ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 3: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Truist Park on June 3, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr.Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves are finally back home after a round trip that they likely would like to forget. Spencer Strider was injured and the Braves’ offense struggled mightily.
Since the start of June, only three teams in MLB have scored fewer runs than the Braves and only five teams have had a worse rotation ERA. That clearly is a trend that the Braves would like to turnaround. Fortunately, the Braves finally got back Drake Baldwin which now turns a weakness to a strength.
Grant Holmes is taking the mound tonight against Adrian Houser. Holmes and Houser are both struggling of late so this could be a shootout between the two teams. Holmes has shown he really needs to be in the bullpen since he struggles the second time through the order, and Houser is likely only going to keep a rotation spot because he can eat innings.
Here is to hoping the Braves can get back on the right track. Follow along in the comments. First pitch is at 7:15 pm EDT.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 15: Framber Valdez #59 of the Detroit Tigers gestures to the crowd during his return to Daikin Park before a game against the Houston Astros on June 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sometimes it’s okay to say goodbye.
That may be a difficult reality for Astros fans to accept, especially when it involves a player who played such a significant role in the organization’s success over the years. But after hearing Framber Valdez’ comments during his first return to Houston since signing with the Detroit Tigers, it became clear that some fans were bothered by the fact that the Astros apparently never reached out to him or made a serious effort to bring him back before or during free agency.
The question many fans have asked is simple: Why?
The answer is equally simple.
As good as Framber Valdez was throughout most of his Astros career, the version of Valdez that approached free agency was not the same dominant pitcher Houston had relied on for years. There was a time when every time he took the mound Astros fans felt confident their team was going to win. He was one of the most reliable starters in baseball and a key piece of multiple playoff runs.
But over his final season or two in Houston, there were signs of decline.
The flashes of brilliance were still there. The dominance would occasionally show up. However, so did the warning signs. His consistency slipped. There were more rough outings, more runs allowed, and diminished returns on both his velocity and command. Even his trademark breaking pitches didn’t seem to have the same effectiveness they once did.
When evaluating whether to commit a massive long-term contract to a pitcher, performance isn’t the only factor.
The Astros also had to consider Valdez’s emotional volatility.
Whether you believe his actions involving César Salazar were intentional or not, the optics were poor. More importantly, it reinforced concerns that have existed throughout much of his career. When things went wrong, Valdez often struggled to maintain his composure.
Astros fans have seen it before.
There were games where frustration appeared to overwhelm him. Instead of staying focused and working through adversity, he would abandon his approach and simply throw pitches over the plate. Postgame interviews occasionally featured comments that seemed to shift blame toward teammates or others rather than accepting responsibility himself.
Those concerns weren’t limited to the mound.
Valdez’s defense was also a recurring issue. Opposing teams understood that forcing him to field his position could create opportunities. Bunts and slow rollers often turned into adventures, and his throwing accuracy became a liability at times.
There were also documented disagreements regarding defensive positioning and game-planning strategies. One notable example came during a 2024 game against the Angels when frustration over the pitching plan appeared to contribute to a disastrous seven-run inning.
Yet the biggest factor in the Astros’ decision was likely the simplest one.
Age and mileage matter.
Valdez was already over 30 years old and had accumulated a significant workload on his arm. Baseball history is filled with examples of pitchers signing lucrative contracts after turning 30, only to see injuries and declining performance follow shortly thereafter.
General managers don’t get paid to reward past accomplishments. They get paid to project future performance.
Dana Brown and the Astros front office had to determine whether committing major money and years to Valdez made sense moving forward. Based on the available evidence, they concluded it did not.
And they were right.
That’s not to say fans aren’t justified in feeling disappointed. Valdez was a fan favorite and an important part of the Astros’ success. If you believe he earned at least a phone call or a conversation out of respect for everything he accomplished, that’s a fair argument.
But loyalty can only take a franchise so far.
The Astros had to make a baseball decision, and this appears to be one they got right.
The fact that Houston’s replacements haven’t performed particularly well this season is a separate discussion entirely. The Astros deserve criticism if their plan to replace Valdez has failed. However, that doesn’t automatically mean they should have re-signed him.
His results with the Tigers haven’t matched the best years of his Astros tenure, and the same emotional concerns have resurfaced. Most notably, during a recent game against the Red Sox, Valdez hit Trevor Story with a 94-mph fastball, was ejected, suspended six games, and later denied responsibility for the incident despite widespread criticism.
For Astros fans frustrated by another beloved player leaving town, the reaction is understandable. Houston has watched a long list of fan favorites depart over the years.
But not every goodbye is a mistake.
When you examine the total picture, his age, workload, declining performance, defensive shortcomings, emotional volatility, and the financial commitment required, the Astros’ decision to let Framber Valdez walk was the correct one.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 09: Adrian Houser #12 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in the top of the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Oracle Park on June 09, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants begin a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves this afternoon.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Adrian Houser, who enters today’s game with a 5.54 ERA, 5.18 FIP, with 46 strikeouts to 24 walks in 65 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals last Tuesday, in which he allowed three runs on four hits with six strikeouts in four and a third innings.
He’ll be facing off against Braves right-hander Grant Holmes, who enters today’s game with a 4.05 ERA, 5.26 FIP, with 59 strikeouts to 29 walks in 66.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Braves’ 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox last Tuesday, in which he allowed three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and two walks in three and two thirds innings.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 15: Will Wagner #7 of the San Diego Padres fields the ball against the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning at Busch Stadium on June 15, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (37-34) at St. Louis Cardinals (39-31), June 16, 2026, 4:45 a.m. PST
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The Toronto Maple Leafs got the early jump on trade season two days after the Stanley Cup was handed out, shipping goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Emil Andrae, goaltender Samuel Ersson and a 2026 third-round pick. The Leafs faced the prospect of having to carry three goalies on their NHL roster, with Anthony Stolarz, Woll, and youngster Dennis Hildeby not waiver exempt.
That situation was better than that the Buffalo Sabres face going into next season, as they have four goalies who would have to clear waivers to be sent down to the American Hockey League. Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated in his end-of-season remarks last month that he was satisfied with how the trio of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis played last season and that it is possible that the club will carry three goalies next season, but that leaves goalie Devon Levi on the outside looking in.
The 24-year-old has played 120 games over the last three seasons in AHL Rochester and only nine games for the Sabres. After being demoted to the Amerks after training camp, any chance of seeing NHL action last season was eliminated when Buffalo claimed Ellis off of waivers from the St. Louis Blues in early October.
"(Devon is) a talented goalie, he's played some great hockey at the American League level, and he's played some games in the NHL. Probably the toughest position of any positions on a hockey team is to get the responsibility to be a goalie that coaches rely upon on a regular basis,” Kekalainen said. “Next year he'll need waivers, so it's another part of that process, and we see how he keeps developing, and I think he's an NHL caliber talent that has a potential to be a good goalie in this league for a long time."
Ideally, the Sabres would like to get an asset in the form of a prospect or a high draft pick, but the move that Toronto made on Tuesday may have set the market price for available goalies. Veterans with multiple years of term remaining, such as New Jersey’s Jacob Markstrom ($6 million AAV), Vegas’s Adin Hill ($6.25 million AAV) may require salary retention to be moved. Other goalies reportedly on the market like Columbus’s Elvis Merzlikins ($5.4 million AAV) and Montreal’s Samuel Montembeault ($3.15 million AAV) are not as desirable coming off bad seasons.
Woll has played well at times, but struggled with a defensively inept Toronto club last season, and the return for him was a bottom pairing blueliner who was not in Rick Tocchet’s system in Philadelphia and a low third round pick. Another disadvantage to the Sabres is that Levi is not the only young, inexpensive goalie looking for a new home potentially available. Detroit first rounder Sebastian Cossa is being shopped by the Red Wings.
Levi has another year remaining on a two-year bridge deal making $812,500, and their will likely be a number of clubs looking for a tandem or backup goalie this summer, but unless Kekalainen includes Levi as part of a package in a larger deal, it is likely thar the once prized prospect will bring back as good of a return as once expected.
He just did not want to lose a new phone in the process.
The Knicks forward explained Monday night during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” what happened during his viral Instagram Live from the locker room celebration after the franchise won the NBA championship on Saturday night.
“But then they were spraying the champagne, and I just got that phone. I didn’t want the phone to get messed up, so I was like, let’s turn this off, and I didn’t know how to do it.”
During the original stream, Anunoby could be heard repeatedly asking how to end the video before the clip cut out after roughly 25 seconds.
The explanation got a laugh from Fallon and his Knicks teammates, who were on the show as part of the team’s post-title media tour.
Anunoby said someone eventually took the phone and helped him turn off the stream.
The moment quickly became one of the funnier scenes from the Knicks’ championship celebration, partly because of how calmly Anunoby appeared to panic while the rest of the locker room was in full party mode.
It also fit the forward’s low-key reputation.
OG Anunoby accidentally went live on Instagram in the Knicks locker room following their NBA Finals title win over the Spurs on Saturday night. X @ballwithze
Anunoby has become a fan favorite in New York not only for his defense and clutch postseason moments, but also for his dry personality and understated postgame interviews.
His defining moment in Game 4, when he tipped in the winning shot at Madison Square Garden to give the Knicks a commanding 3-1 series lead.
But amid all the champagne and chaos after Game 5, Anunoby had a more immediate concern.
He had meant to bring fans inside the celebration.
Anunoby just had no idea how to get out of it before his new phone got soaked.
Karl-Anthony Towns shared his first NBA title with Knicks legend Patrick Ewing.
The two met on the Frost Bank Center court in San Antonio after New York won Game 5 because Towns said he knew how much the Knicks’ first championship in 53 years meant to Ewing, a legend of the team.
“It was so amazing to see how this win healed so many people in New York, fan-wise and even to the alumni, and Patrick,” Towns said on “The Howard Stern Show” on Tuesday.
“When I hugged Patrick, it was like he finally was able to exhale and see a trophy in a Knicks jersey.”
Patrick Ewing and Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks celebrate after Game 5 of the NBA Finals. NBAE via Getty Images
Ewing spent 15 seasons with the Knicks and made the playoffs 13 times and the Finals twice.
He was one win away from beating the Rockets in 1994, but the Knicks lost Games 6 and 7. In 1999, he was similarly close but tore his Achilles tendon in the Eastern Conference finals and missed the championship series, which the Spurs eventually won.
.@KarlTowns describes the powerful post-game embrace he shared with @nyknicks legend Patrick Ewing after bringing a title back to New York: “When I hugged Patrick it was like he was finally able to exhale.” pic.twitter.com/4TkX2MGHk0
“To finally be able to see that Larry O’Brien in [Ewing’s] hands and not in Michael Jordan’s and all these other people’s hands, I mean, there was just so much healing that I was stunned,” Towns added.
“I didn’t realize how impactful it really is, and I still honestly don’t think I understand the true magnitude of what we’ve done.”
Patrick Ewing and Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks celebrate after winning the NBA Finals. NBAE via Getty ImagesPatrick Ewing celebrates after the Knicks became the 2026 NBA Finals champions. Jason Szenes for NY Post
Towns was born in Edison, New Jersey, about 30 miles from New York City, and grew up a Knicks fan due to Jeremy Lin.
He said it meant a lot to him to see the impact the win had on the fans and to be a part of a memory the kids in New York will carry with them.
“You never realize a little kid watched the Knicks play, win a championship with his father, and now he’s the one with his son celebrating the same moment that him and his father,” Towns said.
Every game of the 2026 NBA Finals was a nail-biter.
And the television ratings reflected as such.
The Knicks-Spurs series was the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998 — the last gasp of the Michael Jordan Bulls dynasty — by averaging 20.6 million viewers across the five games, ESPN said in a statement on Tuesday.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) goes up for a shot pass San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals. Jason Szenes for NY Post
The Finals, the highest-rated ABC has had, saw a 100 percent increase in viewership over the 2025 seven-game series between the Thunder and Pacers. This year’s Finals was also the top program on TV each day.
On top of all the macro-level data, Game 5 averaged 24.5 million viewers and peaked at 33 million, becoming the most-watched Game 5 since the 1998 Finals.
The Knicks celebrate after defeating the Spurs to win the NBA championship.
Charles Wenzelberg / NY Post
The peak viewership of Game 5 reached nearly 10 million more people than the Knicks’ epic 29-point comeback in Game 4, which had a viewership high of 23.2 million.
The celebration hasn’t ended, however, as Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to make an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” on Tuesday before New York City hosts a parade up the Canyon of Heroes on Thursday morning. The parade is expected to use an eye-popping 1.25 tons of confetti.
May 22, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
You gotta salivate over games like this. The Yankees are back home after a successful 5-1 road trip, claiming sole possession of first place in the AL East along the way. Gerrit Cole has looked strong in his return from Tommy John surgery, and the increasingly-wily veteran will go up against one of the game’s best, if little-known, right-handers as the resurgent Chicago White Sox send Davis Martin to the hill to open this three-game series in the Bronx.
Martin, 29, has broken out this season, already putting up three wins by fWAR. He doesn’t sit batters down at that remarkable a rate, but he’s awful hard to work a walk against — just 5.4 percent of batters faced have managed it this year. He throws the best changeup this side of Cristopher Sánchez, along with three different fastballs that, like Cam Schlittler, means most of his offerings end up in the zone. You’re only going to get on against Martin by hitting, so no point in keeping the bat on your shoulder tonight.
Cole has been great by ERA, and that three-homer game against the Guardians a couple weeks ago has skewed his FIP in a way I expect to normalize, if not to the tune of 2.45. He’s much craftier than the Cole we knew at signing, and I’m a little worried at how much of the contact he’s allowed has been in the air so far — a 30.2 percent groundball rate is the lowest of his career. Still, as long as the runs aren’t crossing the plate, he’s as reliable as he’s always been.
The only real note on the lineup today is the move of Cody Bellinger up to the second slot, commonly seen in this era as where the best hitter hits for most teams. Ben Rice leads off, looking to capitalize on a big weekend in Toronto after killing too many worms there for a stretch. Jasson Domínguez is on the bench after getting a tooth pulled. Painful.
The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James appear to be working on a reunion.
According to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, the Lakers and James are actively negotiating a new contract that would bring the NBA’s all-time leading scorer back to Los Angeles for a record-setting 24th season.
Speaking Tuesday on ESPN Cleveland, Windhorst said the expectation around the league remains that both sides will ultimately reach an agreement, though the next two weeks could prove critical as free agency approaches.
“I think LeBron’s intention is to play,” Windhorst said. “And I think the focus right now is making a deal with the Lakers. Right now he’s allowed to negotiate with the Lakers and I believe they are negotiating. I believe they are going back and forth.”
LeBron has been vacationing in Europe for the last few weeks.
"I think the focus right now is making a deal with the Lakers. Right now he's allowed to negotiate with the Lakers and I believe they are negotiating, I believe they're going back and forth," – @WindhorstESPN on LeBron's future. pic.twitter.com/7YT5DIlXc3
LeBron has been vacationing in Europe for the last few weeks. Getty Images
Windhorst added that the structure and value of a potential deal could be influenced by what Los Angeles hopes to accomplish in free agency. If negotiations stall, teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers could become serious contenders for James’ services. Still, the prevailing belief around the NBA is that a reunion in purple and gold remains the most likely outcome.
The partnership has already become one of the most successful eras in franchise history.
Since signing with the Lakers during the summer of 2018, James has transformed the organization from a rebuilding team into a perennial contender. He delivered the franchise’s 17th NBA championship in 2020, earned Finals MVP honors and helped restore relevance to one of the league’s most iconic brands.
If negotiations stall, teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers could become serious contenders for James’ services. NBAE via Getty ImagesSince signing with the Lakers during the summer of 2018, James has transformed the organization from a rebuilding team into a perennial contender. Getty Images
In eight seasons with Los Angeles, James has appeared in more than 500 games (including playoffs) and is averaging 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. He became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in a Lakers uniform and helped lead them to a first-round upset over the Houston Rockets in the 2026 NBA Playoffs without L.A.’s top two leading scorers in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Now, with Doncic positioned as the franchise’s future, the Lakers are trying to ensure James remains part of its present. The clock is ticking toward free agency, but all signs point toward both sides finding common ground and extending one of the most significant partnerships in modern NBA history.
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Aug 31, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A general view of Fenway Park as workers prepare for a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
We get a slightly earlier start than normal, which would have been good to know before I went for a workout.
In earning their first NBA title in 53 years, the New York Knicks gifted the league and ABC the biggest TV turnout since Michael Jordan celebrated his final championship in 1998.
According to Nielsen Big Data + Panel estimates, the Knicks’ five-game defeat of the favored San Antonio Spurs averaged 20.6 million viewers per night, making this year’s installment of the Finals the most-watched since the Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz in six games. Over the course of what would prove to be Jordan’s sixth and final NBA Finals triumph, NBC 28 years ago averaged a record-high 29 million viewers.
The Knicks’ historic victory doubled the TV turnout from a year ago, when ABC averaged 10.2 million viewers per broadcast.
Game 5, in which the Knicks once again demonstrated that no Spurs lead was ever safe, served up 24.54 million viewers on ABC Saturday night, peaking at 33 million as the clock ran out at Frost Bank Center. That edged ABC and ESPN’s combined deliveries for Game 3, which boasted 23.79 million viewers.
While the NBA Finals enjoyed a bit of a boost by way of Nielsen’s upgrade to its ratings measurement scheme, the Knicks-Spurs series likely would have been the most-watched since at least 2017 without the currency lift. That five-game Warriors-Cavs outing averaged 20.4 million viewers per game and now stands as ABC’s second most-watched title tilt since it resumed airing the best-of-seven series in 2003.
Per Nielsen, Knicks-Spurs now stands as the NBA’s ninth most-watched Finals since the People Meter era began in 1988.
Comparisons to past years are also skewed by Nielsen’s addition of out-of-home estimates to its national TV sample in fall 2020. Since the OOH numbers were officially incorporated into the vanilla TV numbers, live sports have been the primary beneficiary of viewing in bars, restaurants and other public (and not-so-public) venues. Nielsen also tallies impressions served up within the comfort of other people’s homes; since the initial rollout six years ago, the company has since expanded its OOH coverage to 100% of its markets in the lower 48 states.
The impact of OOH deliveries may be obliquely apprehended by way of comparing the household ratings from the final days of NBC’s previous stewardship of the NBA Finals to this month’s numbers. The aforementioned Bulls-Jazz set averaged an 18.7 household rating, with 33% of all TVs in use at the time of the live broadcasts tuned into NBC. The Knicks-Spurs series averaged a 10.0 HH rating.
In other words, while ABC’s average deliveries were off 29% compared to NBC’s 1998 average, its household rating was off by nearly half (-47%). That OOH has had such a demonstrable impact on live-sports impressions is particularly noteworthy, as it was former ESPN ad sales chief Ed Erhardt who brokered the very first OOH deal with a media-buying agency—and in so doing, kicked open the door to a long overlooked subset of fans.
In 2018, Rita Ferro succeeded the retiring Erhardt as the ESPN sales boss under a new title (president, Disney ad sales). Last year, Ferro’s team generated $4.44 billion in ad sales at the sports unit alone, as the ESPN unit raked in $10.8 billion in total revenue.
While Disney’s NBA sales numbers are still being tallied, media buyers expect data to show that this year’s series blew past the $288 million in advertising ABC captured with the seven-game Pacers-Thunder Finals in 2025. Scatter rates for Game 5 were said to have reached up to $1.4 million per 30-second unit, while spots secured in the 2025-26 upfront bazaar came in at around $850,000 a pop over the length of the series.
As a bonus, Disney gets to keep all the ad money it took in during the Finals, as not a single compensatory makegood unit had to be put into service to placate advertisers.
The massive crowds whipped up by the Knicks and Spurs effectively guarantees that three NBA games will land on the list of the 100 most-watched broadcasts of 2026. The last time an NBA broadcast earned a place in that lineup was in 2019, when Games 5 and 6 of the Raptors-Warriors series broke the 18.3 million-viewer mark.
Running back Breece Hall is in New Jersey for the Jets' minicamp this week, but he took some time out of preparing for the 2026 season by taking a trip to San Antonio for Game 5 of the NBA Finals last weekend.
Hall was in the building to watch the Knicks end a 53-year title drought with a 94-90 win that sealed a 4-1 series win over the Spurs. The Jets have an even longer title drought to go along with their current 15-season streak of missing the playoffs, which led Hall to express some envy about what the Knicks were able to experience this season.
“I congratulated them and I was just like, I can’t wait to have that feeling,” Hall said, via Dennis Waszak of the Associated Press. “So, definitely positive jealousy because it’s like, damn, I want my team to be able to do that as well. It was definitely very cool to see.”
The Knicks will be celebrated at a parade in Lower Manhattan on Thursday and Hall will have plenty of company among Jets players and fans fantasizing about finding themselves in the same place at some point in the future.
The scoreboard ahead of an NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers, at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California, 16th December 1990. Aside from the teams and adverts, the screen reads 'You Game Announcer Lawrence Tanter'; the Lakers won the game 112-115. (Photo by Bongarts/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the staples of the Lakers over the last four decades has been legendary PA announcer Lawrence Tanter. However, a new voice will echo through Crypto.com Arena moving forward.
On Tuesday, the Lakers announced that Tanter would be moving to the role of Special Advisor for Game Presentation, stepping down from his PA announcer position.
The team’s statement included a quote from Jeanie Buss:
“Lawrence Tanter has been an integral part of the Lakers gameday experience for more than four decades, setting the tone for countless memorable moments with his professionalism, energy and signature booming voice. Since the 1980s, LT has narrated every chapter of Lakers basketball, connecting generations of fans, players, coaches and staff while becoming a trusted and unforgettable part of the Lakers experience. I am incredibly grateful for everything he has given to this franchise.”
Tanter did not serve as the team’s PA announcer during the playoffs. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, that came after he suffered a stroke in March.
Tanter suffered a stroke in March, sources told ESPN, causing him to miss the Lakers’ last six home games of the regular season, plus the playoffs. Tanter continues to rehab from the health setback, sources said. Jason Barquero, the P.A. announcer for the Lakers’ G League affiliate, finished the season in Tanter’s absence.
Tanter began his time as the PA announcer in 1982 and has been the constant, booming voice in The Forum and Staples Center throughout the years. Even in 2020, Tanter recorded introductions to play in the playoffs to provide a needed sense of normalcy for fans.
The team has not announced a successor.
Speaking on behalf of all Lakers fans, here’s to the best for Tanter in life after the Lakers. Home games won’t be the same without him around.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 15: Royals shortstop Bobby Witt, Jr. (7) waits for a pitch while fielding in front of the royal blue digital scoreboard behind him during the Kansas City Royals versus Washington Nationals Major League Baseball (MLB) game on June 15, 2026 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Royals are at the point in the season where it’s only the sickos who are watching on random Tuesday weeknights, especially when there’s also a World Cup game in Kansas City the same evening. If any bandwagon fans are left, I question your judgement—unless you’re really, really bored.
In any case, we welcome you, no matter your fandom history. It’s another interleague game against the Washington Nationals. Thankfully, the Royals have been able to score some runs over the last week or so. Even if they lose, there are at least some moments of baseball joy.
Tonight, it’s Michael Wacha on the mound against the Nationals, who are starting old friend Foster Griffin. I’m so happy Griffin is back in the big leagues—I remember him finally getting to the big leagues in 2020 only for him to get hurt in his very first appearance.
