Sports
After first rest day of season, Braves set to host hard-hitting Guardians
Apr 4, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher pitcher Bryce Elder (55) on the mound in the second inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss was happy his team finally got a day off on Thursday.
The Braves opened their season with 13 straight games and kick off a three-game homestand against the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Friday.
“I’ve never seen anything like 13 games in a row to start the season,” said Weiss, whose team won eight games in the season-opening gauntlet. “We talk about confronting the challenges of a major league season, and we had one right out of the gate and the guys met the challenge right on.”
Cleveland also had a day off on Thursday. Slade Cecconi (0-1, 5.23 ERA) is the expected starter against Atlanta. The 26-year-old right-hander was stellar in his last start on Sunday when he pitched six scoreless innings and gave up one hit and one walk with six strikeouts in a no-decision of a 1-0 home setback to the Chicago Cubs.
Atlanta counters with Bryce Elder (1-1, 0.00 ERA), who has covered 13 innings in his two starts without giving up an earned run. Elder is tied for the major league lead in ERA and is 11th with a 0.85 WHIP.
He was a hard-luck loser in his last start, as he pitched seven innings, allowed four hits and two unearned runs while striking out eight in a 2-1 setback to the host Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
After a three-game skid, the Braves took the final two games of a three-game set with the host Los Angeles Angels by winning the rubber match 8-2 on Wednesday. Because they scored 15 runs in their last two games, Weiss is optimistic the Braves’ offense has started to round into form, even as it waits for Austin Riley to heat up.
The Braves third baseman has a .200 batting average, three RBIs and has yet to homer in 13 games. Riley’s last two seasons were cut short due to injuries. He had season-ending core surgery last August and fractured wrist in 2024.
A return to the form he showed when he hit 33, 38 and 37 home runs in the three-year stretch from 2021 through 2023 would be a welcome addition to the Braves’ lineup.
“I’m not worried about Austin,” Weiss said. “He’s headed in the right direction. When you get off to a slow start to the season, it catches a lot of people’s attention. If this happens in June, no one blinks an eye. When you are coming out of the gates, the averages are skewed because you don’t have at-bats.”
Cleveland won two of three home games in its last series against the Kansas City Royals. The Guardians coasted to a 10-2 win on Wednesday as they pounded out 16 hits led by Angel Martinez’s 4-for-5 performance that featured a double, a grand slam and four RBIs.
“It’s fun for Angel,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “He has been working tremendously hard. He worked hard in the winter, and we saw it in the spring a little bit.”
Rhys Hoskins was 3-or-4 with three doubles and an RBI. Because of Hoskins’ approach at the plate, Vogt said he is an instrumental cog in the Cleveland lineup.
“Rhys is a professional hitter,” Vogt said. “The patience, the lack of chase, the ability to think along with pitchers and ability to go along with the Rolodex of what he sees. … A lot of at bats, he’s ready to go and swings at the right pitches. Having him in the middle of the order makes the lineup longer.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Browns sign 1st-round pick WR KC Concepcion
Jun 9, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver KC Concepcion (1) catches the ball during mandatory mini camp at Cross Country Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images The Cleveland Browns signed first-round draft pick KC Concepcion to his four-year rookie contract on Wednesday.
Concepcion, the 24th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, will receive $19.7 million in fully guaranteed money that includes a $10.8 million signing bonus. The deal also includes a fifth-year team option for the wide receiver from Texas A&M.
Concepcion, 21, recorded 61 catches for 919 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 75 yards and a score in 13 games in 2025, his first season with the Aggies after spending his previous two with North Carolina State.
Concepcion caught 124 passes for 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns, and rushed for two scores, in 25 games over two seasons for the Wolfpack. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year in 2023 after setting program records for a freshman with 71 receptions and 10 TDs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Crew sign veteran free agent D Brooks Lennon
Aug 6, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta United defender Brooks Lennon (11) celebrates after a victory over Atlas at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Columbus Crew have signed veteran defender Brooks Lennon in free agency.
Lennon, 28, is under contract through June 2027 with club options for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons.
He has 12 goals and 42 assists in 257 MLS matches with Real Salt Lake (2017-19) and Atlanta United (2020-25).
“Brooks is a proven MLS player whose versatility and skill set are a good complement to our roster,” Crew general manager Issa Tall said in a news release on Tuesday. “He is a hard-working player whose professionalism and ability to impact the game in multiple ways will provide important depth and competition within our group heading into the remainder of the season.”
Columbus will return from the World Cup break on July 22 against visiting New York City FC.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining the Crew,” Lennon said. “It’s an incredible organization with amazing facilities, and the way Columbus likes to play fits my style perfectly. I can’t wait to get going … and bring home wins for our fans.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Best Bets for Knicks vs. Spurs Game 4 at Madison Square Garden
Jun 8, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) shoots the ball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during game three of the 2026 NBA Finals in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The New York Knicks were living larger than Times Square when they opened the NBA Finals with two straight victories in San Antonio. But suddenly, the pressure is back on the Knicks after the Spurs delivered a big Game 3 triumph at Madison Square Garden.
New York badly needs to take Game 4 on Wednesday as a 3-1 lead sure beats being tied 2-2 with two of the final three games slated for San Antonio. And just imagine the worry the Knicks’ fans will feel if they start to sense the title drought since 1973 might continue.
The Spurs, of course, have pressures to deal with too. They don’t want to return to the Alamo City on the brink of elimination.
Spurs looked like a different team in Game 3
Digging the 0-2 hole in San Antonio put the Spurs in deep trouble but coach Mitch Johnson made adjustments and the Spurs played aggressively throughout the contest. Big man Victor Wembanyama looked fully in the moment while veterans Harrison Barnes (DNP) and Luke Kornet (nine minutes) were all but removed from the game plan.
Having three and sometimes four smaller athletic players who are solid with the ball to go with Wembanyama created positive advantages for San Antonio. Stephon Castle was sharp with 23 points while the Spurs worked around substandard shooting performances from De’Aaron Fox (4-of-14) and Dylan Harper (5-of-18).
The Knicks again saw Jalen Brunson (32 points) excel but Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with just 11 points and is scoreless in the fourth quarter in this series. New York’s offense will have to be better Wednesday if it wants to keep the lead in the series.
Spurs plus 2.5-point spread, -115 (DraftKings)
Wemby gets physical, finds comfort zone.
Wembanyama looked more like the third-place finisher in the MVP race when he scored 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting and committed just one turnover in Game 3. The rest of the stat line included eight rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.
He also seemed more settled in than his shaky Game 1 outing (6-of-21 shooting, six turnovers) and late Game 2 mishaps (pass off Castle’s back, missed 3-pointer prior to the buzzer) and could be ready to take control of the series. He made 18 of 29 two-point shots the past two games after making just 4 of 12 in Game 1.
Wemby also wasn’t taking any guff on Monday, though his toss of Brunson to the floor was a big-time cheap shot. He’s going to be a marked man in the Garden for the rest of his career but expect him to produce big in Game 4.
Wembanyama to score 27-plus points, -121 (DraftKings)
Our Current Best Offers
Channel debug: betting
Brunson has a trusted friend named OG.
Brunson (30-plus points, +120) has attempted a whopping 81 shots in the series but is making them at just a 37% clip. His 11-of-25 showing in Game 3 was his most efficient effort and he simply will always be counted on to carry the offense in every game.
While Towns (18-plus points, -114) could rebound, OG Anunoby might be the best bet to be Brunson’s scoring sidekick in Game 4. Anunoby scored 28 points on just 13 shots (making nine) for his best output since twice scoring 29 points in the first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Anunoby is 8-of-18 from 3-point range and shooting 54.3% overall in the Finals. With Towns being 0-for-6 shooting in the fourth quarter in the series, the final 12 minutes should be Anunoby’s time to share scoring duties with Brunson and his over/under is low based on his Game 3 showing.
OG Anunoby to score 17-plus points, -109 (DraftKings)
Our Current Best Offers
Channel debug: betting
Browns sign 1st-round pick WR KC Concepcion
Crew sign veteran free agent D Brooks Lennon
