Sports
Phillies' Jesus Luzardo feeling 'grindy' as streaking Dodgers await
May 3, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) is congratulated by teammates in the dugout against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Riding his best three-start stretch of the season, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo will be put to the test Saturday in the middle game of a three-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After he delivered six scoreless innings in a 3-0 win against the San Diego Padres on Monday, Luzardo now faces the Dodgers, who are on a six-game winning streak and have hit a combined 12 home runs over their past three games.
Luzardo (4-4, 4.38 ERA) has allowed five home runs in 11 starts this season and none over the past three games when he fashioned a combined 1.00 ERA in outings against the Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds and Padres.
Lately Luzardo has been able to work around scoring threats, unlike earlier in the season when he had outings that included two starts with six runs allowed, one with five and another with nine.
“I feel like I’ve had a lot of outings this year where it’s felt pretty grindy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. “You know, the easy outings are always fun, but when you have to really work for it, I think at the end of the day it kind of makes you feel better about it.”
The Phillies received a home run from Kyle Schwarber in the sixth inning Friday, which was also their first hit of the game. Philadelphia finished with just three hits during a 4-2 loss in the series opener that ended their three-game winning streak.
In his Phillies debut Friday, center fielder Steward Berroa drove in a run in three at-bats. Berroa was recalled while Otto Kemp was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and right-hander Nolan Hoffman was added to the bullpen.
The Dodgers received home runs from Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith as their power surge continued. Freeman has four home runs over the past nine games, while Ohtani has three in his past eight.
Los Angeles is 13-2 in games since May 13.
The Dodgers also made a collection of roster moves Friday with infielder/outfielder Ryan Ward recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City and infielder Santiago Espinal re-signed after he was designated for assignment Monday.
The moves came as Enrique Hernandez (oblique) and Teoscar Hernandez (hamstring) went down with injuries this week.
“With a star-studded team, you also have to have guys that know their roles and (Espinal) is a guy that is good on the team, understands his value,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s ready when called upon. I trust him defensively and I like him versus left-handed pitching. Just having him back is pretty seamless.”
The Dodgers will send right-hander Roki Sasaki to the mound as they chase what would be their first seven-game winning streak since April 26-May 3 last season.
Sasaki (3-3, 4.93) is coming off back-to-back wins for the first time this season. He dominated the Los Angeles Angels on May 17 then gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits over five innings Saturday at Milwaukee in an 11-3 win over the Brewers.
Sasaki gave up one run over four innings in a regular-season start against the Phillies last season. He then faced Philadelphia three times in relief during the playoffs, including three scoreless innings in Game 4 of the National League Division Series as Los Angeles advanced.
–Field Level Media
Sports
White Sox Surprise Season Powered by AL Central's Shortstop Renaissance
The Chicago White Sox stack up as Major League Baseball’s most unlikely surprise through the opening third of the 2026 season, what with all the homering and winning and firm grasp (for now) of the American League’s second wild-card spot.
The White Sox already own 29 wins going into Friday’s visit from the Detroit Tigers. In 2024, the Sox didn’t slay their 29th victim until Aug. 12.
Yet don’t be fooled into thinking the AL Central has made dramatic improvement just because the White Sox (29-27) and the Cleveland Guardians (33-25) boast two of the top four records in the league.
The AL Central remains the weakest division in baseball. Collectively, it continues to feature the sport’s tiniest payrolls, smallest home crowds and the worst percentage chance to win the World Series (just 6.1%, if you add the calculations found on Baseball-Reference.com).
But while we’re talking about the AL Central as a collective, it’s important to acknowledge this fact: The division suddenly boasts the finest collection of shortstops in the big leagues — and they could help make a divisional renaissance possible.
Of course, the AL Central has a head start on every other division because Bobby Witt Jr., the best position player in the sport, continues to wear Kansas City’s royal blue. Per Fangraphs, Witt and Shohei Ohtani share the MLB lead through Thursday’s games with 3.5 Wins Above Replacement.
But Witt isn’t the only shortstop in the division who’s playing at a level worthy of an All-Star Game nod. Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle, the 21-year-old rookie who made his debut this year, ranks among the sport’s top 15 players with his 2.4 WAR.
McGonigle, who has split his time between short and third for the Tigers, boasts a .291/.394/.422 slash line. Not only does he own a 10-year vet’s sense of the strike zone — he’s one of the eight regulars in MLB who has amassed more walks (33) than strikeouts (31) — Baseball Savant lists McGonigle as one of the sport’s top three value-add baserunners alongside Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson and Washington’s Nasim Nunez.
Meanwhile, the White Sox’s Colson Montgomery quickly has developed into the shortstop with the most pop. He and Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson lead all MLB shortstops with 13 homers this season, though Montgomery has batted 24 fewer times.
While his streaky power stroke is impressive, Montgomery is deemed as twice as good of a fielder as a hitter. Of Montgomery’s 2.1 total WAR, Fangraphs gives him a 7.9 fielding rating (the best for any MLB shortstop not named Bobby Witt) versus a 3.9 hitting rating. The 6-foot-4 Montgomery doesn’t appear to own amazing range and he rarely, if ever, showcases his arm, but the 24-year-old makes every play.
In Fangraphs’ WAR ratings as of Thursday night, Witt (No. 1), McGonigle (No. 9) and Montgomery (No. 25) rank among the top 25 position players in the game. But Cleveland’s Brayan Rocchio isn’t far behind at No. 31.
The 25-year-old Rocchio was a darling of the prospect gurus for years, but he flopped in his 2023 cameo (.600 OPS in 23 games) and didn’t change many opinions as a regular in 2024 (.614 OPS) and 2025 (.630 OPS).
But this year, Rocchio has bumped up his OPS nearly 200 percentage points (his slash line is .298/.379/.421) by mastering the strike zone. He has chopped his strikeout rate in half while improving his walk rate from 5.7% to 9.3%. Throw in his nine stolen bases and Rocchio paces the Guardians in WAR — slightly ahead of future Hall of Famer Jose Ramirez.
If the Minnesota Twins ever decide to promote 23-year-old Kaelen Culpepper to the big leagues — the 2024 first-round pick owns 11 homers, 11 steals and an .811 OPS for Triple-A St. Paul — then the whole division could feature elite players.
Is that too much to ask? It’s certainly no harder than asking the White Sox to pull off their quixotic quest for a playoff berth.
Sports
Athletics searching for way to slow Yankees, Ben Rice
May 29, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) runs towards first after hitting a home run against the Athletics in the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images Ben Rice’s batting average plummeted 67 points during an 18-game stretch in May in which hits were hard to come by.
Suddenly, getting Rice out is a major chore for opposing teams. The 27-year-old is fresh off his first four-hit outing of the season and third of his career as he leads the New York Yankees into Saturday night’s middle contest of a three-game series against the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
The Yankees have won five straight games after sailing to an 8-2 victory on Friday. New York has outscored its opponents 36-6 during the stretch.
On Friday, Rice smacked his 17th homer of the season to go with two doubles and one single.
Rice went 10-for-66 (.152) during his recent funk as his average dropped from .343 to .276. But he’s 9-for-14 with a homer, six RBIs and six runs over the past three games to lift it back to .303.
“It’s a lot of fun. It’s super contagious,” Rice said after the team’s 12-hit outing. “We have a lot of guys who feed off of one another. It’s really fun to watch when the bats are going well.”
Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Ryan McMahon went deep later during Friday’s easy victory.
The blast was just the sixth of the season for the 38-year-old Goldschmidt, who has hit 30 or more seven times during his stellar career.
“I feel like he always goes up there and is a guaranteed quality at-bat,” Rice said of Goldschmidt. “He’s going to go up there with a plan and hit the ball hard and that was another example of that.”
Meanwhile, the Athletics have been outscored 30-6 while losing the first four contests of a six-game homestand.
A throwing error by first baseman Nick Kurtz opened the door for four runs in the first inning for New York.
That was a hole the A’s were unable to recover from.
“Getting down early is tough,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “We’ve been down obviously this homestand, we haven’t played with the lead. Those are challenging games.
“… When we had an opportunity to capitalize and get back into the game, we didn’t get the hit. That’s been the theme (on the homestand).”
Kurtz’s solo homer and Zack Gelof’s run-scoring single plated the team’s runs.
Right-hander J.T. Ginn (2-3, 3.19 ERA) will take the mound for the Athletics on Saturday night.
Ginn, 27, has lost back-to-back starts despite taking a no-hitter into the ninth of the first one and not allowing a hit in the second while throwing 73 pitches.
The first outing was a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on May 18. Adam Frazier broke up the no-hitter to start the ninth and Zach Neto followed with the walk-off two-run homer.
Ginn’s follow-up outing five days later was filled with wildness. He walked six in 2 1/3 innings against the San Diego Padres and took the loss while allowing two runs.
Ginn received a no-decision against the Yankees in 2024 when he allowed one run and four hits over five innings.
Left-hander Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.14) will take the mound for New York.
Weathers, 26, gave up just four hits over seven scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays last Sunday but received a no-decision in the 2-0 victory. He struck out four and walked three.
Weathers lost to the A’s on April 9 despite pitching well in New York’s 1-0 setback. He gave up one run and seven hits over eight innings.
Weathers is 0-2 with a 2.57 ERA in two career starts against the Athletics. Brent Rooker (1-for-4) has homered against Weathers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Way-Too-Early 2027 NFL Mock Draft: Arch Manning Doesn’t Go No. 1 Overall
Dec 31, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Damon Payne (44) tips a pass from Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the first half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images It’s that time of the NFL calendar where pretty much nothing is going on, which makes it an intriguing time to peek at next year’s draft.
Even though there are still a few high profile free agents remaining, teams are in OTAs and not much else is happening right now.
Let’s take a crack at a 2027 NFL Draft top 10 mock.
Arizona Cardinals: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
After drafting Jeremiyah Love in the top five, the Cardinals are about to learn how many other holes they actually have.
They need to work something out with starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who is a capable enough bridge to navigate this rebuild in the desert. Smith is the best receiving prospect since Calvin Johnson, and an absolute no-brainer for a rebuilding squad drafting No. 1 overall.
Miami Dolphins: Colin Simmons, EDGE, Texas
Another team that needs help everywhere, especially defensively, Simmons is a can’t miss target for the Dolphins.
The Dolphins would’ve loved Smith to be available to better support Malik Willis. But assuming he’s off the board, Miami could help defensive-minded head coach Jeff Haffley (assuming he’s still employed) with an absolute gamewrecker in Simmons.
New York Jets: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) throws a pass during the fourth quarter the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images A surprise? Perhaps not. Moore could’ve been the No. 2 overall pick to the Jets if he would’ve left Oregon and declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
One year later, the Jets could get the quarterback they’ve likely already done a plethora of work on, who will likely be coming off of another stellar year with a loaded Ducks team.
Las Vegas Raiders: Dylan Stewart, EDGE, South Carolina
The Raiders should be much better offensively with Ashton Jeanty and Fernando Mendoza. This is another team that would love Smith, but let’s not forget that they tried to trade Maxx Crosby just a few months ago.
Stewart could complement Crosby or replace him. Either way, he’s an impact player that fits the timeline in Vegas.
Cleveland Browns: Arch Manning, QB, Texas
The Browns are currently trying to pick between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders as their starting quarterback.
It’s possible that neither of those guys are on their roster in 2027 after the team drafts Manning, their newest hope at quarterback. After two years of loading up the roster with young talent, Cleveland could actually be an ideal landing spot for Manning, assuming he takes another step forward at Texas this season.
Atlanta Falcons: C.J. Carr, QB, Notre Dame
Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr, right, runs the ball as running back Jeremiyah Love (4) blocks during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images Here comes the run on quarterbacks.
New Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski just can’t quit quarterback controversies. He arrived in Atlanta with Michael Penix Jr., but quickly added free agent quarterback Tua Tagovailoa following his release from the Dolphins.
In classic Stefanski fashion, don’t expect either of those guys to be the answer. Carr makes a lot of sense here, assuming he takes another leap at Notre Dame this year.
Tennessee Titans: Kewan Lacy, RB, Ole Miss
If Jeanty pops in Vegas and Love pops in Arizona during the 2026 season, teams are going to be inclined to keep drafting running backs in the top 10.
Lacy is primed for a huge season at Ole Miss. He has elite breakaway speed. If there’s going to be a running back selected in the top 10, Lacy is a safe pick for a Titans team that has Cam Ward and Carnell Tate, but not much else offensively.
New Orleans Saints: Jordan Seaton, RT, LSU
It’s almost impossible that Seaton will drop this far. But in the event that he does after a run on skill position players and quarterbacks? The Saints could make some sense.
Right tackles in the top 10 are never a glamorous pick, but Seaton has the make up of a player that could anchor an offensive line for many years and makes sense for a Saints offense that should be on the rise.
Cincinnati Bengals: Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame
Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Joshua Burnham (40) and cornerback Leonard Moore (15) tackle Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Myles Price (4) during the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images Another player that’s unlikely to drop this far, Moore would be a dream selection for the Bengals.
Cincinnati desperately needs defensive help to support Joe Burrow and Cincinnati’s talented offense. Moore is the best cornerback in college football by a big margin and would fit the need perfectly in Cincinnati.
Washington Commanders: Cam Coleman, WR, Texas
If Manning is going to be a top five pick in the 2027 class, expect Coleman to be a big reason why.
The 19-year-old Auburn transfer is primed for a massive season with the Longhorns and Manning following his 94 catch, 1,323 receiving yard and 13 touchdown season with the Tigers.
White Sox Surprise Season Powered by AL Central's Shortstop Renaissance
Athletics searching for way to slow Yankees, Ben Rice
