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Celtics launch long homestand against NBA-best Cavaliers

NBA: Boston Celtics at Detroit PistonsFeb 26, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles on Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to extend their eight-game winning streak Friday night when they visit the Boston Celtics in a matchup between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference standings.

Cleveland leads Boston by 6.5 games, but has lost two of the three meetings against the Celtics this season. Boston prevailed at home 120-117 on Nov. 19, and at Cleveland 112-105 on Feb. 4. Cleveland, which has the best record in the NBA, earned a 115-111 home win against the Celtics on Dec. 1.

“We’re playing well,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Now the real test is Boston. We’ll see if we can keep our standards high, go in there and get a win.”

Atkinson said he doesn’t plan to use a vanilla game plan in an attempt to keep things hidden in the event the Celtics and Cavaliers meet in the playoffs.

“We still have to prove we can beat them — beat them at their place,” he said. “I think we go in there kind of guns a blazing. We gotta go for the win, whatever it takes. Throw everything out there and then after that game we’ll kind of surmise what we can do in the playoffs, but we’re not going to hold anything back.”

Boston’s six-game winning streak came to an end with Wednesday’s 117-97 road loss to the Detroit Pistons. It was the fifth time the Celtics failed to score at least 100 points this season. The Celtics made 12 2-point field goals in the loss, which is the fewest 2-point field goals the team has made in a game during the franchise’s history.

Boston was without Jaylen Brown (left thigh contusion) and Luke Kornet (personal reasons) against the Pistons. Brown is the team’s No. 2 scorer (22.9 points per game) and Kornet is averaging 5.2 points and 17.2 minutes per contest.

Jayson Tatum said because the Celtics last season’s NBA championship, they have to be at their best — or close to it — every game if they expect to win.

“In recent years we’ve gotten everybody’s really good shot,” he said. “Now, on a nightly basis, we get everybody’s best shot. We’re like the standard … and that’s with any NBA champion the next year. They are the standard and guys are trying to get what they have.

“We do a really good job of responding, and I have no doubt we will do that Friday night.”

De’Andre Hunter is shooting 50 percent from the field and averaging 14 points per game in six games since the Cavaliers acquired him from the Hawks.

“He’s not just trying to fit in,” Atkinson said. “He’s really come into our team with force and kind of imposed his will at both ends. Sometimes after a trade, like I said, guys just want to fit in. They don’t want to step on anybody’s toes. He’s just struck the right balance at both ends.”

Darius Garland has missed Cleveland’s past two games with a left hip contusion.

Garland is averaging 21.3 points and 6.7 assists in 30.1 minutes per game.

The Friday game will kick off a seven-game homestand for Boston. The Celtics have an 18-10 record at home this season but are 24-7 on the road.

“We’re going to be home for a while,” Tatum said. “Get back to defending our home court, get some wins and just play well in front of our home crowd. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”

–Field Level Media

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Jose Ramirez hits 3 doubles to guide Guardians over Yankees

May 31, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after scoring during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesMay 31, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after scoring during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Jose Ramirez hit a tiebreaking double with one out in the fifth inning and the visiting Cleveland Guardians earned a 9-4 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday.

Ramirez had three doubles for the fifth time in his storied career, and the first since Aug. 26, 2024 against Kansas City.

He doubled in three straight at-bats in the fourth, fifth and seventh, producing his third three-hit game this season.

Ramirez’s second double snapped a 4-4 tie. After the Guardians loaded the bases when Brayan Rocchio was plunked by New York’s Cam Schlittler (7-3), rookie Travis Bazzana lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

Ramirez followed by ripping a 2-2 curveball over first baseman Ben Rice and to the right field corner as Patrick Bailey easily scored. Ramirez added an insurance run with a double to left field in the seventh off Tim Hill to put Cleveland ahead 6-4.

Bazzana padded the lead with a bases-clearing double in the eighth off Camilo Doval as the Guardians collected 12 hits, marking the fourth time in five games they totaled double-digit hits.

Paul Goldschmidt drove in all four runs for the Yankees, who lost for the second time in eight games. Goldschmidt gave New York a 2-1 lead with a two-run homer off Joey Cantillo in the third and added a two-run single in the fourth for a 4-3 advantage.

Schlittler endured his shortest outing this season and allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked none.

Kyle Manzardo hit a two-run homer off Schlittler’s first-pitch cutter that landed in the right-center field seats to give Cleveland a 3-2 lead in the fourth.

Cantillo allowed four runs on six hits in four innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked three.

Five relievers followed Cantillo and allowed two hits the rest of the way. Colin Holderman (4-1) stranded a runner in the fifth and Matt Festa finished with a 1-2-3 ninth.

–Field Level Media

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Reds rally late, walk off with 10-inning win over Royals

inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The Reds won 4-3 on a walkoff hit by Blake Dunn, scoring Spencer Steer from second base in the 10th inning.inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The Reds won 4-3 on a walkoff hit by Blake Dunn, scoring Spencer Steer from second base in the 10th inning.

Blake Dunn’s RBI single in the 10th inning completed a comeback and gave the host Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 walk-off win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Spencer Steer hit two home runs and scored the winning run as the automatic runner for the Reds, who won for the second time in the last six games.

Will Benson’s pinch-hit home run to right field off Royals closer Lucas Erceg leading off the bottom of the ninth tied the game at 3-all.

Dunn’s game-winning hit, off John Schreiber (0-3), was the only Reds’ hit that was not a home run.

Brock Burke (2-2) earned the win with a scoreless 10th.

The loss spoiled a gem by Royals starter Noah Cameron, who retired 20 of the 21 batters he faced. Kansas City has lost seven of its last eight.

Cameron only allowed Steer’s first homer, did not walk a batter and struck out eight.

Steer’s second home run of the game, a drive to right-center leading off the eighth, pulled Cincinnati to within 3-2. His ninth homer was an opposite field drive into the stands in right-center.

Reds starter Andrew Abbott gave up three runs on five hits in six innings with four walks and five strikeouts.

Steer’s first home run of the game, a shot to left-center, came with one out in the fifth after Cameron had retired the first 13 Cincinnati batters.

The Royals took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on a fielder’s choice groundout with the bases loaded by Jac Caglianone and a bases-loaded, two-run, two-out single by Michael Massey.

Cameron made an outstanding defensive play for the first out of the third on Dunn’s attempt for a bunt single. Dunn bunted the ball between the mound and first, and Cameron, in one motion, picked up the ball with a backhand swipe and flipped it out of his glove first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.

Reds center fielder Dane Myers made a leaping catch at the wall on Starling Marte’s long drive for the second out of the fifth.

–Field Level Media

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Twins prevail over White Sox; halt Davis Martin's 6-game win streak

Jun 2, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee (22) hits a single during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn ImagesJun 2, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee (22) hits a single during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images

Tristan Gray went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

Luke Keaschall added a pair of hits and drove in two runs for Minnesota, which secured a series victory. Alex Jackson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Miguel Vargas went 1-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Chicago at the plate. The White Sox have dropped back-to-back games after winning their previous five in a row.

Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-3) allowed four runs on six hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out seven.

White Sox right-hander Davis Martin (8-2) endured his shortest outing of the season. Martin gave up six runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak and he suffered his first setback since April 10.

Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez got the final four outs to record his fourth save.

The White Sox opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the third.

Luisangel Acuna started the action when he drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on a throwing error by Jackson. The White Sox had runners on second and third with one out later in the inning, and Vargas delivered with a two-run single to left to make it 3-0.

The hit gave Vargas six RBIs in the first two games of the series.

The Twins got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Brooks Lee hit a sacrifice fly to left, plating Gray.

Minnesota added four runs in the fourth to seize a 5-3 lead.

Keaschall started the scoring with an RBI single to left. Gray followed with a two-run single to left, and Jackson capped the outburst with an RBI single to right.

Gray, who hit a grand slam and drove in five runs in the series opener, has 11 RBIs in his past five games.

The Twins increased their lead to 6-3 on another RBI single by Keaschall in the fifth.

Chase Meidroth notched an RBI infield single in the seventh to cut Chicago’s deficit to 6-4. But he fanned to end the eighth with two runners on base.

–Field Level Media

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