Sports
Cardinals' Dustin May eager to regain form in finale vs. Braves
Jun 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) reacts after throwing a complete game one hitter against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Dustin May will return to the mound for St. Louis after missing a start with an injury as the Cardinals visit the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night in the decisive contest of their three-game series.
The Cardinals recorded a 5-3 victory in the series opener on Tuesday before the Braves ended a three-game losing streak with a 5-1 win on Wednesday.
The Cardinals skipped May’s last start, against Miami, because of lower back tightness. The veteran right-hander (5-6, 4.30 ERA) will oppose Atlanta’s Hurston Waldrep (0-0, 0.00), who will make his first start of the season.
May will try to rebound from his worst game of the year when he was knocked out after giving up six runs in two innings against Kansas City on June 21. That was a shocking turn of events, as he was coming off a complete-game, one-hit shutout vs. San Diego and had thrown 15 consecutive scoreless frames.
“He’s feeling good,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. “He was able to touch the mound again and throw his side a couple days ago. Came out of that feeling really good, so he’s a full go (on Thursday).”
May has not fared well in his career vs. the Braves, going 0-2 with a 5.68 ERA in three career appearances (two starts) against them.
Waldrep, a right-hander, has been recovering from right elbow surgery to remove loose bodies that shut him down early in spring training. He made 10 appearances (nine starts) last season and went 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA. He was expected to be in Atlanta’s rotation this season.
Waldrep did pitch two scoreless innings of relief against San Francisco in his 2026 debut on Friday and is not expected to go deep into his first career outing vs. St. Louis.
He could be paired with Grant Holmes, who could be moved to long relief. The right-hander threw four scoreless innings and allowed only one hit in his last outing against the Giants on Saturday. The Braves lost 5-0.
“We’re not sure yet,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said after Wednesday’s game. “We’ve gotta figure that out. All we know is it’ll be Waldrep tomorrow. I’m not sure after that.”
Holmes has struggled against the Cardinals, pitching to an 11.25 ERA without a decision in three career appearances (one start). That start came last year, and he gave up five runs in three innings.
St. Louis right fielder Jordan Walker, who played at Decatur High School in the Atlanta area, had one of the team’s two hits on Wednesday. He doubled in a run and also threw out the fleet-footed Michael Harris II at the plate.
“He stayed on that ball really well for an RBI, and that throw was on the money, a real strong throw,” Marmol said. “He continues to just take really good steps on both sides.”
The Atlanta offense had some minor victories. Drake Baldwin, who ended an 0-for-36 streak on Tuesday, had a hit and scored two runs in Wednesday’s win. Austin Riley ended an 0-for-17 slump with an RBI single.
“It’s been kind of a Murphy’s Law here for a few weeks, but maybe it’s a sign of the tide turning a little bit,” Weiss said. “Things can snowball in this game one way or the other — and it’s certainly snowballed the wrong direction here recently — but some good signs tonight.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Why Tim Hardaway Sr. Refused to Unretire His No. 10 for His Son
Tim Hardaway finished his 13-season NBA career with 7,095 assists, nearly 5,000 more than Larry Nance collected over that span.
Nance still holds the head-to-head edge in unofficial, off-court helpers, however, and it isn’t close — although Hardaway and his son, Tim Jr., apparently remain so despite recent doings.
Faced with an opportunity to channel Nance and allow his child to unretire a number he once wore, “Tim Bug” essentially said “Humbug!” to the prospect of Hardaway Jr. donning No. 10 for the Miami Heat, with whom he signed Tuesday.
Is it unfair to cast the elder Hardaway in a Scrooge-like light, even facetiously? Probably. What it is, though, is interesting. Engaging. In other words, something the first few days of the free-agency carousel command.
We figure to learn where LeBron James lands soon enough. There looks to be a short list of viable suitors for the superstar, who is seeking to play a 24th NBA season after informing the Los Angeles Lakers he won’t be returning in purple and gold.
One oft-estimated spot for LBJ is Miami, which James helped to two championships and four Finals appearances from 2010-11 to 2013-14.
No Heat teammate wore No. 10 during James’ tenure in South Beach. In fact, no one has since Miami shipped the elder Hardaway to the Dallas Mavericks in 2001.
The Heat retired Hardaway’s No. 10 in October 2009, when Junior was preparing for a senior year at Miami’s Palmetto High that preceded a star turn at Michigan and a durable pro career that’s still going – 893 games with five teams.
Hardaway Jr. donned his dad’s number with the Wolverines and over parts of his 13 NBA seasons. But it’s no dice in Miami.
“My legacy is my legacy, and he’s doing it his way,” Hardaway Sr. told Miami’s WQAM radio on Wednesday. “Even though he likes to wear 10, he loves to wear 10, but that is not coming down from the rafters.”
It was nearly 8 ½ years ago when Larry Nance Jr. encountered far less resistance from his pops upon joining the Cleveland Cavaliers, for which Big Larry played power forward for parts of seven seasons, concluding in 1993-94.
Thanks to special permission from the NBA, Nance Jr. wore his dad’s No. 22 while the number remained in the Quicken Loans Arena rafters. He wore No. 24 for his first few games with the team before switching.
“My dad is a man of few words,” Nance Jr. said in February 2018, “so he kind of just let me know with a smile that he was excited.”
Nance Jr. also wore No. 22 in his second stint with the Cavs this season.
Hardaway Sr. ostensibly dipped into Nance Sr.’s grandstanding allotment when justifying his decision to WQAM, starting by doubling down on the notion that building a legacy that warrants a number retirement is “tough to do.”
“And when it’s up there, you want it to stay up there and you don’t want nobody to touch it,” he continued. “And you know, I love him. I love him to death. I’m happy for him. I’m living a life again watching him play, through college and the NBA. … So I’m happy that he’s doing it, but no, he can’t even wear No. 10.”
As the NBA world awaits James’ decision, one wonders what kind of perks package Bronny James might have to offer his dad to get the Lakers’ sure-to-be-retired No. 23.
Of course, LA could see this as opportunity to jettison the younger James, perhaps to LeBron’s next suitor once he finds one.
Until that shoe drops, let’s recognize Tim Hardaway Sr. — and his right to come down with both feet.
Sports
A's belt 3 home runs, salvage series finale against Dodgers
Jul 1, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) is greeted by left fielder Teoscar Hernández (37) )after hitting a one run home run during the third inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Jonah Heim, Shea Langeliers and Alika Williams hit homers and J.T. Ginn pitched six solid innings to help the Athletics cruise to a 7-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday in West Sacramento, Calif.
Heim drove in two runs, and he, Langeliers, Nick Kurtz, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Henry Bolte each had two hits for the Athletics, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Freddie Freeman homered and Miguel Rojas had two hits for the Dodgers, who finished a 7-2 road trip. Los Angeles had just five hits after totaling 18 runs and 31 hits while winning the first two games of the three-game series.
Ginn (7-4) gave up one run and three hits. He walked five and struck out four while winning for the fifth time in his past six decisions.
Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts for the Dodgers. Freeman left the game before the bottom of the sixth inning.
Charlie Barnes (0-1) was the second pitcher for Los Angeles, and he gave up seven runs and 12 hits over seven innings. He struck out two and walked two.
Barnes entered in the second inning and Heim sent his first pitch, a fastball, 444 feet over the fence in center.
Los Angeles tied the game with one out in the third when Freeman smacked a 431-foot homer to right-center.
The Athletics moved ahead in the fourth after Heim walked to start the inning and Kuroda-Grauer doubled. Lawrence Butler’s infield out plated Heim, and Bolte followed with an RBI single for a 3-1 lead.
Langeliers led off the fifth by sending a 433-foot blast over the wall in left-center. Kurtz singled and Colby Thomas hit an RBI double to make it 5-1 before the latter came home on a single by Heim.
Williams homered with two outs in the eighth to finish the scoring.
Jack Dreyer served as the opener for the Dodgers and struck out the side in the first before giving way to Barnes.
The Athletics announced before the game that two-time All-Star Brent Rooker (left knee) would soon undergo season-ending surgery.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lightning sign D John Carlson to 2-year, $17M contract
May 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Carlson (74) warms up before the start of game two against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images The Tampa Bay Lightning added one of the top defensemen on the free-agent market Wednesday, signing John Carlson to a two-year, $17 million contract.
The deal carries an $8.5 million cap hit for Carlson, who reached the open market after a brief negotiating window with the Carolina Hurricanes did not lead to a contract. Carolina acquired Carlson’s rights from the Anaheim Ducks on June 27 for defenseman Kyle Masters and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick, but the sides were unable to complete a deal before free agency opened July 1.
Carlson, 36, spent last season with the Washington Capitals and Ducks, finishing with 14 goals and 60 points in 71 games while averaging 23:10 of ice time. Anaheim acquired him from Washington at the trade deadline, and Carlson added six assists in 12 playoff games as the Ducks reached the second round.
The signing provides Tampa Bay with a veteran right-shot defenseman who has a long history of high-level production and heavy ice time. Carlson is coming off an eight-year, $64 million contract that he signed after winning the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018.
Selected by Washington with the No. 27 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, Carlson recorded 170 goals and 615 assists across 1,159 regular-season games with the Capitals (2009-26) and Ducks. He was a major part of Washington’s Cup run, producing five goals and 20 points in 24 playoff games.
–Field Level Media
Why Tim Hardaway Sr. Refused to Unretire His No. 10 for His Son
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