smile when it annoys other people."
Benson has played over 200 games in the NHL since being drafted 13th overall in 2023 and posted a career-best 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists), but has slowly evolved into the role of an irritant and seems to enjoy chosen path.
"It's part of the game that he likes. Being in another team's face and being annoying and being called a pest. I don't think it's something that bothers him one bit." Sabres linemate Josh Doan said. "He enjoys this part of the game. It's that competitive side of him. He's not going to be the biggest guy and blow you up, so if he's going to get in your head, it's going to be from being annoying and stripping you or or crashing into your paint and being around your goalie as much as you can. I think he doesn't get as much credit for how strong he can be in those areas. It's not very easy to get him out of there, so over a long over a long series, it gets tiring."
Zach Benson is trying to stay off social media. But he's seen the memes. All the memes 😂 pic.twitter.com/LfaIvMVbYx
It is likely that Benson will attempt to rile players such as Montreal defenseman Arber Xhekaj or forward Josh Anderson, hoping to draw the Canadiens more physical players into penalties. The Sabres will need to take advantage of those opportunities, after going 1 for 24 on the power play against the Bruins.
Former Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo returned to New York as a visiting player for the first time on Tuesday, and even though he was in the Bronx to face the Yankees, he fielded many questions about his Mets tenure and the current state of the team.
“I want them to do well,” Nimmo said. “I’ve played here before when things aren’t going well, and it’s not fun. I wish the best for them, but also I’m trying to take care of things here and make sure we’re trying to play good baseball here.”
Nimmo, of course, was traded to the Rangers this past offseason in the deal that brought Marcus Semien to the Mets. The trade came just three years into Nimmo’s eight-year, $162 million contract, and he had to waive his no-trade clause to complete the deal.
Nimmo said that he reached out to a lot of people before making his decision, including Pete Alonso, who told him the Mets hadn’t reached out to him at that point.
“When Pete said they hadn’t even reached out to him, there was definitely a lot of uncertainty as to which direction they were going. But ultimately, I had to make other phone calls and talk to other people and deliberate over it for many more days. So, it wasn’t just his conversation that went into it. I talked to dozens of people. It was just a piece of the puzzle that helped in the decision-making process.”
“I obviously would have loved to have seen Pete retire in a Mets uniform,” he later added. “He’s the Mets’ home run king and has all these titles that go along with it. I think that would have been awesome, but it wasn’t in the cards for what they felt like were the best baseball decisions.”
Both players have since said there was no truth to those rumors, and Nimmo said again Tuesday that he thought his trade was purely a baseball move.
“I believe it was probably just a baseball decision. Like I said last year and even in these interviews in the spring, I really didn’t see anything wrong with the chemistry between the guys,” Nimmo said. “And if it was happening, I didn’t know about it, so they were keeping it hush-hush, which is kind of tough to do in a clubhouse where you spend most of the day with each other. But from my standpoint, I think it was a baseball decision, and I think it was something that David felt would better the New York Mets and (general manager Chris Young) felt would better the Texas Rangers.”
The 2026 NBA Draft lottery is on Mother's Day this year, with every team that didn't make the playoffs seeking the gift of the right ping-pong ball combination on Sunday, May 10. A whole batch of franchises tanked this past season just to have a better shot at securing the best choice possible in what's considered a strong draft class. So much so that NBA commissioner Adam Silver is considering radical changes to the NBA draft lottery system.
The top five picks remained the same, but there was plenty of movement from there. New prospects were elevated into the first round by AI or higher in the NBA draft pecking order with another two weeks of intel. Other players were dropped out of the top 30 selections. More will be decided over the next week or so, when the NBA Draft lottery and NBA Draft Scouting Combine are held in Chicago.
Here's Microsoft Copilot's latest 2026 NBA mock draft heading into the draft lottery, as curated by USA TODAY Sports
USA TODAY Sports asked Microsoft Copilot AI to generate a mock draft for the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft featuring only players who could be eligible this year. Microsoft Copilot assigned the draft order based on regular-season NBA records and the latest draft lottery tiebreakers, with the worst record getting the No. 1 pick and the best record getting the No. 30 pick. It used current mock drafts from reputable websites, as well as team needs, prospect analysis and potential pick swaps/protections, to determine the first-round selections for each team in this exercise.
AI models still have issues with accuracy as seen in the mock draft below. Of particular note, Microsoft Copilot had several picks inaccurately assigned to teams based on previous trades and pick swaps.
Here's a 2026 NBA first-round mock draft, according to Microsoft Copilot AI, as of May 5:
7. Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans): Kingston Flemings, Houston
Note: The Hawks receive the better pick between the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks through a trade during the 2025 NBA draft. The Bucks get the lesser of the two selections.
MESA, AZ - FEBRUARY 21: Justin Foscue #56 of the Texas Rangers looks on during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on February 21, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have placed infielder Josh Smith on the injured list with a right glute strain, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled infielder Justin Foscue.
Smith, who took over at second base this season for Marcus Semien, has gotten off to a difficult start to the 2026 season, putting up a .217/.324/.239 slash line while also having issues out in the field. In his previous two games he went 4 for 7 with a walk, with those four hits representing 20% of his hit total for the season, but he will now be sidelined for the time being.
Foscue, the Rangers’ first round pick in 2020, is in his fourth season at AAA Round Rock. He has slashed .287/.407/.426, with as many walks as strikeouts. He has split his time between first base, second base and DH this season. He will look to improve on his career major league slash line of .059/.094/.098 while he is up.
Mar 13, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) goes around Florida Gators center Rueben Chinyelu (9) during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
The Kentucky Wildcats are nearing completion of their 2026-2027 basketball roster, with just a couple more spots to fill.
Kentucky native Malachi Moreno was expected back on the team after he tested the NBA Draft waters. However, some recent draft rankings and projections have left some wondering if he could actually stay in this year’s draft.
The Georgetown (KY) native was mocked 31st overall to the New York Knicks in Jonathan Wasserman’s latest mock draft at Bleacher Report, one spot shy of the first round. His pro comparison was former Wildcat Nick Richards, who saw great success in his junior year in Lexington.
As a few players could potentially withdraw from the draft process in the coming weeks, Wasserman believes Moreno could be a first-round pick based on his size alone.
“With NIL bringing back a handful of first round guys, Malachi Moreno has a chance to capitalize on that during the draft process,” Wasserman said. “There is already enough intrigue around a 19-year-old, 7-footer with strong shot-blocking and passing metrics, plus some touch indicators. Certain teams would prefer to gamble on a freshman with Moreno’s tools, production, impact, and historically translatable/valued archetype, rather than a projected 23-year-old rookie in a shallow draft.
“Scrimmages at the NBA combine will represent a huge opportunity for Moreno to generate more first-round interest.“
Moreno was invited to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago next week. This is a huge opportunity for Moreno to showcase his size and athleticism in front of NBA scouts, teams, and front offices. The scrimmages will be aired on television as BBN and Mark Pope will be keeping a close eye on the 7-footer.
COVERS INTEL: The Spurs outscored the Timberwolves 45-40 in the 21:32 that both Gobert and Wembanyama were on the court in Game 1. That went better than Minnesota expected, but it is still a matchup the Timberwolves should want to lessen.
