Sports
Brandon Marsh, Phillies eager to continue torrid play in clash vs. A's
May 5, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) high fives left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) after hitting a two RBI home run during the eighth inning against the Athletics at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images When the Philadelphia Phillies were 9-19, it seemed as if nothing was going their way.
The rejuvenated Phillies are happy to have some luck on their side as they head into Thursday night’s home game against the Athletics.
Since Don Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson as Philadelphia’s manager, the team is 8-1. The Phillies swept the San Francisco Giants last week and took three of four from the Miami Marlins before capturing their first two games against the Athletics this week.
The Phillies trailed Wednesday’s game 3-2 in the eighth before an error by A’s second baseman Jeff McNeil opened the door for a four-run inning. Edmundo Sosa had the go-ahead, two-run single in the frame, and Philadelphia went on to win 6-3.
“If you’re looking at some of the things that were happening early, it felt like every time we made a mistake, (the other team) capitalized,” Mattingly said. “Now we’re getting a break here and there, and we’re capitalizing. So when you’re catching some breaks and getting some big hits, you just want to ride this as long as you can.”
Brandon Marsh had three hits, including a triple, to lead the Phillies’ offensive attack. He enters Thursday’s contest with a hit in 12 of his last 13 games, including back-to-back three-hit efforts to open this series vs. the A’s.
“We talk about him every night, almost, right now, so we want to keep riding that,” Mattingly said of Marsh. “He’s swinging the bat good. He’s a big part of what we’re doing right now.”
The A’s, meanwhile, have lost four of their last five games and have given up an average of 9.3 runs in those four defeats. Jeffrey Springs put them in position to win Wednesday’s contest, as the left-hander allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings before the bullpen ran into trouble.
“Physically, I felt like the stuff was still pretty good,” said Springs, who threw 75 pitches after leaving his previous start with hip soreness. “Obviously I understand (manager Mark Kotsay’s) decision. That’s his call.”
Jack Perkins and Hogan Harris combined to allow four runs in the eighth inning, although McNeil’s error played a major role in the bullpen meltdown.
“Bullpen’s been doing well, but tonight we just couldn’t finish the game,” Kotsay said.
On Thursday, the Phillies will start rookie right-hander Andrew Painter (1-3, 5.28 ERA), who has yet to work six innings in any of his first six major league appearances. He allowed three runs in five innings Saturday in a 4-0 loss to the Marlins, although he gave up seven hits and three walks in an up-and-down performance.
“They’ve been close,” Painter said, referring to outings in which he’s been one pitch away from getting out of a key jam. “Today, I just shot myself in the foot.”
In his first career start against the A’s, Painter will oppose right-hander J.T. Ginn (0-1, 4.30 ERA), who will start against the Phillies for the first time.
Ginn allowed a season-worst five runs in 4 1/3 innings Friday against the Cleveland Guardians. He gave up five hits and a season-high five walks in an 8-5 setback.
“He tried to work out of trouble all night,” Kotsay said. “It just wasn’t his night tonight.”
A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz enters Thursday’s matchup with a 30-game on-base streak. He went 2-for-4 on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Commanders sign 1st-round pick Sonny Styles
Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles is selected by the Washington Commanders as the number seven pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Washington Commanders signed first-round draft pick Sonny Styles to his four-year rookie contract on Friday.
Styles, the seventh overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, will receive $37.2 million in fully guaranteed money that includes a $23.5 million signing bonus. The deal also includes a fifth-year team option.
The Commanders also signed the remaining members of their draft class: Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams (third round), Tennessee defensive end Joshua Josephs (fifth), Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (sixth), Michigan State center Matt Gulbin (sixth) and Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (seventh).
Styles, who was converted from safety to linebacker, recorded 82 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 14 games as a first-team All-American last season at Ohio State.
He totaled 244 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 53 career games with the Buckeyes.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cavaliers Need Major Changes After Falling Behind 2-0 to Pistons
The Detroit Pistons took a commanding 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers after a massive 107-97 win in game two. Cade Cunningham came through in the clutch for Detroit, the exact opposite of what occurred for the Cavs on the road.
Donovan Mitchell didn’t have a bad game two, but wasn’t able to get it going from beyond the arc. The real issue came from James Harden. In his age-36 season, Cleveland actually expected to get really playoff value out of Harden.
I feel a good description of Harden’s entire game came through with 40 seconds in the 4th quarter. Harden walked it up the floor, dribbled out the entire shot clock down six points, then immediately turned the ball over. You can live with Harden being a traffic cone on defense when he turns it up on offense, but he was simply the worst Cleveland player on both ends of the floor. He finished 3/13 from the field and had 4 horrible turnovers to go along with it.
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has been the worst coach in two straight series to start the playoffs, and if he wants to change things, he might have to make an insane move and bench Harden. I would love to see Harden contribute as an off-ball catch-and-shoot player, but he can’t seem to even accomplish that. If that’s the case, you might as well just try Craig Porter Jr. to see if he can provide energy.
I’m not sure if Cleveland is truly even dead in this series. Of course, they haven’t found any way to win on the road in the playoffs (0-5 thus far), but Detroit hasn’t wowed me with anything they’ve done. The Pistons’ defense has been aggressive and limited what Cleveland wanted to do, but the Cavs have played right into it. They’ve slowed the game down and relied on isolation, or high pick-n-roll offense right at half court, and it’s been insanely ugly for Cleveland.
Two things have to change for the Cavs. They need to get to the basket. In the third quarter, they made a run to make things interesting, then went right back to isolation basketball, zero ball movement, and James Harden starting the offense with 10 seconds left on the shot clock.
However, more important than that, they’ve simply got to make shots. They were 7/32 from three, while Detroit was 14/28. That’s the ball game. I have no idea why Atkinson continually blitzes Cunningham, which allows Detroit to finish a possession with a wide-open three. This is a bad defensive unit that struggles to make the right rotations. Quit overhelping; you’re letting a bad-shooting Pistons team get into a rhythm with easy catch-and-shoot threes.
Rebuilding in basketball is painful, but I’m not sure this Cavs team will ever be a real contender. Even if you somehow manage to get out of this round, you’re still left with a very flawed roster. Cleveland will have some tough decisions this offseason, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re seeing the last few games of this core in Cleveland.
Sports
Why Victor Wembanyama Needs an NBA Enforcer to Reach His Full Potential
Victor Wembanyama has taken 1,175 3-point shots in his NBA career.
No, that’s not counting warmups.
Think about that for a second …
The guy is 22 years old, for crying out loud.
In his first three NBA seasons, Stephen Curry, the greatest 3-point shooter of all-time, attempted 843 shots from beyond the arc in 180 games.
James Harden, one of the greatest gunners ever, chucked up 1,034 in 263 games in his first three years.
Even Reggie Miller, who never met a shot he didn’t like, launched only 785 in his first 241 games.
Wemby played his 187th game as a Spur on Wednesday night. He made two of his seven 3-point attempts. Hey, it sure beats 0-for-8, which was his inaccuracy rate in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Victor Wembanyama might soon be the greatest basketball player of all-time. He’s already the most unique.
But he’s never going to win a championship standing 25 feet from the basket.
Watching Mitch Johnson trot out a starting lineup that included De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie – four guys who make Kevin Durant look like King Kong – in Game 2, something occurred to me:
Maybe Wemby is sending a message.
You see, when Chet Holmgren came to the NBA, one of the first things the wily Sam Presti did was hire a bodyguard.
No, not Mr. T. Rather, Mr. H – 250-pound Isaiah Hartenstein.
His role: If someone touches Holmgren, touch back … harder.
Wemby, a human beanpole who could crack easier than Humpty Dumpty, needs exactly that. An enforcer.
Not someone whose name sounds like fine wine.
Maybe this is why Wemby stands almost a first down from the goal. Because nobody is willing to be his lead blocker.
Interestingly, the San Antonio Spurs do employ some beef. But it doesn’t complement the main course of the meal.
Luke Kornet is plenty big, but all he does is get in Wemby’s way. That is, if Johnson ever played them at the same time, which he doesn’t.
Mason Plumlee, Bismack Biyombo and Kelly Olynyk also weigh in as heavyweights, but if any is employed to do more than carry Wemby’s bags, it’s news to this series.
All can help Wembanyama defensively. And all need to help Wemby defensively, because coaches at this level know: The more energy you exert at the defensive end, the less you have at the offensive end.
Look at Jaylen Brown in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers. His coach had him guarding Joel Embiid. Then he expects him to drain critical 3-pointers at the end of a 40-minute night.
It doesn’t work that way.
And Brown is a real athlete. Wemby is, well, tall.
There’s no way he can expect to succeed long-term doing that kind of double-duty. More likely, he’ll get hurt. And the minute that happens, the Spurs are back in the lottery.
Hartenstein isn’t much different than the Spurs’ fearless foursome, but his role is different.
Holmgren is tall and slender. Wemby-slender, but not Wemby-tall. That makes a difference.
Holmgren is the Empire State Building. He touches the clouds. Wemby is the Sacramento Victory Beam. He touches the sky.
Holmgren is no taller than many other NBA centers. Lob to him at your own risk.
But he’s a more skilled perimeter player. Thus, he belongs among the shrubs. It helps clear a path to the hoop for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, two driving forces.
And Holmgren can actually shoot 3’s. He’s made 36.9% of his relatively modest 708 attempts in his first 183 regular-season games. Better yet, he’s 9-for-20 so far in five postseason games this season.
Wemby is no Holmgren, and that’s what vaults him to a taller status than just real good. He goes a full three inches farther north, with arms that resemble Plastic Man, which makes him the game’s most unstoppable force around the basket since Wilt Chamberlain.
And they had to change the rule to stop him.
Chamberlain was built like Ed Jones. He didn’t need a bodyguard. But Wemby does.
Can you imagine Maurice Lucas moving bodies around for him like he did for Bill Walton?
Like Charles Oakley did for Patrick Ewing?
Like Blake Griffin did for DeAndre Jordan?
The NBA has attempted to weed out its enforcers, but a few still exist. Just without diplomatic immunity.
In fact, each might be available to the Spurs next year for the right price.
Envision Draymond Green or Zion Williamson setting screens that allow the Human Backboard Cleaner to get within arm’s length of the rim 50 times a game. Wilt beware.
Maybe Myles Turner or Bobby Portis pulling a Wemby-shadowing big man away from the hoop simply by spotting up.
All four would help the big guy at both ends of the floor. And at what cost — one of the Spurs’ young players or two?
Who cares? They’d have Wemby. A fresher, closer-to-the-basket Wemby.
And that’s scary.
Perhaps what it would take would be a superior gutsy enough to grab Wemby by the arm and swing him into the offensive lane roller-derby style, before seconds later cross-checking him out of harm’s way on the defensive end.
LeBron James could do that.
Most importantly, Victor Wembanyama needs that.
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