Yankees finally give Ryan Weathers run support, hit three HRs in Sunday's series-sweeping win over Royals

The Yankees swept the Kansas City Royals with Sunday's 7-0 win at Yankee Stadium.

Takeaways

  1. LHPRyan Weathers arguably delivered his best start of the early season. He scattered five hits in 7.1 scoreless IP, striking out five and walking one. Weathers (1-2, 3.18 ERA) threw 66 strikes on 95 pitches and retired 12 straight at one point, including four consecutive strikeouts. After 22 frames without run support until the first inning of Sunday's game at Yankee Stadium, Weathers showed up once more with his best stuff -- and he was repaid.
  2. RFAaron Judge's ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot to center field, ended the aforementioned run-support drought for Weathers and put the Yankees (13-9) in control as a three-run first inning ensued. (Austin Wells later added a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Cody Bellinger and giving Weathers a 3-0 lead into the second inning.) Judge's three strikeouts dampened the captain's 1-for-5 afternoon, but he ultimately changed the game with an early long ball that Weathers needed to settle in and get his first win as a Yankee.
  3. DHBen Rice, whose leadoff walk set the table for Judge's first-inning homer, did his own damage in the second when he launched a one-out blast to right and extended the Yankees' 4-0 lead. Rice's eight home run of the young season puts him one behind Judge in a three-way tie with the Chicago White Sox's Muntaka Murakami and the St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Walker among the MLB's HR leaders. (The Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez leads with 10.) With 17 combined home runs between them, Judge and Rice are becoming a top duo in the sport.
  4. CF Trent Grisham's three-run homer in the fifth inning polished off the Yankees' 7-0 final and showed what this lineup is capable of beyond Rice and Judge at the top. Grisham's 2-for-4 day included a first-inning walk and sixth-inning single.

Who's the MVP?

Weathers, whose tone-setting start featured the type of swing-and-miss material that could be a game-changing presence in the Yankees' starting rotation.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees take Monday off before they have their first rivalry series of 2026 with the Boston Red Sox.

This week's three-game series at Fenway Park begins with Tuesday's 6:45 p.m. opener, in which RHP Luis Gil (0-1, 7.00 ERA) is set to start for New York.

10-13: Chart

Apr 19, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (3) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

All dressed in your Sunday best: Bryan Woo, +.21 WPA

Rocking the Adam Sandler fit: Cal Raleigh, -.03 WPA

Game Thread Comment of the Day:

11-11 – T-Mobile Park still has hands as Rangers drop finale 5-2

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 19: MacKenzie Gore #1 of the Texas Rangers warms up in the bullpen against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on April 19, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Texas Rangers scored two runs but the Seattle Mariners scored five runs.

A dumb weird little road trip for our dumb weird little baseball team in what is shaping up to be a dumb weird little baseball season.

Brandon Nimmo singled for Texas on the game’s first pitch and then the lineup went until the sixth inning before their next base runner of the game. Can’t complain about the lack of hits with RISP when you don’t even get on base, right? *points to temple with self-satisfied grin*

Meanwhile, Seattle leadoff hitter Rob Refsnyder also had a hit on the first pitch offered to the Mariners, only his went over the fence in what would become a trend today as the Mariners hit three home runs off of Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore, two of which were of the two-run variety.

The Rangers did finally spark a rally in the top of the seventh when they loaded the bases against Seattle starter Bryan Woo. After a Josh Jung sac fly scored a run, and a Evan Carter double that scored another, the rally ended with Texas still trailing by the eventual final score.

And so the Rangers lost the game and series to finish this long West Coast trip at 4-6. Texas went 4-2 during the middle portion of the road trip but bookended their days away from home with two losses each to Los Angeles and Seattle as they return to .500 baseball.

Player of the Game: Um, er, well… Tyler Alexander tossed an inning of scoreless relief. That’s pretty cool.

Up Next: The Rangers get a day off to reacclimate to Texas before starting a series at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates beginning on Tuesday.

The first pitch of the series opener from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and will be broadcast via the Rangers Sports Network.

Victor Wembanyama named finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, Keldon Johnson for Sixth Man of the Year

Mar 19, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forwards Keldon Johnson (3) and Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrate in the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The NBA announced the first batch of finalists for regular-season awards, and two Spurs made the cut. Unsurprisingly, Victor Wembanyama is one of the three finalists for Defensive Player of the Year, while Keldon Johnson is among the finalists for Sixth Man of the Year.

Wembanyama is the prohibitive favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, but will have to beat out the Pistons’ Ausar Thompson and the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, who were also named finalists. All three of the top defenses in the league are getting one representative. The biggest snub is Rudy Gobert, who kept an inconsistent Timberwolves team in the top 10 in defensive efficiency and has won the award four times in the past.

Things are different for Keldon Johnson. He clearly deserved to be named a finalist, but his chances are not as good as Wembanyama’s to claim the award. He’ll be competing with the Nuggets’ Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr., who appears to be the favorite to get the hardware. Jaquez’s edge comes in offensive production, while Johnson’s case relies heavily on team success. Either would make a good pick.

Other finalists announced for awards:

Most Improved Player:

Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Deni Avdija
Jalen Duren

Clutch Player of the Year:

Anthony Edwards
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Jamal Murray

The finalists for Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Most Valuable Player of the 2025/26 season will be announced at halftime of the Pistons – Magic game. Mitch Johnson and Victor Wembanyama have decent chances of being named finalists in two of the categories, while it’s likely Dylan Harper is going to miss the cut on Rookie of the Year, largely because of his small role on a contending team.

Victor Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, one steal, and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game in the 2025/26 season.

Keldon Johnson averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 52 percent from the floor and suiting up for all 82 games.

Ryan Ward has a solid debut, but bullpen blows it again as Dodgers lose to Rockies

Dodger Ryan Ward follows through on an RBI single in the first inning against the Rockies Sunday in Denver.
Dodger Ryan Ward follows through on an RBI single in the first inning against the Rockies Sunday in Denver. It was Ward's first major league hit. (Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)

What do you know? The once-stampeding Dodgers have been caged by the Colorado Rockies.

In a 9-6 loss Sunday at Coors Field, the two-time defending World Series champs lost their second consecutive game to their plucky hosts. The Dodgers again couldn’t hold a lead or keep up offensively at the hitter-friendly park, though they put some pressure on in the ninth inning.

After Shohei Ohtani led off the ninth with a ground-rule double, the Dodgers scored twice to cut the lead to three runs. They had runners on second and third and Ryan Ward at the plate with two out in his first game in the majors. But right fielder Troy Johnston robbed Ward of his chance to chip away at the deficit further, diving to catch his line drive to end the game.

Before that, the Rockies chased starter Roki Sasaki from the game in the fifth inning and then ruffled the Dodgers’ relievers. That included closer Edwin Diaz, who came on in the eighth inning to pitch for the first time in nine days and promptly gave up three singles, a walk and two runs.

Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki follows through on a throw during a game in Denver.
 (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

He and Blake Treinen combined to face eight batters without getting an out.

Now, after arriving in Denver without having lost a game to a National League opponent, the Dodgers (15-6) are in danger of losing their four-game series against an NL club that is 9-13 and hasn’t made the postseason since 2018.

It’s well below the bar the Dodgers have set, and it added a bitter note to Ward’s otherwise sweet big league debut.

Ward punched a big league clock for the first time wearing No. 67 and cranked his first big-league hit off Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen in the fourth inning.

Ward lined a changeup to right field for a single that scored Andy Pages, made it 3-0, and got the 20-some members of Ward’s party up, jumping in place, hugging and high-fiving.

He also singled in the sixth, sending Antonio Senzatela’s 96-mph sinker into center field. That advanced Alex Call, who scored to make it 4-3 after Kim’s fielder’s choice and another RBI single by Alex Freeland.

Read more:Rick Monday on saving an American flag at Dodger Stadium: 'I get letters every week'

In his first at-bat, Ward flew out to lead off the third inning, when the Dodgers gave Sasaki a 2-0 lead to work with. Freeland drove in Hyeseong Kim and Ohtani doubled in Freeland — while extending his career-best on-base streak to 51 games, moving past Willie Keeler into third place in Dodgers’ history.

But to start the fifth, Sasaki fell behind to Kyle Karros, who hit a 96-mph fastball 448 feet for his first home run this season, cutting the Dodgers’ lead to 3-2. The Rockies tied it two batters later on Edouard Julien’s RBI double.

After that, Sasaki lasted only three more batters, including walking Tyler Freeman to put runners on first and second base with two out before reliever Alex Vesia came in and got TJ Rumfield to line out to second base to preserve the tie for the time being.

Sasaki went 4.2 innings, threw 78 pitches and gave up seven hits, three runs, striking out and walking two. His ERA after his fourth start: 6.11, worst in the Dodgers’ current six-man rotation.

The Dodgers fell behind 6-5 in the seventh when Treinen — who was cleared Friday after he was struck in the head by a batted ball during batting practice — gave up four consecutive hits without getting an out, including a two-run home run to Mickey Moniak.

Read more:Dodgers' bats turn cold during road loss to Colorado Rockies

After Diaz’s disastrous eighth, the Dodgers trailed 9-4 going into their final at-bat.

Still, the result will be a minor detail when Ward tells the story about getting the call after Freddie Freeman was placed on the paternity list, the opportunity of a lifetime.

Just like Miguel Rojas, the Dodgers’ veteran infielder has a vivid recollection of his major league debut at Coors on June 6, 2014: He remembers making an error at shortstop. That the whole thing was wildly nerve-racking. And wonderful.

“You feel really good about being in the big leagues and getting your first shot of accomplishing your dream, what you've been working for your whole life,” said Rojas, standing in the same visitors clubhouse he entered before making his debut, trying not to be starstruck when he spotted his new teammates Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw getting ready to play.

“But then you have to deal with the emotions of being on the big league roster for the side of the Los Angeles Dodgers. That's what I remember the most, the mixed feeling of emotions.”

So the Dodgers’ assignment, Rojas said, was to make the first baseman Ward “feel as comfortable as he can be.”

Then Rojas headed out to take grounders and give pointers at first base alongside Ward, who got the start there instead of his pal Dalton Rushing. The hot-hitting backup catcher might have played first base if manager Dave Roberts hadn’t decided Ward deserved the opportunity — with Rushing’s enthusiastic blessing.

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: Readers show their love for Charley Steiner

The Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect and reigning Pacific Coast League MVP has spent the last seven years in the minors. Last season, he hit 36 home runs and drove in 122 runs with a .937 OPS for triple-A Oklahoma City, and he has a 1.020 OPS and four homers so far this year.

Ward made it a point to improve his chase rate, draw more walks, get on base more frequently, everything the Dodgers asked of him. He also passed the broadest patience test.

“The plate discipline, being a better hitter … he's done all that,” Roberts said. “He's improved his defense. But honestly, for me, just not to let his lack of opportunity in the big leagues deter him. That's easy when you get frustrated and let it affect performance, and he hasn't done that.”

If anything, Ward said, the waiting made him better.

“Honestly, I used it to keep going. ‘Okay, if I’m not there yet, what do I have to do to get there?’” he said. “‘What part of my game do I need to work on to keep getting better?’

“I used it as fire to keep working.”

That will be the Dodgers’ assignment too.

In the finale of the four-game series Monday, the Dodgers are expected to start left-hander Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) against Colorado left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63).

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Who are the finalists for NBA awards? Victor Wembanyama, SGA headline MVP list

The 2026 NBA MVP will be decided between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic or Victor Wembanyama.

Finalists for all of the league's end-of-season awards were announced on April 19 during NBC's "NBA Showtime" broadcast on April 19. Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Clutch Player of the Year and Most Improved Player were announced before tip-off of Game 1 of the playoff series between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic, while the most prestigious honors — MVP, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year — were revealed at halftime.

In addition to MVP, Wembanyama is also a finalist for DPOY, while Gilgeous-Alexander is in the running for Clutch Player of the Year.

Neither Luka Doncic nor Cade Cunningham made the top three for Most Valuable Player despite each being granted an extraordinary circumstances waiver, though they will likely round out the top five in the final voting.

Here are the finalists announced for the NBA's individual awards:

NBA MVP Finalists

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
  • Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Rookie of the Year

  • VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
  • Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
  • Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets

Coach of the Year

  • JB Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons
  • Mitch Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
  • Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics

Defensive Player of the Year

  • Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons
  • Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Sixth Man of the Year

  • Tim Hardaway Jr., Denver Nuggets
  • Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
  • Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat

Clutch Player of the Year

  • Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets

Most Improved Player

  • Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks
  • Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
  • Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Who is ineligible for NBA awards this season?

Here are some notable players who were ineligible for end-of-season individual awards and All-NBA teams due to not meeting the league's 65-game requirement:

  • LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
  • Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
  • Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (more on him below)
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
  • Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
  • Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
  • Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Though Edwards only played in 59 games this season, Clutch Player of the Year does not have a 65-game requirement.

Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham both fell just short of 65 games, but are eligible for awards after being granted an Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge exception.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA individual awards finalists announced

Timberwolves vs Nuggets Same-Game Parlay for Today's NBA Playoffs Game 2

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The Minnesota Timberwolves had a vision when they traded for Ayo Dosunmu in February, but that vision was not realized much in Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets.

If Minnesota wants to spring the upset in this series, it needs to run.

My Timberwolves vs. Nuggets predictions and this same-game parlay expect Minnesota to focus on transition opportunities on Monday, April 20.

Our best Timberwolves vs Nuggets SGP for Game 2

Anthony Edwards emphasizes rebounding in the postseason, averaging better than seven boards per game in each of the last two postseasons. Not coincidentally, the Minnesota Timberwolves ran to the Western Conference Finals each of the last two years.

Against the Denver Nuggets, the Timberwolves as a whole need to emphasize transition opportunities.

How many players do the Nuggets really want to play? Jonas Valanciunas saw less than eight minutes in Game 1, while Spencer Jones played nine. Effectively, Denver had a seven-man rotation, led by Nikola Jokic at more than 40 minutes.

Minnesota goes at least eight deep and could stretch to 10 if Kyle Anderson and Bones Hyland are given some runway. Both Anderson and Hyland help the Timberwolves in transition, the former via quick thinking off rebounds and the latter via a general helter-skelter approach.

More Anderson and Hyland will not necessarily come at the expense of Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu. In fact, more transition opportunities will highlight the duo.

The best Minnesota adjustment from Game 1 should create a pathway to cash this same-game parlay that already came home once in this series.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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Gilgeous-Alexander scores 25 as reigning champion Thunder open playoffs with 119-84 win over Suns

OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder began their title defense with a 119-84 rout of the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series on Sunday.

The reigning league MVP made just 5 of 18 field goals but went 15 of 17 at the foul line before sitting out the fourth quarter.

Jalen Williams scored 22 points and Chet Holmgren added 16 for the top-seeded Thunder, who will host Game 2 on Wednesday.

Devin Booker scored 23 points and Dillon Brooks scored 18 on 6-of-22 shooting for the Suns, who shot 34.9% from the field.

Phoenix broke out to a 5-0 lead as the Thunder started cold following a week off.

Oklahoma City heated up quickly. Brooks was called for a flagrant-one foul in the first quarter for hitting Holmgren in the face. The Thunder went on a 12-2 surge after that to take a 24-14 lead.

In the closing seconds of the quarter, Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams threw a pass about three-quarters of the length of the court. Holmgren caught it with his back to the basket, took one dribble to his right, then turned and drained a 3-pointer as time expired to put Oklahoma City up 35-20.

Oklahoma City extended the advantage to 65-44 at halftime. Holmgren had 16 points and Gilgeous-Alexander had 15 at the break.

Gilgeous-Alexander converted a three-point play to push Oklahoma City’s lead to 90-63 late in the third quarter, and the Thunder took a 97-66 edge into the fourth.

The Kings Were So Close Yet So Far Against The Avalanche In Game 1

The Los Angeles Kings start on the wrong foot in their first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado handled business in a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles, taking a 1-0 series lead on Sunday.

The Avalanche were by far the better team in this contest, creating the most dangerous chances and dominating puck possession. Despite Colorado imposing their will on this game for most of the outing, the Kings weren't completely out of it.

It was an awakening opening stretch of the first period, with the Avs suffocating the Kings offensively, and it seemed like Los Angeles had no answer, nor any sort of pressure.

It's worth mentioning that the Kings weathered the storm, remained patient, and slowly got more and more comfortable in the contest. But the truth is that they just couldn't break down the star-studded Avalanche.

A large part of the reason the Kings were ineffective for most of this game was the team's inability to survive Colorado's quick pressure, and they couldn't orchestrate many clean breakouts.

 Late Push Not Enough As Kings Fall To Avalanche In Game 1 Late Push Not Enough As Kings Fall To Avalanche In Game 1The Kings did enough defensively to hang around, but a lack of offensive support and Colorado’s scoring down the stretch proved to be the difference in a tight Game 1 loss.

For instance, Colorado's second goal by Logan O'Connor was a result of Los Angeles getting hemmed in the defensive zone because the defense couldn't make a clean breakout pass to relieve the pressure.

Another note to add to this Kings' loss in Game 1: they couldn't capitalize on their chances. As coach D.J. Smith put it, they "need to be meaner offensively."

Defenseman Drew Doughty had a grand opportunity to open the scoring in this game, missing a wide-open net.

In the rare two-minute intervals that the Kings see the offensive zone, against a top-dog like the Avalanche, there's almost no room for error in terms of not taking advantage of opportunities. And that's exactly what happened in this contest for Los Angeles.

Anton Forsberg and Logan O'Connor (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
Anton Forsberg and Logan O'Connor (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)

But the result of this game shouldn't deflect from the effort the Kings put in this contest. They kept it to a one-goal game and had a respectable showing defensively. The longer the Kings can keep it tied or close, the more likely they are to creep in a goal or two, which they did in the late stages with a power-play marker from Artemi Panarin.

In the end, the Kings will have to take these positives and improve on what went wrong quickly because the playoffs are a blur.


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Blake Treinen, Edwin DĂ­az struggle as Dodgers lose two straight for first time this year

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Shohei Ohtani grimacing while wearing a blue Dodgers uniform and batting helmet, holding a bat, Image 2 shows A Los Angeles Dodgers player in a blue uniform and gray pants tosses a baseball while wearing a glove

DENVER — For the first time this season, the Dodgers have lost back-to-back games.

And in a 9-6 loss to the Rockies on Sunday, they picked an ugly way to do it.

Despite being up three runs early, the Dodgers slowly wilted on a sunny afternoon at Coors Field. Roki Sasaki repeatedly stubbed his toe at the end of a 4 ⅔-inning, three-run start. Blake Treinen surrendered another lead in the seventh with a clunker out of the bullpen. The offense went quiet until a short-lived rally in the ninth.

The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani reacts after fouling off a pitch. Ohtani went 2-for-5 with an RBI on Sunday. AP

And even Edwin Díaz’s return to action, after a nine-day layoff amid a drop in velocity that caused concern over his knee, only raised more questions during a three-run outing in the eighth that put the game out of reach.

“In this ballpark, a lot of things happen,” manager Dave Roberts said. “This ballpark is certainly a neutralizer. The pitchers don’t have the same feel.”

That became abundantly clear as the afternoon dragged along, with the Dodgers (15-6) failing to protect a late-game lead for the second straight day.

The team scored the first three runs, plating two in the third on an RBI single from Alex Freeland and an RBI double from Shohei Ohtani –– extending his on-base streak to 51 games –– then another in the fourth when debuting 28-year-old prospect Ryan Ward lofted a line drive over the second baseman’s head for an RBI single that marked his first career hit.

Alas, just like their loss Saturday, the offense cooled off, scoring only once more until the ninth.

And, also like Saturday, their pitching couldn’t keep them in front against the Rockies (9-13) and their light-hitting lineup.

The meltdown started with Sasaki, who couldn’t maintain his strong start to the day.

In the first three frames, the right-hander retired 8 of 10 batters he faced while attacking with his fastball. But after that, he let 8 of 12 reach base while once again losing his command.

The Rockies got one run in the fourth, an inning that could’ve been worse if not for a double play that retired the side. They then tied the game in the fifth, when Kyle Karros hit a 448-foot blast to lead the inning off and Edouard Julien followed Jake McCarthy’s double with an RBI single.

Veteran reliever Treinen was Sunday’s other culprit. Handed a 4-3 lead in the seventh, he failed to record an out while allowing four straight hits. The big blow was a two-run, go-ahead homer from Mickey Moniak. Tyler Freeman drove in another to extend the Colorado lead.

Then came Díaz, who also failed to record an out in his three-run eighth inning –– extinguishing virtually any hope of a comeback (even though the Dodgers got the tying run to the plate in the ninth) to send the team to this season’s first losing streak.

The Dodgers’ Hyeseong Kim reacts after misplaying a ball Sunday against the host Rockies. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What it means

That, surprisingly, the Dodgers will not win this series in Denver.

They can still salvage a four-game split, with a quirk in the schedule setting up a series finale Monday.

But given the gulf of class between the franchises, even that would represent a disappointment for a Dodgers club that had won five of its first six series this season.

Who’s hot

DĂ­az. But only in the most literal sense.

For the first time since a blown save back on April 10, the Dodgers’ new $69 million closer not only got warm but finally entered a game.

What happened next, however, was not pretty.

He faced four batters. He recorded zero outs. And his velocity concerns did not go away, with his fastball averaging only 95.4 mph –– and bottoming out at 92.8 mph, one of the 10 slowest four-seamers of his 10-year career.

Granted, DĂ­az was coming off a long layoff and not pitching in a save situation. He also hit 97 mph on the radar gun a couple of times. 

Overall, though, he simply didn’t look sharp, ballooning his early-season ERA over 10.00.

“Obviously, today, it just didn’t look sharp,” Roberts said of Díaz, who did not address reporters postgame. “I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning.”

Who’s not

There’s obviously Sasaki, who allowed 10 baserunners (seven hits, two walks, one HBP) for a second straight start and now has a 6.11 ERA and 1.87 WHIP in four outings (only one of which has seen him complete the fifth).

However, even before Díaz’s entrance, Treinen and the Dodgers’ bullpen made their own ugly case.

Over the first three weeks of the season, the unit had only blown two late-game leads. Now, they’ve done it on back-to-back days.

Treinen had entered Sunday without allowing a run in his first eight appearances this year. Amid the Colorado altitude, however, he had trouble with his trademark sweeper. All four hits he allowed came on the pitch, with all but one of them smoked at least 95 mph off the bat.

Up next

The Dodgers will go for a series split Monday with Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12 ERA) on the mound. The Rockies will counter with veteran left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63 ERA).

Braves vs. Phillies Game Thread: April 19, 2026

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 17: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates a solo home run with Ozzie Albies #1 in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 17, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Grant Holmes and the Braves are hoping to sweep the leg vs. the Philadelphia Phillies in the series finale on Peacock. First pitch is scheduled for 7:20 pm ET. 

Game Notes

Pitching matchup

Lineups

Porter Martone Has Already Delivered His Signature Moment for the Flyers

It has become clear that the Philadelphia Flyers would not be where they are right now without Porter Martone, and they certainly would not have won their first Stanley Cup playoff appearance since 2020 without him, either.

Martone, 19, was the hero for the Flyers on Saturday night, turning a mostly ho-hum performance into the zenith of his young career with a moment of individual brilliance.

With the Flyers up 2-1 on the Pittsburgh Penguins late in Game 1, Martone galloped down the ice in transition, and instead of forcing a pass to manufacture a scoring chance, found the composure to peel back at the right circle and evaluate his options with the puck.

The best option, clearly, was letting a shot fly; the 2025 No. 6 overall pick beat Stuart Skinner glove side at his near post with a bullet against the grain.

Not many players have the stones to make that choice nursing a fragile 1-goal lead in a playoff game, let alone their first-ever NHL playoff game and 10th total game in the NHL.

Porter Martone Makes Flyers History In Game 1 Win vs. PenguinsPorter Martone Makes Flyers History In Game 1 Win vs. PenguinsFlyers forward Porter Martone made some Flyers history in their Game 1 win against the Penguins.

But Martone did, and that is as good an indicator as any that he will eventually ascend to star status in this league.

The impact Martone has had on the Flyers since coming over at the end of his first and only campaign with Michigan State is demonstrable, and this play at this moment is only the latest example of that.

Martone's dagger against the Penguins Saturday night is one that will be shown in highlight reels and game previews between the two clubs for decades to come, and he only needed one chance to make that kind of impact for Philadelphians and Flyers fans everywhere.

Flyers Coach Rick Tocchet Has Rave Reviews for Porter MartoneFlyers Coach Rick Tocchet Has Rave Reviews for Porter MartoneAfter a short adjustment period, Porter Martone was one of the best players for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> during their playoff push, and head coach Rick Tocchet quickly took notice.

The Flyers still have business to take care of, including at least two playoff games at home later in the week, but we can expect this won't be the last of Martone this postseason.

What we learned as ‘frustrated' Phillies drop fifth straight, swept by Braves

What we learned as ‘frustrated' Phillies drop fifth straight, swept by Braves originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It was clear this weekend who the better team was on the field. It became even clearer when the attention of the home crowd started drifting toward the ice.

“Let’s go Flyers!” hundreds of fans chanted midway through Sunday night’s chilly, nationally televised game.

The Braves, one of baseball’s strongest clubs entering the series, swept the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, finishing it off with a 4-2 win over their division rival.

Again, the Phillies’ offense was dormant outside of one inning, an exhausting theme through the first 21 games of the season.

Kyle Schwarber got the scoring started in the first with a two-run homer, but the lineup could not build off it. Even when it looked like they might break through in the bottom of the ninth, with two on and a chance to at least tie the game, Ronald AcuĂąa Jr. made a lunging grab in the right-field corner to rob Schwarber of extra bases and end it.

Schwarber thought for a moment there was a chance it would fall.

“I thought there was a chance,” he said. “He’s a good defender, and he made a great play to end the game.”

It was the seventh time this year that the Phillies scored in only one inning of a game. That is a third of the season so far. Add in three shutout losses, and that is just under half of the young season.

What else came out of Sunday?

BOHM, STOTT SCUFFLES CONTINUE

This has been a common theme to this point, and another reminder that Spring Training success can only mean so much. The Phillies’ second and third basemen were the club’s hottest hitters for most of camp.

For Stott, the contact quality has not always been the problem. Entering the night, he ranked in the top 20 percent of hitters in hard-hit rate. One of his groundouts Sunday was again classified as hard-hit. The bigger issue has been staying in the strike zone.

That was one of Stott’s strengths last year, even in a season when he posted just a .719 OPS. This year, he has chased at a career-high 35 percent clip, which ranks in the bottom 25 percent of hitters. It could be a byproduct of pressing and trying to find a groove while the offense sputters around him. But until that changes, the struggles may continue.

Bohm’s issues have looked a little different.

He has actually done a nice job limiting whiffs, chase and strikeouts. But he has not barreled a single ball this year. Historically, his barrel rate has never been among the league’s best, but it is hard to produce when you are not squaring anything up.

Bohm has posted a league-worst .407 OPS. Stott is at .511. Not a good start, despite their strong defensive showings.

Thomson said Bohm’s frustration is obvious, but also noted that he could be turning the corner.

“He smothered some balls tonight,” Thomson said. “The last couple of nights, he’s actually hit the ball harder. So hopefully he’s coming around, but everybody’s frustrated.”

That frustration is not hard to spot around the lineup right now.

“A lot of frustration,” Thomson said. “We’re disappointed, we’re frustrated. I know they’re trying hard — sometimes trying too hard.”

PAINTER BATTLES, THEN FLAMES OUT

For much of the night, it looked like another mature outing from Phillies rookie Andrew Painter. He worked in and out of trouble through the first four innings, digging into his full repertoire and attacking hitters early in counts.

Then the fifth inning arrived, and it unraveled.

Painter fell behind both Michael Harris II, who had homered earlier, and Ronald AcuĂąa Jr., and both lined singles. That was it for his night.

Rob Thomson came out to get his starter, and the bullpen did not pick him up.

Left-hander Tim Mayza entered, walked Braves catcher Drake Baldwin to load the bases, then watched Atlanta tack on an RBI groundout, a run-scoring single from Austin Riley and an RBI double by Ozzie Albies. Suddenly it was 4-2 Braves.

That was all Atlanta needed. Another big inning from the opponent put the Phillies in a hole, and once again their bats could not dig them out.

Painter’s was not a huge fan of his outing overall.

“I had a lot of deep counts,” he said. “It was just super inefficient, a lot of pitches.”

Thomson saw some good and some bad.

“I thought he was OK,” he said. “Fastball, he was up in the zone a lot with his fastball. I’d like to see him get ahead in the count a little bit more, but he got out of a lot of jams in the second and the fourth, so that was good to see.”

Painter, though, did not sound like someone feeling extra pressure from the bigger picture around the team.

“You’ve just got to stay within yourself, control those things that you can control,” he said. “Don’t try to get too big, don’t try to overdo anything.”

NOT TAPPING INTO STRENGTHS

The Phillies have two of the fastest players in baseball in Justin Crawford and Trea Turner, yet the club has only 11 stolen bases through the first three weeks of the season.

Of course, they need to get on base first to pressure pitchers and catchers. But during an offensive stretch like this one, the Phillies need to get back to basics: contact hitting, stolen bases and sound defense.

That would also create more chances for the back end of the bullpen to do its job.

The Phillies have invested heavily in Brad Keller and Jhoan Duran, though their closer is now on the injured list, but they have had so few late leads to protect. And now the middle relief group has hit some rough patches too, which has only made things worse during this 8-13 start.

Thomson said the club has to simplify things and stop letting the feeling take over at the plate.

“You’ve got to take the emotion out of it,” he said. “This isn’t football. It’s not hockey, where emotion can help you. In this sport, over-emotion can often hurt you.”

Schwarber echoed that idea afterward. The frustration is clear, but he made clear that pressing is not the answer.

“Results and chasing the result, chasing hits, chasing all that — that’s not the way to go about it,” Schwarber said. “At some point it’s going to change.”

HOME STRUGGLES PERSIST

With Sunday’s loss, the Phillies finished a nine-game homestand at 2-7 against Arizona, Chicago and Atlanta. It was their worst nine-game homestand since June 12-21, 2009.

The Phillies lost only three home series all of last season. They have already lost three during this stretch alone. Those are three of the better teams the National League has to offer.

“We’re not used to this,” Thomson said.

Schwarber did not try to hide behind clichĂŠs, even if he acknowledged how early it still is.

“No one wants to be in this position to start the year off,” he said. “But this team knows how to find its way out of holes.”

For now, though, the hole is getting deeper.

Ruff Looking Forward To How The Sabres React To Playoffs

The Buffalo Sabres held an optional morning skate at KeyBank Center, where every seat was adorned with white towels saying “We’re Back”, in preparation for the opener of their first-round series against the Boston Bruins on Sunday night. Sabres fans level of excitement has been building since the club clinched a playoff spot to break the NHL record 14-season playoff drought, and is expected that thousands of fans will congregate at Canalside next to the arena to watch the game. 

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff admitted that he is anxious to get started, as Buffalo will be in the primetime slot on ESPN on Day 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as is team captain Rasmus Dahlin, who will be playing in the first playoff game in his eighth NHL season. 

“I try to stay away from (the emotions). It's hard to think about all the years and stuff, today especially, but we're in the moment. I'll probably reflect on it more when the season is over." Dahlin said. "But now, I just I'm ready to go, all I'm thinking about is having the best game of my career."

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

The Sabres have a trio of players (Bowen Byram, Luke Schenn, and Tanner Pearson) that have won Stanley Cups and a pair who have reached the Cup Final (Alex Lyon, Ryan McLeod), but only Byram and McLeod will have a large role when the series behind. The bulk of their core group will be playing in their first postseason contest, something that Ruff believes could be an advantage.  

"Everybody has a routine, we haven't broken off our routine. So I mean today, being an optional(skate), normal meetings, we went through our our pre-scout meetings this morning, keeping everything as normal as we possibly can, knowing that it's not quite as normal as it used to be," Ruff said. "I'm hoping that we are amped up, because it will be electric. it'll be a totally different feeling for sure. I'm looking forward to how our guys are going to react to it. We've talked about the energy we need to bring, how we need to play, and I anticipate them being ready to do it."

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

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A Rockie day for Roki Sasaki and bullpen, Dodgers lose 9-6

Apr 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

For the first time since June 28, 2022, the Dodgers have dropped two consecutive games to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, this time falling to Colorado 9-6 on Sunday.

In his first career start at Coors Field, Roki Sasaki impressed over his first three innings of work, as he held the Rockies silent across just 26 pitches, relying on his defense to bail him out of early inopportune counts.

The Dodgers broke through against Michael Lorenzen in the top of the third, as Hyeseong Kim doubled with one out before Alex Freeland singled him home for the game’s first run. Shohei Ohtani brought his on-base streak to 51 games with an RBI double to drive home Freeland, passing Willie Keeler for the third longest streak in team history and extending the lead to two.

After flying out on the first big league pitch he saw, Ryan Ward got himself on the board against Lorenzen in the top of the fourth, as he drilled a single to right field for his first career hit, plating Andy Pages to increase the Dodger lead to three.

After the first scoreless third inning for Sasaki the year, the Rockies waited until the bottom of the fourth inning to rally against him. Mickey Moniak rocketed a leadoff single before Sasaki plunked Hunter Goodman to bring up the potential tying run with nobody out. Sasaki got Tyler Freeman swinging for his first strikeout of the game, but promptly allowed a single to T.J. Rumfield to put the Rockies on the board. After tossing just 26 pitches in the first three innings, Sasaki’s 20th pitch of the fourth resulted in a walk to Troy Johnston to load the bases. He got ahead of the next hitter Willi Castro early, and his fifth splitter of the at-bat induced a 4-6-3 double play to get out of the jam.

Sasaki’ struggles in the middle innings continued as he fell down 3-0 to Kyle Karros to begin the bottom of the fifth, eventually giving up a 448 foot home run from him that made it a one run game. Both of his now two career home runs have come against the Dodgers.

Jake McCarthy blooped a ball just out of the reach of a diving Pages in shallow right field, hustling into second base for a hustle double. Colorado kept the rally going against Sasaki as Edouard Julien tied the game with a single to center field to score McCarthy. After getting two straight outs, with the latter being a strikeout of Goodman, Sasaki missed inside on a full count splitter to Freeman to put two men on with two out. After a mound visit from Will Smith, Dave Roberts got the ball from Sasaki, who tossed 52 pitches over his final 1 2/3+ innings. Alex Vesia bailed out Sasaki by getting a lineout from Rumfield to get out of the jam.

Four starts into the season, Roki Sasaki has seen subtle improvements, such as his ability to go three scoreless innings against Colorado, but his severely struggles after his first go-around through the starting lineup. While he maintains a scoreless ERA over the first two innings in each start, the right-hander now has a worrisome 11.17 ERA over innings 3 through 5 on the season. Sasaki did allow a season-low two strikeouts, which coincided with a season-low two strikeouts.

The Dodgers quickly got to Antonio Sanzatela as both Alex Call and Ward singled with one out, with Hyeseong Kim avoiding a double play and putting the lead runner at third. Freeland connected for his second RBI single of the day, bringing home Call and retaking the lead.

Will Klein came in for the sixth after taking the loss on Saturday, and worked around a leadoff baserunner to keep the lead intact. Blake Treinen also found himself with a man on base and nobody out in the bottom of the seventh, but this time he allowed a go-ahead two run home run on the first pitch to Moniak as the Rockies took their first lead of the afternoon. Goodman promptly followed the home run with a double, setting the stage for a broken bat bloop single from Freeman to put up a three-spot against Treinen.

Jack Dreyer extinguished the rally by striking out pinch hitter Ezequiel Tovar and getting Johnston to fly out, with a deke from Kyle Tucker in right field nearly doubling up Freeman at first. He later tried to go for second but was thrown out by Smith to end the inning.

Andy Pages and Hyeseong Kim both singled against Jimmy Herget to put two men on with two outs and the potential tying run at first. Alex Freeland, who already had two RBI earlier in the game, took a 3-1 pitch that landed just outside the outside corner for a called strike two but did not challenge the call. He drove a fly ball to deep center field on the very next pitch, but Brenton Doyle tracked it down at the warning track to keep the Rockies in front.

Edwin Díaz made his first appearance since his blown save against the Rangers nine days prior, and even with the heavy rest he faced early trouble by loading the bases with nobody out. Edouard Julien took advantage with a two-run single to knock Díaz out of the game and make it a four run lead. Mickey Moniak knocked home another run on a groundout to cement the Rockies’ second three-run inning of the game.

The Dodgers’ ninth-inning comeback attempt resulted in just two runs, as Will Smith drove home Ohtani on a single to right field to make it a four-run game. Max Muncy reached on his third single of the game before Victor Vodnik walked Andy Pages to load the bases with one out and bring the potential tying run to the plate. Dalton Rushing pinch hit for Alex Call, and nearly reached on a ground ball bobbled by Castro at second but only resulted in an RBI groundout. Ryan Ward, already in the biggest moment of his young career, served a soft fly ball to right center field, but was robbed of an RBI hit with a diving catch by Troy Johnston to sink the Dodgers into their first losing streak of the season.

Game particulars
  • Home runs— Kyle Karros (1), Mickey Moniak (6)
  • WP— Antonio Senzatela (1-0): 2 IP, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
  • LP— Blake Treinen (1-1): 0 IP, 4 hits, 3 earned runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
Up next

The Dodgers look to avoid losing a third straight game as they wrap things up against the Colorado Rockies on Monday (5:30 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA) before flying out to San Francisco for a three-game series against the Giants. Justin Wrobleski makes his third start of the year against left-hander Jose Quintana.