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J.B. Bickerstaff, Rebuilding Detroit Pistons Perfect Pair

There’s one notable difference between J.B. Bickerstaff and Monty Williams: Bickerstaff actually looks like he wants to be in Detroit. At the very least, Bickerstaff wants to coach an NBA team this season.

That wasn’t the case with Williams after he was fired by the Phoenix Suns following the 2022–23 season. Williams reached a buyout agreement in excess of $20 million and preferred to take at least a year off from coaching.

Pistons owner Tom Gores was undeterred. Gores put on his own full court press, pleading with Williams to coach his downtrodden team. Williams finally caved when Gores finally threw enough money—$78.5 million—in his direction.

It turned out Williams produced one win for every $5.6 million on his six-year contract. The Pistons endured a 14-68 season, the worst in franchise history, and set an NBA record with 28 consecutive losses.

Enter Bickerstaff, who was dumped by Cleveland despite coaching them to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Bickerstaff would probably rather still be coaching the Cavaliers, but he had no qualms about joining the latest Pistons rebuilding project.

New president of basketball operations, Trajan Langdon, has given Bickerstaff some better personnel around his young core, adding veterans Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the mix.

The Pistons challenged Indiana, which made the Eastern Conference Finals last season, in their season opener before falling apart in the fourth quarter.

That’s OK. No one outside the locker room expects the Pistons to win more than 25-30 games. What was promising is that the team looked a lot more competitive and organized.

Detroit’s young players, for the most part, seemed to regress during Williams’ lone year at the helm. Williams inexplicably started Killian Hayes over Jaden Ivey during the first half of last season. Hayes had already proven to be a major offensive liability, while Ivey showed plenty of promise in his rookie year.

By the time Williams came to his senses, Ivey’s confidence was shaken, and he never got it back. Hayes, a 2020 lottery pick, was cut loose at the trade deadline, and no team picked him up until he signed a training camp contract with Brooklyn.

The lighting-quick Ivey looked sharper and more well-rounded during this month’s training camp and scored 17 points in the regular season opener.

Williams also had a bad habit of replacing his starters all at once with the second unit, even though the Pistons lacked quality depth. There are better options off the bench this time, but Bickerstaff staggered his starters’ minutes in the opener and essentially used a nine-man rotation.

This year’s lottery pick, Ron Holland, received 15 minutes of playing time off the bench. Holland is very much a work in progress offensively, but he displayed tenacity and defensive energy in his debut.

Cade Cunningham, the franchise player, seemed a lot more comfortable with some proven players around him. Cunningham piled up 28 points and eight assists against the Pacers, but the biggest stat was a small one. He only turned the ball over twice in 37 minutes.

Detroit hasn’t had any lottery luck since selecting Cunningham with the No. 1 pick in 2021. The Pistons have dropped to the fifth pick in the last three lotteries. They still need a superstar talent to pair with Cunningham and can only hope the right lottery combination comes up in June.

Meanwhile, the goal this season is for players such as Cunningham, Ivey, Holland and Jalen Duren to show more progress under a coach who came to Detroit with more enthusiasm than the last one. Williams is now coaching his son’s prep team. His replacement is coaching a team that looks like it can at least give its opponent a challenge.

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Franchise-worst skid over, Marlins shoot for another win over Phillies

Jul 27, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA;  Miami Marlins left fielder Griffin Conine (18) celebrates his wining hit against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn ImagesJul 27, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Griffin Conine (18) celebrates his wining hit against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Griffin Conine and the Miami Marlins will look to build off a rare victory when they continue their home series with the scuffling Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

Miami had lost 12 straight games — a franchise record — before rallying to stun Philadelphia on Monday in the series opener. The Marlins trailed 7-5 entering the ninth inning before plating three runs against Phillies All-Star closer Jhoan Duran, capped by Conine’s walk-off hit.

“I think it was just believing the whole time that we could win this game,” Conine said after his first career game-ending hit.

Conine supplied a homer earlier in the game, while Heriberto Hernandez homered in addition to delivering the game-tying two-run single in the ninth inning.

“Everybody feels good,” Miami manager Clayton McCullough said. “It’s no lie. Everybody in the building has been grinding hard for a couple of weeks. … Certainly it feels great to get a win.”

Bryce Harper hit a two-run homer for Philadelphia, while J.T. Realmuto also drove in two runs. Zack Wheeler lasted just three innings — his shortest start of the season — and allowed a season-worst five runs.

“That was a weird game in that they got to two of our very best pitchers,” said Realmuto, whose team is just 3-7 since the All-Star break.

Miami will look to continue the momentum behind right-hander Sandy Alcantara (10-6, 4.01 ERA), who absorbed a loss Wednesday against the Houston Astros. The former National League Cy Young Award winner gave up five runs and nine hits in seven-plus innings in that game, although he didn’t get much run support in the 5-2 defeat.

“He was fantastic,” McCullough said. “I thought he was in control most of the night. He had a very efficient pitch count. He really moved things along well after the first couple of innings. I hate how things went down there (when Alcantara allowed three runs in the eighth), but I thought he threw the ball fantastic.”

The Marlins have scored a total of five runs in Alcantara’s past three outings.

Alcantara is 7-11 with a 3.84 ERA in 23 career starts against the Phillies. He faced Philadelphia once this season and allowed four runs (two earned) in six innings in a 12-4 win on June 17.

The Phillies will turn to right-hander Aaron Nola (3-8, 5.82), who has not won a game since May 26, going 0-4 with a 5.92 ERA in 10 starts. He is 0-3 with a 5.01 ERA in four starts this month, although he has generally been solid in July aside from giving up five runs in 5 1/3 innings on Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Nola gave up two home runs vs. Los Angeles and has surrendered six homers over his last three starts and 14 in his past eight outings.

“When I have gone out the sixth and seventh, I’ve been hurt by the long ball,” Nola said. “I’ve struggled with the long ball this year, which I’ve got to be better at.”

Nola is 6-12 with a 3.59 ERA in 26 lifetime starts against Miami. He faced the Marlins on May 4 and worked six scoreless innings in a 1-0 triumph.

Philadelphia holds a 5-3 lead in the season series with Miami.

–Field Level Media

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Troy Melton, opposing Orioles, attempts to end Tigers' skid

Jul 17, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Troy Melton (52) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn ImagesJul 17, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Troy Melton (52) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images

Dean Kremer gave up a season-high six runs in his latest start. The Baltimore Orioles right-hander will try to turn things around in the second contest of a three-game road series against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.

Kremer gave up four of those runs in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday but managed to hang around for six innings.

“It was a grindy performance by Dean,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “They did a great job of having some really tough at-bats against him, being able to move the ball forward and fight off some tough pitches and get some hits, and then the pitches that were out over the plate, they did damage on. But Dean grinded through and gave us six.”

Kremer (1-3, 5.06 ERA) was making his fourth start since missing 2 1/2 months due to a quad injury. He went 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA in the prior three outings.

Kremer, 30, lost both of his starts against the Tigers last season, allowing nine runs in 12 2/3 innings. He has a 0-3 record and a 7.13 ERA in three career appearances (two starts) against Detroit.

Troy Melton (5-1, 1.95 ERA) will be Kremer’s mound opponent. The 25-year-old right-hander has surrendered two runs or fewer in nine of his 10 starts this season.

He dealt with control issues in his past two starts, walking four each time. Melton threw 90 pitches to get through five-plus innings against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, but he allowed just two runs on five hits.

Melton made his season debut against Baltimore on May 24 after recovering from an elbow injury. In his lone career outing against the Orioles, he permitted one run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings while walking three and fanning three.

The Tigers won’t be able to stack as many left-handed batters as they would like against Kremer. Outfielder Kerry Carpenter was placed on the injured list on Monday due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Carpenter had 26 homers in 130 games in 2025 and 13 long balls through the end of June this season. Battling a heel issue, Carpenter had no extra-base hits or RBIs in 52 July at-bats while batting .115.

Right-handed-hitting Eduardo Valencia was called up from Triple-A Toledo to take Carpenter’s spot on the active roster.

“It’s always a balance act,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “We’ve seen Hao-Yu Lee (a right-handed hitter) step up against right-handed pitching and not be as much of a platoon decision for us in his role. And there are things we can changes series by series if we need to.”

The Orioles took the series opener 8-5 on Monday thanks in large part to the production of Coby Mayo and Jackson Holliday. Mayo hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs. Holliday delivered a four-hit game and scored twice for Baltimore, which has alternated losses and wins for six games.

The Tigers have dropped three straight games. The margin of victory on Monday marked the first time in five games that a Detroit outcome wasn’t decided by a single run.

Lee, who drove in two runs on Monday, will carry a 12-game hitting streak into the Tuesday contest.

–Field Level Media

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D-backs' Brandon Pfaadt strives to extend torrid run in clash vs. Pirates

Jul 23, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (32) throws against St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Blaze Jordan (33) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn ImagesJul 23, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (32) throws against St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Blaze Jordan (33) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt has done nothing but win since rejoining the Arizona Diamondbacks’ rotation last month.

With five wins in five starts since late June, Pfaadt will return to the mound Tuesday night as the Diamondbacks vie to snap a three-game skid in a matchup against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Pfaadt (5-1, 4.43 ERA) will oppose Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.47) as the Diamondbacks enter the game tied with Pittsburgh for the National League’s final wild-card spot.

On Monday, Arizona squandered a 2-0 lead and a strong start from Merrill Kelly, who gave up no earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in the team’s 3-2 loss in 10 innings. The Diamondbacks’ three consecutive defeats followed a stretch of 10 wins in 12 games.

Pfaadt has a 2.33 ERA in 27 innings in his past five starts. He has only 14 strikeouts but has induced 48 ground-ball outs and has walked only three batters during that span.

Pfaadt is 1-0 with a 6.06 ERA in three career starts vs. Pittsburgh.

In his most recent outing, Pfaadt overcame a rough start on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals last Thursday when he gave up two runs in the first inning before recording an out. He didn’t allow another run and exited after six innings, allowing seven hits and two walks, with only one strikeout, in a 10-6 victory.

Pfaadt, who has relied on his success pitching to contact, beat the Cardinals five days earlier at home, 5-3.

“It’s always tough when you face a team back-to-back times, and we knew that going in,” Pfaadt said. “I think to get out of that [first inning] was huge.”

Meanwhile, the Pirates’ bullpen, which has struggled this season, showed the resolve it will need if Pittsburgh is to end an 10-year postseason drought. Four relievers combined to throw 4 2/3 scoreless innings on Monday, capped by Mason Montgomery’s scoreless 10th inning. Montgomery worked his way out of a jam that had runners on second and third base with one out.

“We understand what we can do here in the clubhouse,” Brandon Lowe told Sportsnet Pittsburgh after the game. “We want everybody here to be excited about it as well. We’re ready to win a lot of ballgames.”

Lowe had three hits, including the game-winning single in the 10th inning, on Monday.

Chandler is coming off his best outing of the season last Wednesday, when he threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the New York Yankees. He struck out five, walked none and gave up only two hits, but the Pirates lost 2-0.

Chandler’s outing was a welcome sight, though, for the Pirates, who have seen their rookie right-hander struggle with walks this season.

Chandler walked the first batter he faced against the Yankees but recovered quickly.

“I figured out what I wanted to do,” he said. “Everything kind of fell into place after that. It was a good day.”

Chandler struggled in his only career start against Arizona on May 5. He walked six batters that day, struck out four and allowed two runs over five innings in a game the Diamondbacks won 9-0.

–Field Level Media

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