Apr 21, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) throws against the Athletics during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: John Froschauer-Imagn Images | John Froschauer-Imagn Images
Josh Naylor returns to the Mariners lineup after sitting out yesterday’s game with quad tightness, just in time to play on a soggy field. Cool. Hope the first base side was extra-tarped.
I did the series preview for the Twins with Jake and looked at the last six Twins lineups. All of them were different, and yet none of them looked exactly like this. They really are just trying stuff out over there still.
Today’s Game Information:
Scheduled time: 4:40 PT
Actual start time: ???
TV: Mariners.TV, with Aaron Goldsmith and Angie Mentink, with Brad Adam as field reporter
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Gary Hill Jr. and Ryan Rowland-Smith
Anthony Kay will look to lower his ERA against the Angels tonight. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The White Sox will get their first look at the Angels this evening in an evenly matched series. Unfortunately, the game will be delayed by rain and additional storms coming through the area.
But before the game gets rolling, some news — both good and bad.
The good news: Sean Burke joined James Baldwin on July 14, 1996 at Kansas City (76 pitches over eight innings) and Mélido Pérez on June 1, 1990 vs. Minnesota (76 over 7 2/3) as the only White Sox pitchers since 1990 to throw 7 1/3-plus innings pitched on 76 pitches or fewer. Congrats to Burke on the great accomplishment during Sunday’s game!
And now for the bad: Tanner Murray suffered a fracture in his shoulder, requiring surgery. His recovery is set at four to six months, so there is a good chance the rookie is out for the season.
With one man down, the White Sox were able to reinstate Austin Hays, who suffered a right hamstring strain on April 6. He’ll set tonight, given his rehab assignment at Triple-A lasted all of two games.
Anthony Kay (1-1, 5.57 ERA) is on the mound tonight. Unlike much of the starting staff, Kay has struggled in recent starts.
Jack Kochanowicz will be on the mound for the visiting team. Kochanowicz is 2-0 with an ERA of 3.1o, so the chilly White Sox offense could be in trouble.
First pitch was scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CT, now delayed by rain. You can watch the game on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg was voted as the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2025-26 season on Monday, April 27, 2026.
Flagg finished ahead of the Charlotte Hornets' Kon Knueppel in a close race for the award. Flagg earned 56 first-place votes and totaled 412 points, while Knueppel had 44 first-place votes and 386 total points. The 26-point gap between them is the second smallest between the top-two finishers since the current voting format began in 2002-03, behind only a 15-point gap in 2021-22 when Scottie Barnes edged Evan Mobley for the award.
The Philadelphia 76ers' VJ Edgecombe finished third with 96 total points and one second-place vote.
Flagg joined two NBA icons by winning Rookie of the Year.
He became the second-youngest winner (19 years, 112 days as of April 12, the final day of the regular season), behind only LeBron James (19 years, 106 days in 2003-04). And, he joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies to lead their team in total points (1,473), rebounds (466), assists (316) and steals (84) since steals were first recorded in 1973-74.
This is a truly great honor,” Flagg said. “I’m grateful to receive this award and thankful to everyone in the Dallas Mavericks organization who believed in me from day one. None of this happens without my teammates, coaches and the people around me pushing me every day. I came here to compete and help this team win. This is just one step forward in what we’re building."
He had to show versatility early in the season, playing point guard before eventually moving to forward after Anthony Davis was traded.
Cooper Flagg stats
Flagg finished out the regular season averaging 21 points (leading all rookies), 6.7 rebounds (fourth among rookies) and 4.5 assists per game (second among rookies) in 70 games played. He shot 46.8% from the field and 29.5% from the 3-point line.
He scored a career-high 51 points on April 3 against the Orlando Magic, becoming the youngest player in the league's history to score 50+ in a game at 19 years, 103 days old. Flagg was also the first rookie to have four or more games with at least 40 points since Allen Iverson in 1996-97.
PORTLAND, OREGON - APRIL 26: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs attempts a dunk against Kris Murray #24 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of Game Four of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Moda Center on April 26, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. 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 Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs took a 3-1 lead against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. Despite trailing by 19 points in the first half, the Spurs came back with a vengeance, outscoring the Blazers 73-35 in the second half to win Game Four 114-93.
Victor Wembanyama returned from concussion protocols in Game Four and dominated as he did in Game One. Wembanyama owned the defensive end of the floor and gave the Spurs just enough offense to pull ahead. He was aided by his All-Star running mate, De’Aaron Fox, who led all scorers with 28 points. The Spurs are now -650 favorites on FanDuel to win Game Five in San Antonio to advance to the Western Conference Semis.
Wembanyama and Fox will lead our Game Four player grades. As a quick reminder, these 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.
Portland is at its best when it can get to the rim. They could not do that against Wembanyama. Seven blocks and four steals speak for themselves, but as we all know with Wemby, it’s more about the shots that don’t go up or the passes that don’t get made that define his impact. The Blazers only scored 38 points in the paint. Wembanyama effectively shut down their most potent offensive weapon: paint scoring.
Wembanyama settled a lot offensively in the first half. He put up some fairly baffling threes and mid-range jumpers as he tried to get back in a rhythm. Once he started to feast on lobs around the rim, the Spurs settled in offensively and blew out the Blazers. His shot selection keeps this from being an A+ game, but he was pretty darn close.
This may have been Fox’s best performance as a Spur. He has certainly had bigger scoring nights, but in terms of impact and stakes, this takes the cake. Fox was the offensive engine that got them back into the game and helped them extend the lead. He was smart about when he needed to get into the paint, and made some momentum-shattering shots from deep.
I have really liked what I’ve seen from Fox in this series, too. When he’s been matched up with Deni Advija, he’s gone chest to chest with him and done an admirable job shutting down his drives. With Wembanyama in the game, he’s been aggressive at the point of attack, creating turnovers. On Sunday, he had an incredible blocked three-point shot in the first quarter. That two-way impact is exactly what San Antonio needs from Fox for the rest of the playoffs.
Castle’s defensive effort has been incredible. He was left in for the third quarter despite playing with four fouls because of how impactful he has been. It felt like he was everywhere defensively as the Spurs started to storm back against Portland. Offensively, it was an up-and-down game, but his ability to hit spot-up threes has changed how the Blazers have to guard him. It’s to the point now where I don’t think they can continue to put a big on him and leave him completely alone.
It’s almost getting boring to write the Champagnie blurb in this series. He’s just doing his job. He hits open threes when they come his way, and he plays good enough defense not to get burned. He has worked in a few more drives, attacking the aggressive Portland closeouts. He seems to be gaining confidence as the series progresses, which is a good sign for the Spurs’ playoff chances.
Vassell’s shot selection was much better in Game Four. He made some clutch shots in the third quarter to help the Spurs get back into the game. He was a part of the defensive unit that locked down the Blazers in the second half. It wasn’t an explosive offensive game, but he helped the team in a major way.
San Antonio’s bench struggled overall. The Blazers’ bench outscored the Spurs’ bench 34-24. Harper was quiet in Game Four after his coming-out party in Game Three. It wasn’t a great game from Harper, but it’s hard to call it a bad one either. He has 0 turnovers, so he didn’t hurt them with the ball in his hands. When Castle was in foul trouble, Harper gave them a solid ball-handler to keep the momentum going.
This was not Kornet’s best game. He was still impactful on the offensive boards, but his inability to finish inside hurt San Antonio in the first half. With Wembanyama back, Kornet returns to a smaller bench role where he will be relied on to keep the defense in a decent spot while the starters rest.
Barnes had his most impactful play of the series so far when he made a big offensive rebound and then slammed it to give the Spurs the lead in the 3rd. He was a steady veteran presence in his 11 minutes. It was an inspired choice by Mitch Johnson to go to him over Carter Bryant when things got close in the third quarter.
Johnson needed a comeback game in a bad way. It wasn’t as loud as Harper’s in Game Three, but it felt like KJ had the type of performance that would build the confidence he needs going into the rest of the playoffs. He finally scored around the rim a bit more and was on the floor during the Spurs’ big run. It would be great to see him build off this performance in Game Five.
Mitch went with the vets in this key game. Bryant only meets the minute requirement by playing in garbage time. It was great to see him knock down open three-pointers. He looked much more confident letting it fly.
Apr 5, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter (22) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
- Philadelphia with a chance from the jump, and Silovs was ready for it.
- Early on, Penguins are having a hard time entering the o-zone. Philly not giving them much winning a lot of board battles, and taking it the other way. Don't seem very willing to play dump-and-chase.
- GOAL (PITTSBURGH): Elmer Soderblom (1), from Anthony Mantha and Parker Wotherspoon (2:45). Penguins lead the Flyers, 1-0.
- THAT is what the Penguins need to see more of from Mantha. He won the puck battle down low and fed it to Soderblom, who was breaking in the slot. The Penguins are going to need to be willing to play dump-and-chase and win a whole lot more of those battles if they expect to come back in this series.
- Sam Girard for tripping (4:17). Philadelphia to the power play.
- Penguins' fans are booing Trevor Zegras every time he touches the puck.
- The PK gets it done, and the Penguins are feeding off that momentum. They have a lot of jump now, and it would be in their best interest to take advantage of that.
- What a route by Rakell to get to a puck and get the cycle going after a Crosby dump. About 12 and a half to go in the first period.
- Silovs has come up with some stops early. The Penguins are, generally, getting the better of the play here in the first, but they are being outshot 7-3 at the midway point of the period.
- Penguins getting a ton of chances now. First line is cooking. And they draw a tripping penalty on Garnet Hathaway, but some punches are thrown after, and Malkin goes, too. Penguins still head to the power play (14:27).
- Novak takes Malkin's spot on PP1. Actually liked the look of that. Decisive with the puck and a good distributor. Set up a few chances there.
- Flyers kill off the Penguins' PP, get shorthanded chance that Silovs stops (when second unit was on).
- Vladar almost Vladar'd again (from Rakell in Game 4), this time from Blake Lizotte.
- Some chances exchanged in the closing minute of the period. Both goaltenders stood tall.
- END OF FIRST PERIOD -
Score: 1-0 Pittsburgh over Philadelphia | Goals from: Elmer Soderblom (PIT) | Shots on goal: Pittsburgh 11, Phildelphia 9
Second period
- Something I like about the Penguins' offensive zone attack today is that they're getting more bodies to the net. More traffic in front of Vladar. More chaos.
They're going to need that in order to beat him. He's been that good.
- GOAL (Pittsburgh): Connor Dewar (2), from Sidney Crosby and Blake Lizotte (3:17). Pittsburgh leads Philadelphia, 2-0
- What a snipe. That was in and out so fast that no one knew it went in the net at first. After a brief conversation amongst the officials, it was called a goal.
- GOAL (Philadelphia): Alex Bump (1), from Rasmus Ristolainen and Noah Cates (3:29). Pittsburgh leads Philadelphia, 2-1.
- Not a good goal from Silovs there. Leaked right through his five-hole. He's been outstanding in this series, but he'd want that one back. Time for his teammates to pick him up, just as he's done the same many times over in these two games.
- Dewar just missed another one. Second-chance opportunity, backhand missed the top-left corner of the net.
- Dan Vladar is really playing with fire. He almost gave up another one on a misplay, as Ben Kindel beat him to the puck and fired the puck to the left circle, where he was hoping a Penguin would be there. Luckily for Vladar, it was a teammate.
- Lots of neutral zone play in this period, but Karlsson takes a tripping penalty after turning the puck over to Konecny. Would have been a breakaway otherwise. Flyers to the power play (9:23).
- Really solid PK by the Penguins. Clogged shooting lanes and didn't give the Flyers too many looks. Forced them to the perimeter. (No shots on their PP).
- Chinakhov cannot hit the net for the life of him. He's overthinking it. Gotta just rip it.
- That Shea blast hit Sid. Couldn't put any weight on his leg. Hobbles to the bench.
- Crosby is back on the Penguins' bench. But the Flyers score in the meantime. Sanheim shoots one through traffic and off Karlsson's stick.
- GOAL (Philadelphia): Travis Sanheim (2), from Rasmus Ristolainen and Travis Konecny (15:06). Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are tied, 2-2.
- GOAL (Pittsburgh): Kris Letang (2), from Sidney Crosby and Ryan Shea (17:06). Pittsburgh leads Philadelphia, 3-2.
- And THAT, folks, is why you shoot the puck! Letang just floated that in the direction of Vladar, and it somehow finds its way behind him as he caved into the net. Throwing pucks at the net is never a bad thing. Case in point.
Huge goal for the Penguins. They needed a response after that unfortunate bounce on the tying goal. This is something this team has done all season long, and they need to continue pressuring and putting their foot on the gas.
- Kris Letang is having himself a second consecutive nice game. I really liked what I've seen from him in this one. Managing the puck a whole lot better than he was in the first three.
- END OF SECOND PERIOD -
Score: 3-2 Pittsburgh over Philadelphia | Goals from: Connor Dewar (PIT), Alex Bump (PHI), Travis Sanheim (PHI), Kris Letang (PIT) | Shots on goal: Pittsburgh 17, Philadelphia 14
Third period
- Bryan Rust almost scored one of the more impressive playoff goals by a Penguin in recent memory. Crosby feeds it to him off a turnover, Rust dekes around a Flyer, and he goes cross-crease and tries to stuff it in. Vladar pad save.
- Ryan Shea is out there with Karlsson to start the third. Interesting.
- Malkin draws an early tripping penalty on Emil Andrae. Penguins to the power play (1:37).
- Penguins possessing the puck well on the power play. Not shooting nearly enough. And not nearly enough movement.
- Chinakhov really needs to get going here. He's just playing way too nervous and gripping the stick a bit too tight. The floodgates will open if he just puts one in.
- The Crosby line has been a problem for the Flyers all game long. They're giving them fits. They're dominating in the offensive zone. Winning every battle and forechecking the heck out of this thing. Excellent stuff from them tonight.
- The Penguins have iced the puck three times in a row here midway through the third. Not ideal.
- Flyers had a hard time pulling Vladar at first because of Pens' pressure. Then, once they did, Pens had several opportunities to put the puck in the empty net and didn't.
- This is such a tight, tight contest. Pens are going to have to come up big here in the final 40 seconds.
- Sid dives for a puck and hits the post on the empty net. Icing with 9.9 seconds left.
- END OF GAME -
FINAL SCORE: Penguins 3, Flyers 2 | Flyers lead series, 3-2
Apr 25, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) drives on Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) in the second half during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Here are the NBA playoff games for Monday, April 27, 2026:
Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic — 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Phoenix Suns — 9:30 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves — 10:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
With Steve Kerr’s future with the Warriors still up in the air, could the outspoken coach finally make the long speculated move from the basketball gymnasium to the political arena?
Despite his frequent use of his platform to weigh in on current events and a personal connection to gun reform, Kerr, 60, has said in the past that he had no interest in running for elected office.
However, that was at the height of the Warriors’ dynasty, when things were more stable.
Kerr’s contract expired after the season and was upfront that he wasn’t sure what his future held. In a wide-ranging Q&A with The New Yorker’s Charles Bethea shortly after the Warriors were eliminated, Kerr made it clear that his unsettled situation hadn’t changed his thoughts on getting into politics.
“I don’t have any desire to go into politics,” Kerr said. “I love basketball. This is my world. All of my friends and my people are in this world. And whether I keep coaching the Warriors or not, I imagine I’ll be involved in basketball.”
Steve Kerr expressed regret for calling President Trump a “buffoon.’ Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
While Kerr may not view politics in his future, he did walk back certain comments he made regarding President Trump.
When asked about his infamous “buffoon” comment, Kerr expressed regret in his conversation with Bethea.
“But calling the President a buffoon, I kind of regret that, even though I felt it in my heart. It’s better to point out policy decisions, but also American values. What’s wrong with the things that he does.”
President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. REUTERS
Kerr is expected to meet with general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob in the near future to decide whether he returns for a 13th season to coach Steph Curry and continue their pursuit for a fifth championship together.
Curry said that he wants to play for “multiple” more years, and the Warriors would like Kerr to commit to a multiyear deal and some philosophical changes should he decide to come back, according to ESPN.
As for what his future holds, Kerr didn’t offer many clues. He has had a week to ponder now since he gave the two-hour interview last Monday in his office inside the Warriors’ arena.
Bethea, the interviewer, noted that Kerr “sound[ed] like a guy who wants to come back.”
“I don’t want to abandon those guys,” he said. “If Steph and Draymond were retiring this year, I think this would be an easy decision: we all go out together and the organization takes their new path. But it’s not that easy because I think Steph’s going to play another couple of years and I think we can still do some good things together.
“But these are all conversations that will happen in the next week or two and we’ll figure it out. And whatever happens, it’s going to end well. I know that, because it’s too important not to.”
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When a team goes down 3-0 in a Stanley Cup Playoff series, there typically isn't a whole lot going right. And it typically takes something close to divine intervention to come all the way back, as it's only happened four times in the history of the NHL.
So, when that fourth game ends up in the "W" column, it makes sense not to change anything and roll with whatever was working game-by-game.
"I think both [Silovs and Stuart Skinner] have done a really great job," head coach Dan Muse said. "I think it's good that both guys were always engaged, they're always ready to go. There's never that long lull with anybody not playing for a really long time, and so there's a rhythm that guys were able to keep throughout the course of the year. And they were able to build off the rhythm with the games they were playing."
And, while that tandem worked in the regular season, the Penguins simply have to ride whoever has the momentum from game to game in the playoffs. Silovs was brilliant Saturday, stopping 28 of 30 Flyers' shots on goal and making some key saves on odd-man breaks that could have buried the Penguins, much like Skinner was doing in the first three games of the series.
But the Penguins won the hockey game with Silovs in net, and they won the hockey game with a slightly adjusted lineup, too. Elmer Soderblom was back in for Justin Brazeau, the top line of Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby, and Bryan Rust was reunited - as was the second line of Egor Chinakhov, Tommy Novak, and Evgeni Malkin - and Ilya Solovyov took the place of Connor Clifton on the third defensive pairing.
Going back to what worked in Game 4 - even if there is still more to build on - was absolutely the right call, as the Penguins were finally able to get to the game that was working for them all season long and break through Philadelphia's neutral zone trap.
Crosby's line had a 100 percent chances for share - meaning they gave up no scoring chances against - and the second line had their fair share of looks as well. The power play is still something that the Penguins will need to work on, though, as is making sure they don't give up too many high-danger looks.
"I still think that there's another level that we can get to. I believe strongly in that," Muse said. "I think it just [starts] with the play with the puck, the puck support, I thought that was better. When you have that, I think it leads you to be in better positions as you navigate through the neutral zone.
"Overall, some of the decisions being made to try to set up the o-zone overall - it was better, but there's still room for even more there. I think we have to continue to take steps, continue to tighten things up defensively. We gave up too many odd-man rushes. Some of the chances we gave up last game, I think we can definitely clean up as well. But, it was more in line with the way we want to play."
If the Penguins are to keep their season alive, they absolutely need to improve upon those fundamentals from last game, and they are going to have to see yet another "W" in the result column. Going back to what worked in Game 4 - without a doubt - gives them the best chance to repeat victory and extend the series.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 25: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 and Myles Straw #3 soak Kazuma Okamoto #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays during his post-game interview after an MLB game against the Cleveland Guardians at Rogers Centre on April 25, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We get the Red Sox, with their new manager, for however long he lasts, for the next three games.
And, we’ve had the post on Max Scherzer, we won’t have him to kick around (more like other teams won’t have him to kick around) for at least the next 15 days. I wonder if he’d be willing to try the long reliever role? Likely, not. I’ll admit I’m using him for that in OOTP Baseball, and he’s been fine in the role. Course, in the game, Kevin Gausman was hurt, in his first start, and is out for the season.
I have to post the rules again, but let me say you are not allowed to insult people here. If you are the smartest in the room, show, not tell.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 20: Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (55) battle after the play during the first period in Game Two of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 20, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Apr 22, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Connor Prielipp (61) pitches against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
First Pitch (CT):6:40 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: Lookout Landing
After the latest bout of losing, it appears I need to adjust my previews back to “look at the bright side” mode. So, after losing 5 straight and 9 of their last 10, let’s pull a few positives.
Brooks Lee: Since infamously hitting himself in the face on a botched bunt (please watch it if you haven’t), the Twins’ shortstop is hitting .277/.338/.538 with 5 HR, 13 RBI, and a 140 wRC+ in 71 plate appearances. The defense has been poor and his pitch-level metrics say he’s been much worse (.227 xBA, .363 xSLG, hard hit rate lower than 2025, somehow) but this is probably the longest, successful stretch Lee has had at the plate in the Majors. Let’s appreciate it for now.
Connor Prielipp: His workload will still be limited for now, but you saw exactly why he’s the Twins’ top pitching prospect in his debut. Six strikeouts, a ton of swings and misses, and a slider that can make the best hitters look lost. Prielipp may have already jumped SWR in the rotation heirarchy, but we’ll cross that bridge when Mick Abel returns.
Austin Martin: You don’t need any fancy advanced stats to know he’s been arguably the Twins’ best hitter in the young season. Getting on base in 50% of your PAs will do that. But perhaps even more important, the early defensive metrics like his work so far, ranking above average in every system in all three of left field, right field, and center. Martin has reverse splits in the minors for his career, and combined with his new defensive strength, he should probably be in the lineup every day right now. With Wallner, Keaschall, Lewis, and Clemens all seriously struggling, it’s only a matter of time.
Now back to the game at hand. Prielipp is back on the mound in start two of his young career. He’ll face MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh and perennial All-Star Julio Rodriguez who are both struggling, but have found their footing a bit over the past week. The good news for Prielipp is outside of those two and postseason hero Randy Arozarena, the rest of the lineup is extremely poor with numbers rivaling the Minnesota’s own offensive incompetence.
For the the Twins, they’ll be facing veteran Luis Castillo who is probably past his prime at this point. Shelty is running out the usual lineup, with newly crowned Brooks Lee filling into the two hole amid Keaschall’s continued struggles. Unfortunately, my personal nemesis Kody Clemens (who has about 6 good weeks of baseball in his entire MLB career) continues to get starts at 1B. He’s a bad defender, hasn’t hit a lick, and doesn’t run the bases well. I know Josh Bell is a poor defender in his own right, but at least then you can get Martin or Caratini’s bats in the lineup.
Or start getting Martin reps at first at this point. Less Kody Clemens = better Minnesota Twins.
What’s cool is this picture isn’t even from today, it’s from last June, when the Mariners were also rained out in Minnesota. Get a roof, jerks! | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
The Seattle Mariners are fresh off what is both their first road series win and their first three-game series sweep of the season and headed to Minnesota to face a Twins team that is rebuilding after being sold for parts at last year’s trade deadline, which should be a harbinger of momentum finally shifting in Seattle’s favor. Unfortunately, the weather in Minnesota, as it always does, Sucks Out Loud, and tonight’s series opener will likely start in a delay if not get canceled entirely.
UPDATE, 4:30 PT: The warmup notification hit my phone screen so it looks like this one is starting on time. Head on over to the game thread and let’s all agree this almost-rain-delay never happened.
However, things do seem to be on the upswing. Both Brad Adam and Daniel Kramer report the Mariners have at least come out on the field to do pregame activities as the rain has stopped.
Still a tarp but now activity! Rain has stopped for now. No word on the game yet. pic.twitter.com/dAkELJTTqS
If tonight’s game is postponed, the Mariners will likely play a doubleheader tomorrow, followed by the regularly-scheduled day game for Wednesday before Thursday’s off day. The forecast in Minnesota says the rain should pass through tonight, but I trust the accuracy of a Midwest weather report about as much as I trust the proportions of my grandmother’s bourbon balls recipe (ingredients: 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup each nuts and chopped fruit, and “Bourbon, as much as you like”).
This is the second time in a row the Mariners have had to contend with Minnesota’s weather and Target Field’s lack of a roof; perhaps you remember the four and a half hour rain delay in the series finale last June that resulted in the Mariners getting walloped 10-1. The Mariners were lousy on the road in the rain last season, going 1-6 in games delayed by rain. I had the not-at-all pleasure of recapping the Little League Classic game and thus getting to excise some childhood trauma, literature edition (Mrs. Ward was wrong for assigning Asimov to third graders and I stand behind that). I also got this un-fun one in Baltimore, and apparently rain delays make me think about my childhood. Probably standard for a Seattle kid. But the one that mad me the maddest was probably the mid-game interruption at Yankee Stadium that threw Logan Gilbert off his game. Ryan had that one, which might explain his posts on Bluesky today.
This post – which will serve as an off-day open thread if tonight’s game is canceled – will be updated as we know more about tonight’s game, and Ryan, we assume, will keep Posting Through It.
TORONTO — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer was put on the 15-day injured list by the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday because of right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation.
A 41-year-old right-hander, Scherzer is 1-3 with a 9.64 ERA in five starts.
Toronto made the IL move retroactive to Saturday and recalled right-hander Chase Lee from Triple-A Buffalo.
Scherzer, who started Game 7 of last year’s World Series, remained with the Blue Jays by agreeing to a $3 million, one-year contract that allows him to earn $10 million in performance bonuses for innings starting with 65.
He allowed seven runs and six hits, including three home runs, in 2 1/3 innings during an 8-6 loss to Cleveland on Friday. It was the third time this season Scherzer failed to complete three innings.
He left an April 6 start against the Los Angeles Dodgers because of forearm pain, then allowed eight runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings in an April 12 defeat to Minnesota.
An eight-time All-Star, Scherzer went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts and 85 innings for the Blue Jays last season. He made three starts in the postseason, beating Seattle 8-2 in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series and making two starts in the World Series against the Dodgers.
Scherzer won titles with Washington in 2019 and Texas in 2023. He ranks 11th on the strikeouts list with 3,499, 10 behind Hall of Famer Walter Johnson.
