Trae Young staying in Washington for too long isn’t a sure thing.
The former Hawks guard has declined his $48.97 million player option to become a free agent, according to Andscape’s Marc Spears. It cannot be officially announced until Monday.
Washington is still seen as the leader to sign the point guard even as multiple teams are expected to show interest, according to ESPN. Young expected max-contract interest from his suitors, Spears reported.
Trae Young passes the ball in the third quarter of the Wizards’ 125-117 loss to the Warriors at Capital One Arena on March 16, 2026 in Washington. Getty Images
Young is most notably known for his time with the Hawks, the team that drafted him fifth overall in 2018. The guard spent eight years with the franchise and led the Hawks during three playoff runs.
The furthest the team went was the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, where they eventually lost to the championship-winning Milwaukee Bucks. Young became a Madison Square Garden villians during that run as the Hawks needed just five games to beat the Knicks in the first round.
In the 2024-2025 season, Young led the NBA, averaging 11.6 assists per game. But that season was his last full one in Atlanta. When the 2025 season came around, the guard sprained his right MCL in the fall and missed 22 games.
He averaged only 19.3 points per game, his second-lowest mark other than his rookie season. That led to the Hawks trading him to the Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. He played just five games for Washington because of injuries.
The deal worked out for both teams: Washington grabbed a star player to help in their rebuild, while the Hawks still made the playoffs before losing to the Knicks in the first round.
Trae Young on the Wizards. NBAE via Getty Images
But now Washington has no guarantee of keeping Young. The Wizards also have another aging star in Anthony Davis, which could lead to a quick rebuild with Washington owning the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Wizrds could land a star like BYU forward AJ Dybansta or Kansas wing Darryn Peterson to join other promising youngsters, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson.
Free agency negotiations in the NBA begin on June 30.
Jun 17, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners designated hitter Dominic Canzone (8) hits a RBI single against the Baltimore Orioles during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Orioles 5, Mariners 3
Back-to-back solo shots in the ninth: Dominic Canzone, +.15 WPA
NEW YORK (AP) — New York is celebrating the Knicks in classic style Thursday, throwing a ticker-tape parade for the team that brought home the NBA championship longed for by generations of fans.
The Knicks' victory — after a 53-year drought - has electrified New Yorkers, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani has predicted that Thursday’s parade might be one of the biggest in the city's history.
The mere fact that it's happening is historic in itself. Although the Knicks won the championship twice in the 1970s, the city didn't host a parade for them either time. Then-Mayor John Lindsay had cut down on ticker-tape extravaganzas for financial and other reasons, and he instead honored the Knicks at a 1970 reception at the mayoral mansion and a jampacked 1973 ceremony outside City Hall.
This time, the city is going all out.
“There will be performances, there will be New Yorkers, there will be the team and there will be history,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday.
The parade is set to start at 10 a.m. Thursday near Battery Park and head up Broadway on the skyscraper-flanked route dubbed the "Canyon of Heroes.” The procession is to end at City Hall, where the players are to get another traditional tribute: keys to the city.
Knicks legends Walt “Clyde” Frazier — a member of the ’70s champion teams — and Patrick Ewing are expected to participate in the parade, according to a person familiar with the plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the details before they were publicly announced. The person said Mike Breen, the Knicks’ play-by-play announcer on MSG Network, was set to emcee the City Hall ceremony.
Alicia Keys, the singer who collaborated with Jay-Z on the New York-loving 2009 hit “Empire State of Mind,” has been tapped to perform.
“How could I not?” Keys said Wednesday in a social media video that featured her on the phone with Knicks forward OG Anunoby.
Police plan to deploy 10,000 officers to secure the event, which follows ebullient but sometimes chaotic street celebrations and some violence during the Knicks' run to victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
“We want people to enjoy this moment,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a planning meeting Wednesday, “but public safety comes first.”
Some 650 sanitation workers have been assigned to clean up what could be tens of thousands of pounds (kilograms) of debris, if recent history is any guide.
Ticker-tape parades derive their name from the narrow strips of paper used by telegraph-era “stock ticker” machines. New York brokerage firm workers took to tossing the paper out their office windows during parades in the late 19th century, adding a swirling aerial spectacle to the festivities.
Over the years, especially up to the mid-1960s, the city rolled out ticker-tape parades to honor visiting foreign leaders, mark historic anniversaries and hail feats in aviation, war, sports, music, space travel and more.
The Knicks' parade will be the 210th, and it comes after a ticker-tape bash for the WNBA's New York Liberty in 2024.
___
AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed from Southampton, New York.
Considering how it looked in the moment, George Lombard Jr. may have avoided the worst.
The Yankees’ top prospect “sprained a couple fingers” on his left hand, a team spokesman said Wednesday night, a day after Lombard left Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s game after jamming his left hand into a base stealer while covering second base.
Access the Yankees beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.
Lombard underwent tests Wednesday that came back negative, though it remains to be seen how long the sprained fingers will sideline him.
The 21-year-old shortstop is hitting .231 with a .765 OPS and eight steals through 42 games at Triple-A, though he has been better of late after a slow start following an early-season promotion from Double-A.
Lombard has a chance to play his way into the Yankees’ plans this season depending on how he performs.
The organization already believes he is big league-ready defensively — he has also mixed in third base and second base — but the question will be whether he can hit consistently enough to arrive in The Bronx this year.
George Lombard Jr., running the bases during a Triple-A game earlier this season, “sprained a couple fingers” after jamming his left hand into a base stealer while covering second base during Tuesday’s game. Arthur Mansavage for New York Post
Of course, that also depends on how José Caballero and Anthony Volpe handle splitting shortstop duties for the Yankees.
After throwing all of his pitches “with good intensity” Tuesday in his first full bullpen session since going on the injured list with a left elbow bone bruise last month, Max Fried reported feeling good Wednesday, the latest positive sign in his comeback.
The left-hander will still need to show improved healing in his elbow before he is cleared to fully ramp up towards a return, but assuming he continues to bounce back well in the coming days, Fried will throw another bullpen session this weekend.
“Just talking to him today, he said, ‘I felt great during it and then feel good coming into today,’ ” manager Aaron Boone said. “So it’s been encouraging, really every step of the way, since even the couple days after the Baltimore start when he went on the IL. He’s responded well to everything, which I’m hoping is a really good sign for him and for us long-term.”
Yankees Merch Shop
WinCraft insulated can coolers
Team Effort driver head cover
47 Brand adjustable cap
Customizable jersey
Logo fleece blanket
14-ounce sculpted relief coffee mug
New York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase.
Austin Wells (cervical headaches) came through his first rehab game Tuesday without issue and was scheduled to start at catcher again Wednesday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before its game got rained out.
Facing White Sox lefty Anthony Kay (who had drastic left/right splits) on Wednesday, Boone started Caballero in left field, Cody Bellinger in center field and Jasson Domínguez in right field.
Bellinger moving to center for a day opened up left field for Domínguez, but instead Boone opted to keep him in his new home in right to get him a steady dose of reps there to see if it can work moving forward.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 17: Injured Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) in the dugout during the MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves on June 17th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As Ha-Seong Kim has been perhaps the worst player to play as much as he has in baseball this season, Walt Weiss made a number of changes including Matt Olson playing right field to avoid Kim hitting in the eighth. Kim’s performance and Weiss’ clear lack of faith in the Korean makes it fair to wonder if he will make it all season on the roster the way things are going, much less receiving regular playing time. He has been a catastrophe at the plate and not much better in the field. While I do think it remains a worthwhile contract to hand out in the offseason, it has gone about as poorly as possible, starting with his offseason injury.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 17: San Francisco pitcher Carson Whisenhunt (88) pitches during the MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves on June 17th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For a while now, Carson Whisenhunt has been targeted as a key part of San Francisco’s second-half rotation. It’s been quite a long time since anyone who isn’t employed by the Giants thought the team could make a competitive run this year, and as the season becomes more and more fleshed out — and the deadline grows ever closer — even the Giants are forced to reckon with reality.
Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahle, respected veterans who represent 40% of the team’s Opening Day rotation, will almost surely be traded, even as they slog through difficult seasons. Adrian Houser will be dangled, with Buster Posey hoping he’s not the only person on the planet who thought the mediocre veteran deserved a multi-year deal.
Add in the recent struggles of Trevor McDonald, who has temporarily stolen Mahle’s spot, and the picture couldn’t be any clearer: sooner or later, Whisenhunt will find himself slotted into the rotation, with a leash of indefinite length as the team shifts their focus to 2027.
Wednesday offered a sneak peak of that future. It may have also accelerated the timeline.
After Tuesday’s game was postponed in the second inning — meaning the starting pitcher, Houser, was limited to just one inning — the Giants needed to cover 17 innings on Wednesday. They learned from their mistake during the season’s first doubleheader, when they called up McDonald to be the allotted 27th man, but never used him, opting instead for a bullpen game and the scheduled starter. This time, Ray — initially scheduled to start the evening game — was pushed up to the early afternoon, to cover the rest of the series opener, which he did brilliantly. And Whisenhunt was brought up for his season debut, and handed the steering wheel for the full-length evening game.
He wasn’t excellent, but he was very good, which is more than Mahle and Houser can claim at virtually any point this season, and more than Ray can claim for most of it. And with that, Posey, Zack Minasian, and Tony Vitello have a decision on their hands. The Giants are 16.5 games out of the division lead, and 7.5 games out of the third wild card, while at no point looking like a competent baseball team (on or off the field, sadly). How can Whisenhunt return to Sacramento, where he’s already spent more than 280 innings honing his craft? How, after the way he pitched on Wednesday?
It was hairy at the start, admittedly. He fell behind 3-0 to the leadoff hitter, former Giant Mauricio Dubón, and eventually issued a walk to him. With two outs, he allowed a single to Ozzie Albies. It took him 21 pitches to get through the inning — efficiency has been a struggle for him this year — and even at that, it came with a scare, when Austin Riley’s third-out fly ball died at the warning track.
The second inning offered more of the same. Seen through one lens, Whisenhunt wasn’t at his sharpest, as he worked through a leadoff single and a one-out walk, throwing 18 pitches and once again escaping when the final out — a fly ball from Dubón that traveled 376 feet — died on the track. Seen through another lens, he showed his mettle, and was unfazed by danger from a great team. He looked like he’d been there before. He looked like he was never worried.
After those two stressful innings, Whisenhunt settled right in. He needed just seven pitches to cruise through the heart of Atlanta’s order in the third, striking out Drake Baldwin on three pitches, working a mild grounder from Matt Olson, and getting the laziest of fly balls from Albies. He gave up a leadoff single in the fourth, then retired the next three batters on eight pitches. He set down the side in order in the fifth inning.
It helps, of course, when your offense gives you a cushion, and the Giants did exactly that. They once again struck in the first inning — what a lovely sight — albeit with a little help from the Braves. Luis Arráez, who had drawn a leadoff walk, attempted to steal second on what would be strike three — and out No. 2 — to Matt Chapman. The thrown from Sandy León was excellent, and easily beat Arráez, save for one little issue: Albies forgot to catch the ball.
With that, life was gifted to the Giants, who did what good teams do in such situations: take advantage. Rafael Devers slapped a double the other way, scoring a run and keeping the line moving. That would be the only run of the inning, but it helped push rookie JR Ritchie’s pitch count up to 27.
It was the second inning where the Giants gave Whisenhunt a big enough lead that he would have no problem protecting it. It began when Willy Adames, who had homered in the first game, went deep on the second pitch of the inning, hitting a majestic shot exactly 400 feet.
But that was just the start. After a strange sequence — Casey Schmitt singled, Drew Gilbert replaced him on a fielder’s choice, and then Gilbert was thrown out stealing second on a play where it looked like he was only half-heartedly trying to steal the base — a new rally was started when Eric Haase drew a walk.
What followed could not have been predicted: Arráez, who has a reputation for both not hitting home runs and not swinging at the first pitch, swung at the first pitch … and hit a no-doubt home run, just the 39th of his eight-year career.
But if Arráez’s home run was a shocker, Bryce Eldridge’s was not. For the second time on the day, Giants lefties went back-to-back (in the first game it was Devers and Jung Hoo Lee), and with that, the game was broken open.
That was all the scoring the Giants would do until the ninth inning, when they scored a few desperately needed insurance runs. Whisenhunt had stayed in for the sixth inning, but given up three straight singles to open the frame, scoring a run and putting an Atlanta rally firmly in full force. JT Brubaker relieved the youngster and allowed one of the inherited runs to score (Whisenhunt’s final line: five innings, six hits, two walks, two runs, and two strikeouts), before getting out of the inning. The Giants continued with the drawing-headlines-for-the-wrong-reasons relief group, with Sam Hentges and Ryan Walker combining to pitch scoreless seventh and eighth innings, giving San Francisco a 5-2 lead into the ninth.
That’s where they added on, with a familiar man in the middle of it: Arráez. It was a small ball rally at the back of the lineup, with Schmitt knocking a leadoff single. He was then replaced by Jonah Cox, who promptly stole second … a move that was impressive, but ultimately meaningless, as Gilbert was immediately hit by a pitch. After Haase moved both runners over with a delightful bunt, Arráez brought them home with an opposite-field single … the quintessential Arráez hit.
It turned out to be a pretty critical one, too. The Giants had pushed their lead from three runs to five, which was mighty important when they proceeded to give up three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Matt Gage, who was activated off the Injured List in between the games, didn’t have his sharpest stuff. He ceded a one-out double to Jair Camargo (the first hit of his career), and then, after having two deep fly balls die on the track, Dubón finally pushed one over the fence for a two-run blast.
Back-to-back singles by Baldwin and Olson brought the tying run to the plate, and knocked Gage out of the game. In came the unlikely hero, Tristan Beck. He let one of the inherited runners score on a wild pitch, but induced a weak grounder from Albies, before striking out Riley to end the game, and granting the Giants a 7-5 victory.
The Giants haven’t had a lot of good days lately, but Wednesday was certainly one. A dominant showing from Ray, followed by an encouraging peak to the future with Whisenhunt. Six home runs on the day. Two wins against one of the best teams in baseball.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: New York Knicks owner James Dolan and president Leon Rose celebrate behind the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after their team defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s hard to truly be a buzzkill the day before a championship parade 53 years in the making, but James Dolan really seems to be trying his hardest.
In an interview with WFAN’s Craig Carton on Wednesday afternoon, the Knicks’ owner, who had gained a nice PR boost after his 15-minute speech to the Knicks in April was leaked, said a couple of things that’ll rub people the wrong way. While one isn’t basketball-related, this one is.
"There's certain things in the NBA that you'd have to be suicidal to do. One of them is the second apron. Cannot go into the second apron. I'll write as big of a check as possible, but I can't write a check that goes into the second apron."
This wasn’t a suggestion of any sort. It truly sounded like an edict from the man who’s cutting the checks.
As you can find out more from our salary cap explainer, which will continuously be updated, this is major news for the Knicks’ roster building as they look to defend their championship in 2026-27. The Knicks currently have nine players rostered (including Jose Alvarado’s $4.5 million player option) and under $17 million in space beneath the second apron.
With five mandatory spots to fill and a projected veteran minimum cap hit of $2,457,000 for next season, the Knicks will only have $4.63 million extra to play with outside of exclusively using the vet min. If the Knicks make their pick at No. 24, that pick holds a $3.325 million cap hit, so it’ll be more like $3.77 million.
In essence, this essentially means that both Landry Shamet and Mitchell Robinson have likely played their last games as a Knick, if Dolan’s word is to be believed. The Knicks are legally able to retain both for their likely market value, but would have to exceed the second apron to do so. In late May, ESPN reported that both were likely to return, so this might be a case of the front office wanting one thing and ownership wanting another.
As reigning champions, the Knicks do have an advantage in that they’ll likely have veterans lining up for “ring-chasing discounts”, so they shouldn’t have a hard time reworking the bench around tight cap parameters, especially considering they’d be able to use at least part of the taxpayer mid-level exception in the scenario they do not exceed the second apron.
If there’s any solace in this, it’s that the Knicks will have an easier time retaining rookie wing Mo Diawara, who will be a restricted free agent. Due to the weird circumstances surrounding his contract, the Knicks are legally able to match any offer sheet, but they would have to dip into their MLE to do so, which would trigger a second apron hard cap.
This means that, if someone (ahem, Brooklyn) offered Diawara a big enough deal that he would sign an offer sheet, the Knicks would have to choose between him and retaining other key free agents to exceed the second apron. Now, it’s entirely possible that NBA teams don’t view his potential in the way we’re all drooling over and he re-signs on an effective vet min, but it’s a possibility that needs to be accounted for.
Ultimately, despite it coming from the man in charge, I wouldn’t totally rule out the Knicks exceeding the second apron in 2026-27.
Why? I don’t exactly think Dolan has all the facts memorized about the aprons, especially considering we’ve already heard through the grapevine of the front office’s long-term plan of a four-year window since the KAT trade.
The penalties for being in the second apron for one year are as follows:
Not able to use the MLE
Not able to aggregate salaries in a trade
Not able to send out cash in a trade
Not able to utilize a sign-and-trade
Not able to use a trade exception
First-round draft pick in seven years (2033) is frozen and unable to be traded
The Knicks have been hard-capped at the second apron over the last two seasons because they utilized some of these. They aggregated salaries to acquire Mikal Bridges and used the mid-level exception to sign Guerschon Yabusele. That hard cap is immediately removed once the next league year begins.
So, sure, while it would suck to not be able to use the MLE, aggregate salaries in a trade, or use the 2033 pick in a trade, it would be worth it to retain a championship roster. So why is Dolan so afraid of the second apron?
If a team spends three years in the second apron in five years, the frozen draft pick is pushed to No. 30 in the draft, regardless of what record the team finishes with. As you might guess, that’s a built-in hard cap for teams because of the risk. By then, the Knicks could be in a total rebuild and wouldn’t have anything to build off of.
But the keyword is three. One year in the second apron doesn’t change that.
Is it luxury tax-related? Well, sure. If the Knicks run a payroll that high, Dolan could pay up to $90 million in luxury taxes, depending on how much the team exceeds it by. For a guy who’s paid the most luxury taxes in NBA history (including a bunch for horrendous teams), this isn’t ridiculous to keep together a champion.
But starting in 2027-28, the Knicks will be in the repeater tac, which will likely doom Dolan to spending nine figures in the luxury tax regardless of whether he’s in the second apron, but it’s not plausible for the Knicks to duck the tax this year, so this should be treated as an unfortunate inevitability.
Ultimately, we’ll know sooner than later if the head honcho’s word is bond. It would just be very hard to replicate the team’s success without paying up to retain it.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 17: Sterlin Thompson #30 of the Colorado Rockies slides into second base for a double in the seventh inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Griffin Quinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Despite a valiant comeback effort fueled by four home runs, the Colorado Rockies couldn’t overcome a disastrous second inning by the Chicago Cubs as they dropped the series finale 8-6 to lose the series. They finish their road trip with a 2-4 record.
A mixed night for Sean Sullivan
After an impressive, albeit short, outing for his Major League debut, the Rockies hoped to see more of Sean Sullivan in his second start.
The night started promisingly as Sullivan allowed just one walk as he faced four batters and retired the side on 12 pitches. The top of the Cubs’ order looked off balance as he continued to be deceptive. However, the second inning proved to be a nightmare for the young lefty.
Alex Bregman led off the inning with a walk. Ian Happ blooped a single to right field that fell perfectly in a spot that no fielder could cover. Matt Shaw then tripled to center field to get the Cubs on the board with an early 2-0 lead. An RBI double from Carson Kelly followed to make it 3-0. The struggling Dansby Swanson then stepped up to the plate and hit a fly ball to left field that the wind pushed out for a two-run home run to make it 5-0 and complete the team cycle in the inning.
Sullivan finally got the first out of the inning by getting Pete Crow-Armstrong out on a fly ball. The Cubs remained aggressive as Nico Hoerner singled to right field, followed by Seiya Suzuki’s RBI double to make it 6-0. Michael Busch then singled to put runners on the corners, and Bregman flew out to left field for the second out of the inning to drive in a run and make it 7-0. Happ flew out to right field to end the inning. By the end, Sullivan had thrown 42 pitches in the inning alone.
He rebounded nicely in the third inning with back-to-back strikeouts and a borderline catch by Tyler Freeman in right field. Sullivan then allowed a lead-off home run to PCA in the fourth inning that held up after a lengthy review by the umpire crew to make it 8-1, and then got through the inning without further damage.
His night ended after four innings, allowing eight runs on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He pounded the zone, throwing 56-of-82 pitches for strikes, but he managed just two swing and misses. It was a start reminiscent of Sullivan’s starts in Tripe-A Albuquerque, where the margin of error isn’t large, leading to one ugly inning surrounded by a lot of things to like about him. He’ll likely get another start next week, this time at Coors Field against the Boston Red Sox.
“He got behind in counts and had to come over the plate with his heater,” said manager Warren Schaeffer. “But he came back out and got 1-2-3 in the third and got us through four innings. He knuckled down and did what he had to.”
Sterlin Silver
The Rockies weren’t quite as successful against Cubs starter Javier Assad as they managed just two runs on five hits (more on that in a second) while also striking out just once with no walks. Assad managed an even split of groundouts and flyouts with six apiece while he threw 56 strikeouts of his 92 pitches.
Sterlin Thompson had quite the night as he was the Rockies’ main proprietor of offense for most of the game. In his first at-bat, he collected his first career home run by sending a ball the opposite way to get the Rockies on the board.
The Rockies threatened with a couple other runners following the home run but nothing came of it. As Thompson stepped up to the plate in the fifth inning, he turned on a ball to right-center field for his second home run of the game to make it 8-2.
He added a two-out double in the top of the seventh but struck out in the ninth to end up going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. He became the first rookie in Rockies history to have a multi-home run game at Wrigley Field.
Zach Agnos steadies the ship
After Sullivan managed to grind through four innings, the Rockies turned to Zach Agnos with the hopes of getting a few good innings out of him. Despite the mixed-bag of results on the year, Agnos did exactly what they wanted him to do.
Of course, no pitcher is expected to do it all by himself, and Agnos was the beneficiary of some help from his defense in his first inning of work. Happ led off the inning with a double to right to bring Shaw up to the plate. Agnos managed to get him to fly out deep to center field, where Cole Carrigg made the catch. Happ tagged up and tried to move up 90 feet, but Carrigg fired a laser to third base to cut him down for a double-play. The throw came in at 99.8 mph, the fifth-hardest throw by a player in MLB this season.
Agnos closed out the inning and worked around two walks through his next two innings of work. In a game that could have quickly spiraled out of control, Agnos went three innings, allowing just one hit with two walks and two strikeouts.
He gave way to Jimmy Herget in the ninth for his first appearance after being activated from the injured list. The Cubs managed a couple of bunt hits, but he escaped the inning unscathed.
Late game rally
The Rockies’ offense managed to make things a bit more interesting with a rally in the eighth inning against reliever Ethan Roberts. Jake McCarthy led off with a walk and was followed by a Freeman single. Both runners then moved up on a passed ball with TJ Rumfield at the plate. Rumfield grounded out a ball to first base for the first out, which allowed McCarthy to score and make it 8-3.
Hunter Goodman then stepped up to the plate and blasted his 21st home run of the season, 14th on the road, to straightaway center to make the game 8-5. For Goodman, his 21 home runs are the most by a National League catcher before the All-Star break since Javy Lopez hit 23 back in 2003.
The Rockies couldn’t add on in the eighth but tried to build more momentum in the ninth inning. Facing Jacob Webb, Kyle Karros connected on a first-pitch fastball over the heart of the plate for his fourth home run of the season to make it 8-6. Unfortunately, that is all the Rockies could muster as Webb closed it out for the save.
On the night, Colorado had nine hits, including four home runs, while striking out just three times. However, they went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
“The Boys keep fighting, they keep fighting every night,” said Schaeffer about the comeback effort. “It’s no secret, the league has to know that we keep fighting until the end. It’s what we do and I’m proud of them for that.”
Up next
The Rockies head back home to Coors Field for a six-game homestand starting Friday. The Pittsburgh Pirates roll into town first for the weekend with Bubba Chandler (2-7, 4.76 ERA) scheduled to make the start for the Buccos. Kyle Freeland (1-7, 7.98 ERA) will take the pill for the Rockies.
The Padres have arguably one of the most aggressive president of baseball operations in the sport.
A.J. Preller isn’t afraid to take the leap when it comes to Major League Baseball’s trade deadline. Last summer, the Padres made the deal of the deadline when Preller acquired Mason Miller from the Athletics.
Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has earned a reputation for being aggressive during MLB’s trade deadline. USA TODAY Sports
The return package was perhaps the most shocking part of the trade; the Padres sent top prospect Leo De Vries and three other prospects to the Athletics. The move signaled the Padres’ desire to make a deep playoff run, and several insiders believed that would also be the case in 2026.
A few weeks ago, the Padres were considered early favorites to land Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in a blockbuster trade. But San Diego’s slumping offense has given the Skubal speculation reason to pause.
The Padres’ offense ranks last in batting average, OPS, runs and total bases. Though Preller is an aggressive GM, his pursuit of Skubal may be futile if the lineup remains stagnant.
MLB insider Jeff Passan believes the lack of offensive production could hinder the Padres’ deadline plans.
“I think the Padres’ deadline is going to be fascinating this year because when you are in the same league as the Dodgers and the Braves and the Phillies and the Brewers… the National League is stacked. It’s an impressive group of teams. If you’re A.J. Preller and you see the way that your offense has operated this year and you look at the top of your rotation, do you go get Tarik Skubal?” Passan said on “Foul Territory.”
Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is the crown jewel of this summer’s MLB trade deadline. Getty Images
“I think if Ethan Salas is in a trade, at very least, Scott Harris and Detroit, the president of baseball operations there, has to listen because he might potentially be the best prospect that gets offered. But is it worth renting Tarik Skubal for a team like this? A team that has flaws. Or do you look at it and say, you know what, the truth is if we have Tarik Skubal, if we have Michael King, if we have this bullpen, we can go out and beat anybody. But the Padres have mortgaged their farm system so much in recent years.
“I just don’t know if this is the Padres team that’s going to go out and chase.”
For a team like the Padres with offensive flaws, is it worth giving up a haul to rent Tarik Skubal?
Despite winning the deadline last summer, the Padres made an early postseason exit in 2025 with a loss in the wild-card round to the Cubs. As the trade deadline draws closer, it remains to be seen whether Preller will go all in as the Padres’ bats search for answers this summer.
Jun 17, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt (12) smiles at first base after recording his first career hit during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers had the lead right from the jump and never gave it up as they cruised to a 9-4 win over the Cleveland Guardians, giving them a chance to sweep tomorrow.
Christian Yelich led this game off with an opposite-field home run off Gavin Williams, taking a curveball down and away to the Brewers’ bullpen for a 1-0 lead. They weren’t done in that first inning, however. William Contreras and Jake Bauers drew two-out walks, and Sal Frelick drove them both home with a booming double to right-center.
In the second, Cooper Pratt delivered the first hit of his major league career, shooting a single through the right side of the infield.
“I heard the crowd, and it was sick,” Pratt said postgame as he retold the story of his first career hit.
David Hamilton bunted Pratt over, and Yelich drove him in with a single to left center. Yelich would later score on a Brice Turang double, and very quickly it was 5-0 Brewers after two innings.
Meanwhile, Brandon Sproat was cruising along, facing the minimum through three innings. But then he ran into trouble in the fourth, allowing a walk, a single, and another walk to load the bases. He then hung a curveball right down the heart of the plate to Daniel Schneeman, who did not miss it and crushed a grand slam.
A few pitches later, the athletic trainer was coming out to check on Sproat, and he exited the ballgame. The Brewers later said Sproat left with a right hamstring cramp.
“Just a cramp, he’s fine. He’ll be able to make his next start,” Pat Murphy said.
The Brewers’ offense picked him up with some additional insurance runs in the bottom half of the fourth when Jackson Chourio lifted his fourth home run of the homestand and 10th of the year.
Chad Patrick, who came on in relief of Sproat, proceeded to absolutely shove. He struck out seven over 3 1/3 innings and allowed just one hit. It’s been a struggle for Patrick his last few times out, but he made an adjustment to the cutter and found much more success.
The Brewers were able to add some insurance in the eighth inning with singles from Contreras and Frelick, followed by an RBI double from pinch-hitter Andrew Vaughn. Pratt then tallied his first career RBI with a single over the first baseman’s head to make it 9-4.
Grant Anderson closed the door for the Brewers, and they’re now lined up to potentially sweep the Guardians on Thursday afternoon. Shane Drohan will get the start for Milwaukee in that game, with Parker Messick starting for Cleveland in a southpaw-on-southpaw matchup. First pitch is at 1:10 p.m.
One of the premier events of MLB’s All-Star week is ditching the clock and going with a set number of swings instead, The Athletic reported Wednesday.
In the first round, contestants will get 20 swings before going down to 15 in the second and third rounds.
American League’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., of the Blue Jays, holds his trophy after winning the MLB All-Star baseball Home Run Derby in Seattle on July 10, 2023. AP
In a fun twist, hitters will continue to swing if they homer on the final hack in each round until they produce an out.
For example, if a player hits a homer on the 20th swing of the first round, they keep taking swings until they record an out.
The top four finishers of the eight-player pool from the first round will advance to the second round, where the top first-round finisher will face the player with the fewest homers in the first round.
The second and third seeds also will face off to decide the championship matchup.
One of the biggest reasons for the change, according to The Athletic, was the new viewing experience for fans. This year’s derby will be the first on Netflix, and the streamer’s personnel asked for feedback from MLB and players for ways to improve the competition.
Cal Raleigh of the Mariners competes during the Home Run Derby at Truist Park on July 14, 2025 in Atlanta. Getty Images
With the previous structure utilizing a timer, players said they would get tired trying to take as many swings as possible before the clock expired. Players will now have the ability to build drama and anticipation between swings.
The Home Run Derby has undergone several rule and format changes since the event’s introduction in 1985. From that year through 2014, the competition used some form of an outs-based system. In 2015 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, MLB introduced the clock to great fanfare.
Fans will see the newest setup in action in the 2026 Home Run Derby, scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern on July 13 at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.
MTA to keep viral Knicks-themed NYC subway entrance through 2026-2027 NBA season.
The Knicks are going nowhere!
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the viral blue and orange 34th Street subway entrance will be kept as is through the end of next year’s NBA season “to keep the celebration going” after the Knicks’ historic Finals win.
The Madison Square Garden station was repainted in the Knicks’ iconic blue and orange scheme June 1 to honor the New York team’s first finals appearance since 1999.
The 34th Street subway entrance will keep its Knicks theme through the end of the 2026-2027 NBA season. James Messerschmidt for the NY Post
Fans flocked to the station for the perfect photo op, with many telling The Post that the remodel should be permanent.
Hochul appeared to hear the public’s pleas, and Wednesday announced that the station’s decorations will remain through the end of the 2026-2027 NBA season — when the Knicks will defend their coveted title.
Fans flocked to the subway station when it was first repainted on June 1. James Messerschmidt for the NY Post
“As we prepare to immortalize this Knicks team in the Canyon of Heroes tomorrow, it is fitting that we preserve this iconic subway entrance into next season to keep the celebrations going. The subway and the Knicks are two of New York’s most cherished institutions and now fans headed to the Garden to see the reigning champions will receive an orange and blue welcome to every game,” Hochul said.
Oscar-winning director and Knicks megafan Spike Lee flanked Hochul as she made the declaration. Both were decked out in Knicks gear.
“Nothing but orange and blue skies all around us,” Lee said.
The subway station is right outside Madison Square Garden. Courtesy of Xavier Serrano
“New York City will be Fun City again,” he added.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber teased that preserving the themed entrance will boost the “mojo” that led the Knicks to victory.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the preservation will “keep the celebration going.” James Messerschmidt for the NY Post
The “K train” will start operations at 7 a.m. with stops stretching from 168th Street to the World Trade Center.
Thursday’s ticker-tape parade will process down the famed Canyon of Heroes — and is projected to be the city’s largest parade ever. Festivities officially kick off in downtown Manhattan at 10 a.m., but access points will open at least four hours earlier.
Jun 17, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Colorado Rockies right fielder Sterlin Thompson (30) is greeted after hitting a home run against the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
Despite the loss, Colson Montgomery put on a show in New York, launching a pair of home runs and driving in four. | (Wendell Cruz/Imagn Images)
The White Sox owe the Guardians a fruit basket because after another Bronx beatdown, Chicago is barely clinging to first. The Sox got thumped, dropping to 38-34 and torching their positive run differential on the way out.
The night started with some promise. Miguel Vargas, still glowing from his MLB Network cameo with Mark DeRosa, ripped a two-out double in the first.
Then Colson Montgomery battled for 12 pitches, only to pop out. Cue the Yankees: Anthony Kay got two quick outs, then Amed Rosario doubled, and Cody Bellinger smashed a two-run shot to right-center. Just like that, 2-0 hole.
The Sox had their shots, but the clutch hits never came. In the second, Everson Pereira drew a leadoff walk and Edgar Quero singled, only to watch Braden Montgomery bounce into a rally-killing double play. Meanwhile, Kay continued struggling with his command. José Caballero reached after being hit by a pitch in the second, Anthony Volpe tripled him home, and Ali Sánchez added an RBI single, and suddenly it’s 4-0 Yankees. Kay burned through 52 pitches just to escape two innings.
Finally, some life in the third. Chase Meidroth and Randal Grichuk singled, then Colson yanked a pitch from Carlos Rodón into the short porch for a three-run bomb. Suddenly it’s 4-3.
Kay battled in the bottom half, managing to strand Bellinger at third after a leadoff double, getting a groundout, a strikeout, and a popped-up bunt to escape.
But missed chances for the South Siders were the story. Quero singled in the fourth and got left. Meidroth doubled to start the fifth and went nowhere. Five innings in, plenty of hits, nothing to show for it.
Then everything unraveled.
Sean Newcomb took over in the fifth and immediately lit the fuse. Bellinger singled, Jasson Domínguez doubled, and Caballero drove in two. Then Volpe smoked a liner off Newcomb’s chest at 98.6 mph, sending him to the showers with a contusion. Tyler Davis came in and poured gasoline on the fire: single to Sánchez, then veteran Paul Goldschmidt obliterated a three-run homer. Suddenly it’s 9-3, and the game is toast.
Brandon Eisert finally put up a zero in the sixth, but Trevor Richards coughed up a solo shot to Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the seventh, pushing the Yankees into double digits. The inning also brought another scare when Everson Pereira made a highlight-reel catch in center, then hit the wall before crumpling to the ground. He ended up leaving the game, though he walked off on his own.
Chicago kept swinging, even down big. Braden picked up a two-out single in the sixth, then Colson notched his first career multi-homer game in the eighth with his 19th of the year.
Tristan Peters kept the line moving by drawing a pinch-hit walk, Quero slapped his third hit, but again, no dice. Sam Antonacci led off the ninth with a homer for some window dressing.
The maddening part is that the offense actually showed up. Eleven hits, three from Quero, two bombs from Colson. But the Good Guys went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left a small village on base. The bullpen blowup didn’t help, but when you rack up 11 hits and five for extra bases and still trail all night, that’s a special kind of aggravating.
New York’s first ticker-tape parade was held for the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in 1886.
Teddy Roosevelt and Nelson Mandela were similarly honored, as were Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, soldiers, astronauts and Olympians, the Yankees, Mets, Giants, Rangers, Liberty, Gotham FC and so many more.
Finally, after 210 official ticker-tape parades, the Knicks get their turn to enter the Canyon of Heroes.
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of one of the most beloved teams in New York City history will be honored with the franchise’s first-ever parade Thursday morning (10 a.m.) in lower Manhattan, celebrating the Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years.
The parade will begin at Battery Park and travel up Broadway to City Hall, where the Knicks will be presented with a ceremonial key to the city.
The 1970 title team was honored at Gracie Mansion. The 1973 champs were joined by roughly 2,000 fans at a celebration at City Hall. But millions are expected to partake in this long-awaited event that will rank among the largest celebrations in the city’s history, featuring (temporary) blue and orange signs declaring “Champions Way,” 2,500 pounds of confetti and the largest police presence (more than 10,000 officers) ever assigned to a planned event.
AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
“From a playoff run that left New Yorkers breathless to a tip-in that will be talked about for decades, the Knicks have earned a hero’s welcome,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement Wednesday. “We have dreamed of this moment for generations. This Thursday, our city will rise to the occasion.”
The party hasn’t stopped since the Knicks stormed the court in San Antonio, returning from their champagne-soaked celebration Sunday to begin a whirlwind tour throughout the city.
The starters (Brunson, Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart) visited “Good Morning America” and the “Today” show, with coach Mike Brown and the rest of the team joining them on “The Tonight Show.” Brooklyn native Jose Alvarado, joined by teammate Jordan Clarkson, rode shirtless in the Puerto Rican Day Parade in his native borough.
Now, they will ride on floats that felt like a fantasy to fans who suffered through the heartbreak of the 1990s, the embarrassment of the 2000s, the false hope and face-plants of the 2010s, and the climb under Tom Thibodeau. They will come together as one, as they did at watch parties throughout the city, and while taking over arenas in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland and San Antonio, witnessing perhaps the most meaningful and unifying championship run the city has ever seen.
“Not only for the alumni, but for the fans, this was healing happening in real time,” Towns said on “Good Morning America.” “This is really a once-in-a-lifetime event you’re watching in New York sports history. They haven’t seen a win in [53] years. You’re talking about a whole generation that’s passed being told about the stories of how great the Knicks are, but not actually seeing that trophy be raised by a Knicks player … now you get to see it with your own eyes that the Knicks are, again, world champions.”
New York Knicks banners adorn the facade of City Hall ahead of the ticker-tape parade that will take place on June 18, 2026 in New York City. Getty Images
Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing, among other team alumni, will ride in the parade. Mitchell Robinson will ride in one of his custom trucks. Mike Breen, the Knicks’ longtime broadcaster, will emcee the ceremony at City Hall.
And the festivities will conclude there, with Alicia Keys singing “Empire State of Mind”:
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns #32, and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson #11, after the Knicks defeated the Spurs to win the NBA Championship. Charles Wenzelberg / NY Post
