May 15, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe (45) celebrates after the third Minnesota Twins out in the top of the eighth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
First Pitch: 6:10 pm CDT TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy
The Twins aren’t actually THAT far below .500, but when a Friday night home game feels like a road trip, “core” players are being optioned to Triple-A, and the Chicago White Sox are above you in the standings, it’s hard not to feel a little pessimistic. Minnesota’s third-place position is emblematic of the American League Central’s reputation, as well as the general stature of a 2026 American League which features four teams with winning records.
Still, the Twins are coming off consecutive series wins, and still have a chance to win their Rivalry Weekend matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers. On top of that, they’ll be able to see if Connor Prielipp can sustain his early-career success; he enters his fifth major-league start having allowed only 12 hits in 19 innings, including a one-hit performance against the Seattle Mariners and a three-hit outing against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Brew Crew will send out righty Logan Henderson, in his second big-league season after a cup of coffee with the Brewers in 2025. Henderson rocks a four-seamer on the slow side, as well as a changeup with decent early returns and a cutter/slider combo to round things out.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 15: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round Two Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 15, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs are 2-0 in elimination games this postseason. The Silver and Black smacked the Minnesota Timberwolves 139-109 in Game 6 to secure a spot in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2017. In a series that felt incredibly close through all six games, the Spurs won three games by 29 points or more. Now they’ll get a chance to play the Oklahoma City Thunder with an NBA Finals appearance on the line.
The Spurs got a full-team effort in the victory. All but one player who logged a minute got a bucket, and six players scored double digits. They were led by Stephon Castle, who had his best game of the playoffs so far. They’ll need similar performances in the next round, where they will be underdogs for the first time this postseason. The Thunder are -260 favorites to win the Western Conference on FanDuel.
Since the Spurs won an elimination game, these player grades will be on a curve. As a quick reminder, player grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
Wembanyama didn’t need to carry the weight offensively thanks to the all-around performance of his teammates. Still, he was super efficient, mainly taking shots inside the paint, scoring over the top of the Wolves on lobs or put-backs. He had a good whistle on Friday, as he got to the line 9 times, converting 7 free throws.
Defensively, it was the same story as it has been all series. He took away a lot of looks in the paint, and almost every floater or mid-range jumper outside of it. Minnesota never found any answers for Wemby in this series, and that’s a big part of why the Spurs won it.
This was Fox’s best game of the series. He was in total control from tip-off. He got to his spots with ease and scored at will in the paint. His three-point jumper was finally working. Maybe it was because he was left wide open by the Wolves on most of his three attempts. Got to his spots and hit shots. He continued to be a strong point defensively, funneling Minnesota’s ball-handlers into Wembanyama. This is two straight elimination games where Fox has played well, which is a good sign for San Antonio’s next series.
This might have been the best game of Castle’s playoff career. He set the tone early, scoring 14 first-quarter points. The Wolves came out guarding Castle with Gobert in an effort to get him roaming for blocks on defense. It did not work. Castle still got into the paint when he wanted, and he made Gobert pay for sagging off of him, making 5-for-7 of his three-pointers.
Castle has kind of been the enforcer for the Spurs throughout the playoffs. It’s fitting that he closed it out by enforcing his will on the Wolves.
Champagnie was an eye-popping +35 in this game. His defense off the ball was fantastic, as he got into the passing lanes for steals. He hit devastating shots from three (including one right in front of Alex Rodriguez) and got to the rim for a sweet finish in traffic. Champagnie has been doing exactly what contenders need from their role players – hit shots and defend well.
Vassell hit timely shots as the Spurs were making their large runs in the second and third quarters. It’s great to see some of his threes start to fall after going so cold from deep for most of the playoffs. He should be commended for his efforts guarding Anthony Edwards in this series. That was a very difficult matchup, and he rose to the test. It bodes well for the Spurs, who will likely need him to spend some time guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the WCF.
Harper continues to thrive as a defender. He’s so strong and athletic, and his motor is much higher than a lot of guards his age. Guarding at the point of attack and grabbing contested rebounds were some of the most impactful things he did in this series. On the other end, he is developing into one of the league’s most promising young scorers. He can just finish in the rim in a variety of ways – through contact, over the top of shot blockers, or putting English on the ball to get it around the defense. Harper was fantastic on Friday and is going to be a very special player moving forward.
It wasn’t Johnson’s best night. He was benched after some poor on- and off-ball defense in the second quarter. Teams with athleticism and length are a tough matchup for him. We’ll see if he can turn things around against OKC.
Kornet was excellent at protecting the rim on Friday. He was in the right places positionally and got his hands on enough balls to stop the Wolves from scoring at the basket. He becomes a very important player for the WCF. The Thunder have big, physical centers like Isaiah Hartenstein, who Kornet will need to contend with inside.
Barnes played some fun minutes in the fourth quarter. He knocked down a corner 3 and was active on the glass. He’s largely been out of the rotation in the playoffs. We’ll see if he has a role in the next round against OKC.
Bryant’s energy was incredible off the bench. He was a big part of the second-quarter run that built a big lead. His defensive effort on Edwards was great. He’s so physical, fast, and long that he can really pester opposing guards. He still needs to work on being better positionally, and he can overplay on the ball, but the effort and athleticism make up for those mistakes. He’s going to be a quality player when he puts it all together.
BOSTON, MA - MAY 10: Trevor Story #10 and Andruw Monasterio #32 of the Boston Red Sox interact during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday, May 10, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Chad Tracy hasn’t exactly shaken things up since taking charge of the Red Sox. But, my god, this man does love him some Mickey Gasper.
Gasper and his ‘stache will once again bat second tonight, and this time he’ll do so as the catcher instead of the DH. That’s not the craziest call in the world when you consider that he’s had plenty of experience with tonight’s starter, Payton Tolle.
If you were wondering whether Marcelo Mayer would claim the shortstop spot in Trevor Story’s absence, keep wondering. He’s back at second tonight with Andruw Monasterio slotting in at short. And check it out: a Masataka Yoshida sighting. They’ll take on Bryce Harper Dallas Howard Elder, who, oh yeah, leads baseball in ERA this year. Let’s see if the Red Sox can outscore the New England Revolution.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MAY 13: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres hits a single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning at American Family Field on May 13, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (26-18) at Seattle Mariners (22-24), May 16, 2026, 4:15 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
Jul 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; The Silver Boot trophy is on display on the concourse for the Lone Star series with the Texas Rangers playinng against the Houston Astros at Global Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
LAVAL, Quebec (AP) — Maggie Flaherty scored 14:12 into overtime to give the Montreal Victoire a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Charge in Game 2 of the Professional Women’s Hockey League 's Walter Cup final on Saturday.
Flaherty one-timed Marie-Philip Poulin's pass in the slot and fired the puck past goaltender Gwyneth Philips for her second goal of the playoffs.
The win gave Montreal a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, with the Victoire winning the opener 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night.
Ottawa will host Game 3 on Monday as the Charge face elimination for the first time in this postseason.
Kati Tabin had the other Montreal goal. Sarah Wozniewicz scored for the Charge.
Ottawa was held without a shot for the first eight minutes of the game, but opened the scoring on its first opportunity.
After a shot hit the post behind Montreal goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens, Wozniewicz found the puck in the crease and tucked it in the net.
Montreal outshot the Charge 11-5 in the opening period, despite killing the period’s only penalty.
The Victoire tied the game 32 seconds into the second period.
Off the faceoff, Tabin picked up a loose puck and roofed a backhand on Philips. It was the defender’s first goal of the playoffs.
It was the only goal of a physical middle period, with Ottawa outshooting Montreal 6-4. The best chance was Montreal’s Laura Stacey's breakaway attempt when her wrist shot hit the crossbar.
The Colorado Avalanche skated back onto the ice Saturday following a brief break, though the roster still wasn’t fully whole.
Absent from the on-ice session were defensemen Cale Makar and Brent Burns, along with forward Artturi Lehkonen. Defenseman Josh Manson briefly skated before returning to the locker room, while fellow blueliner Sam Malinski took part in a red non-contact jersey.
“They’re all dealing with stuff in their day-to-day,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar explained.
Expected to be back at practice soon?
“Yeah,” Bednar responded. “I think some of them will practice in the time we have.”
Lehkonen and Malinski both missed the final two games of the Minnesota series due to upper-body injuries, while Manson has also been managing an upper-body issue. Makar, a Norris Trophy finalist, exited after a collision late in Game 5 before returning to help Colorado secure a 4-3 overtime win. Burns, 41, hasn't missed a game in over 13 years.
Vegas Presents A Completely Different Challenge
Colorado leaned heavily on its stars throughout the second round, especially with injuries forcing constant adjustments on the back end. Cale Makar and Devon Toews logged massive minutes, while Nathan MacKinnon continued carrying a huge offensive workload during the Avalanche’s five-game series win over Minnesota.
Now the challenge gets even tougher.
Vegas enters the Western Conference Final with depth throughout the lineup, an aggressive forecheck, and the kind of postseason experience that has repeatedly overwhelmed opponents this time of year. That makes Colorado’s health situation impossible to ignore heading into Game 1.
The Avalanche have spent most of the playoffs proving they can withstand injuries.
Whether they can continue doing it against the Golden Knights may ultimately decide how far this postseason run goes.
How do you guys think the Avalanche will fair against Vegas this time around? Let us know in the comments.
Apr 16, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Walker Buehler (10) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
The Seattle Mariners saw their four-year run of Vedder Cup dominance end last night, as the San Diego Padres blanked them 2-0 in a disappointing display that resembled many Friar victories this season: get a lead, then hand things to the bullpen and crush the final squirms of resistance.
Today is a new opportunity, however, as Seattle can still salvage this weekend’s series and attempt to end Sunday back at .500. To do so, they’ll be hoping to get to San Diego’s starter. Randy Vásquez stifled Seattle’s offense last night, but veteran Walker Buehler has not had quite as much success this year. He’ll mirror Logan Gilbert, fresh off Walter’s best outing of 2026.
Cal Raleigh remains sidelined, but Kate took some time with the Big Dumper to discuss the difficulties of accepting “unavailability” when his career and success has been defined both internally and externally in large part by uncommonly impressive durability.
Lineups:
While originally scheduled to play, both Brendan Donovan and Mitch Garver have been scratched from the lineup. The updated lineup has moved J.P. Crawford up to the leadoff spot, with Leo Rivas taking over at third base and Jhonny Pereda taking his second straight day behind the dish.
Updated lineup:
SS Crawford CF Rodríguez 1B Naylor LF Arozarena RF Raley 2B Young DH Canzone C Pereda 3B Rivas
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 15: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates in the dugout after scoring in the first inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on May 15, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers will go for their fifth-straight series win this evening (not counting the 1-1 series split with St. Louis), as they’ll take on the Minnesota Twins following a come-from-behind victory last night. The Twins have lost six of their last eight series going back to mid-April.
Young pitching will continue to be the centerpoint in game two, as Logan Henderson will make his fourth start of the season. Henderson has been consistent over his first four starts on the season, allowing at least two runs in each appearance, while also keeping the walks to a minimum, with at least one walk in two of those three outings.
On the flip side for the Twins, they’ll send out their 25-year-old rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp, who has been off to a great start in 2026. Through four games with the Twins, he has posted a 3.32 ERA through 19 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts. His last was a frustrating one as the Cleveland Guardians scored four runs on him.
Even though pitching hasn’t been much of a weak link for the Crew this season, they’re beginning to get healthier as the season moves onward. Though there hasn’t been an official announcement yet, Robert Gasser has a locker in the Twin Cities today and is back with the team for the first time this season. Gasser had a couple of setbacks last year after spending a couple of stints on the 60-day injured list.
Robert Gasser is in the Brewers clubhouse in Minnesota.
After another stellar outing last night, Coleman Crow was optioned back to Triple-A while Peter Strezlecki was selected from there. Strezlecki rejoined the Brewers back in February after spending all of 2025 with the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. Strezlecki had about as good a rookie season as one could ask for back in 2022 with the Brewers, appearing in 30 games and posting a 2.83 ERA.
Taking a look at the lineups tonight, Christian Yelich is out of the lineup for the fourth straight game. With the southpaw on the mound, Brice Turang and Sal Frelick are the lone lefties in the batting order tonight.
First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. on the Brewers Radio Network and Brewers.TV.
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 15: Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo (9) is congratulated by Cleveland Guardians center fielder Steven Kwan (38) after scoring a run during the eighth inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians on May 15, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 15: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves reacts as he rounds third base after hitting a solo homer in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park on May 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, I’m not going to say the “Mauricio Dubon leads off against lefties” experiment is over, but whatever the case may be, it’s at least on hiatus for tonight’s game against Payton Tolle and the Red Sox:
Austin Riley is back hitting cleanup, and Michael Harris II has dropped to sixth. These all sort make sense if you think the lineup as responding to semi-recent trends as Riley has hit pretty well over the last two weeks, while Dubon and Harris have been okay at best in that span. The bottom of the lineup is what it is, for another day. The Braves find ways to keep winning anyway.
This will be Riley’s first time hitting cleanup since April 23; with this start, he will once again take over the mantle of “has hit cleanup for the Braves in 2026 most often” which he currently shares with Matt Olson. The Braves have used 32 different batting orders in 45 games so far; this game will make it 33 in 46.
The Red Sox will deploy a lineup pretty similar to the one the Braves experience last night, except that Mickey Gasper is catching, such that Carlos Narvaez is pushed to the bench in favor of Masataka Yoshida starting at DH. When you look at the Statcast game preview above, you can see why the Red Sox have struggled to plate runs, as only Gasper, Wilyer Abreu, and Willson Contreras have any semblance of good batting inputs.
This is also a novel Red Sox lineup, and the second time that Gasper will start behind the plate.
Gasper, Yoshida, and Durbin have not faced Bryce Elder in their respective careers; the other six guys in the Red Sox lineup have, but none have double-digit PAs in the matchup. The collective line is a .162 wOBA and .191 xwOBA in 26 PAs, which really isn’t anything at all.
Nobody in the Braves’ lineup has faced Tolle before, which makes sense given that the youngster hasn’t pitched much in the majors and hasn’t yet faced the Braves. Elder has faced the Red Sox just once before — a game last year where he gave up a three-run double to Trevor Story in the first, and the game ended 3-1 with no runs scoring beyond the first inning.
We could go through this game play by play and try to deeply analyze it, but they’ve lost six in a row. For the third straight game, the offense looked completely outmatched by a pitcher who has never shown the ability to dominate a lineup. So let’s just hit some highlights and then try to enjoy our Saturday evenings, shall we?
Noah Cameron pitched his second quality start of the year. He did it by drastically reducing his cutter and slider usage. Mostly, he did this in favor of his fastball, though he threw a few more changeups than he had averaged this year, too. His curveball percentage remained roughly the same. The new arm angle has improved his fastball shape, so leaning on it was probably a smart idea, and it mostly worked, at least for today.
Matt Strahm hit the IL after landing awkwardly in a couple of his pitches yesterday. That was convenient for the Royals because they had to activate Bailey Falter from his rehab assignment today. Bailey pitched the final two innings of the game in relief, and, well, it wasn’t pretty. He got out of his first inning of work facing only three batters, but ended up giving up a run in the second on a pair of hits and a walk. It was the kind of outing where if you had faith in the guy before, you’d want to see him go again, but if you thought he was trash before, he did nothing to change your mind.
Vinnie Pasquantino did collect a two-out RBI single in the top of the fifth, which was nice to see. Jac Caglianone also hit a mammoth home run in the top of the ninth. It’s always fun to see Jac hammer one.
The Royals will attempt to avoid their second winless road trip of the year tomorrow afternoon. Stephen Kolek (6.75 ERA) will get his third start for KC this year and start a new quality start streak. Andre Pallante (4.46 ERA) will go for the Cardinals. The game starts at 1:15 Central, and, as has been the case all weekend, will be free on MLB.TV, along with almost every other game as part of Rivalry Weekend.
NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes’ broken leg should heal in time for him to pitch again for the team during the final two months of this season.
Holmes’ right fibula was fractured by a 111.1 mph comebacker off the bat of the Yankees’ Spencer Jones during the Mets’ 5-2 loss on Friday night.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the leg will need six to eight weeks to heal and the 33-year-old right-hander will need a spring training-type ramp-up, usually about six weeks.
“Yes, definitely we’ll see him this season,” Mendoza said.
Holmes is 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA for the Mets, who began Saturday last in the NL East at 18-26 despite starting the season with baseball’s highest payroll. He was placed on the 15-day injured list by the Mets, who recalled right-hander Joey Gerber from Triple-A Syracuse.
Holmes joined shortstop Francisco Lindor, catcher Francisco Alvarez, first baseman Jorge Polanco and center fielder Luis Robert Jr. on the IL along with ineffective starting pitcher Kodai Senga and backups Ronny Mauricio and Jared Young.
“Not going to lie. Last night was tough. We’ve been hit a lot this year with a lot of superstars, with a lot of key players, but yesterday felt different.” Mendoza said. “It’s a combination of a lot of things, not only the injuries, but what Clay means to this team not only on the field, but off the field: the competitor, the person, the human, what it means to that clubhouse and what it means to the team in their rotation. So that’s why yesterday felt different.”
