Sports
Sean Payton on ending Broncos' playoff drought: 'We all like a challenge'
Dec 28, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton takes the field before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images Sean Payton has a monumental task in preparing his team for Sunday’s wild-card game at Buffalo, so the second-year Denver Broncos coach isn’t wasting time relishing in proving his doubters wrong.
The prospect of the Broncos ending a playoff drought that had dated back to their Super Bowl-winning season of 2015 appeared dim after Payton’s first year in Denver ended with an 8-9 record and a parting with quarterback Russell Wilson.
But in stepped rookie Bo Nix, who threw a career-high-tying four touchdown passes in leading Denver to its 10th victory of the season on Sunday. In doing so, the Broncos clinched the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoffs and a date with the second-seeded Bills on Sunday.
It has been a quick and dramatic turnaround for a franchise that was mired with massive salary cap restraints when Payton arrived just two years ago.
“We all like a challenge, right? I guess it’s like a challenge when someone says ‘X.’ The first thing I think of is, ‘Who is that someone?'” Payton said Monday. “… I think your players certainly do have a little bit of a chip when they see those initial prognostications or whatever. Then eventually when you’re in this long enough, you tune that stuff out because half those people don’t have a clue what they’re talking about.
“Yes, who’s done this before with over $80 million (in dead cap) — all those things you think about. No one’s done that before. Let’s be the first one.”
Payton faces a different type of challenge in preparing his team for the Bills, who went 13-4 during the regular season and are led by quarterback Josh Allen, who many believe will win his first Most Valuable Player award.
Buffalo went 8-0 at home during the regular season, and began the week as a consensus nine-point favorite.
“Put your best foot forward in preparing to play your best game against a real good football team. That’s where the focus is,” Payton said. “I probably — as the head coach — paid attention to, ‘What are these things that can possibly distract from that process outside the building or even inside the building?’
“The euphoria of, ‘We’re back in the playoffs. We finally have gotten back in.’ Trying to monitor that and understand how that may — or try to prevent that from impacting the edge and the preparation. I think that comes up often as a head coach sometimes and vice versa during the season when the sky is falling. Making sure that your players understand that it’s really not. It’s just cloudy, rainy and stormy, but it’s going to be sunny again.”
The actual skies might be anything but sunny on Sunday in Buffalo, where the gametime forecast currently calls for clouds and temperatures in the low 30s with the potential for snow flurries. Add that to the prospect of facing Allen, who finished the regular season with 3,731 passing yards and 28 touchdowns while adding another 531 yards and 12 scores on the ground.
“We shift gears completely,” Payton said when asked about preparing for Allen. “Obviously there are a lot of challenges. He’s had an MVP season. He’s strong. I think it’s one thing to get to him, but then the other thing is how many times do we see him come off of the initial tackler? How do you bring him down? Who can bring him down? He does such a good job with plays that are broken down. There’s a lot that goes into that.
“The focus this week will be obviously shifting all towards Buffalo and how to slow down a team that’s as hot as anyone in the league.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
White Sox pursue sixth straight victory, sweep of Padres
May 1, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5), right is congratulated by center fielder Tristan Peters (29), left, and catcher Drew Romo (36) after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images While the Chicago White Sox’s power duo of Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery didn’t homer on Saturday night, their ability to hit the long ball has fueled the team’s longest winning streak in four years.
Chicago beat the host San Diego Padres 4-0 on Saturday night for its fifth straight victory and will go for a series sweep on Sunday afternoon.
Murakami leads the majors with 13 homers, and Montgomery is tied for 13th with nine. They’ve homered in the same game seven times in the team’s first 33 contests, the most by any teammate duo within the first 35 games of a season in MLB history.
“When you have guys in the middle of the order that are able to change the score with one swing, obviously it’s going to make a big difference,” White Sox manager Will Venable said.
Add Miguel Vargas’ six homers to the mix and you have three players teaming for 28 of the club’s 40 homers, which are good for a ninth-place tie in MLB.
Murakami, in his first season in the majors after playing in Japan, only figures to be more dangerous as he learns more about the pitchers, most of whom he’s facing for the first time.
“There’s still a lot of learning curve of the game,” he said through an interpreter.
Murakami and his teammates will try to provide plenty of run support Sunday for left-hander Anthony Kay (1-1, 6.12 ERA), who’s coming off a no-decision Monday in his team’s 8-7 home win over the Los Angeles Angels.
Kay permitted seven hits and four runs in four innings, walking two and striking out two. This will be his first career start against San Diego.
The Padres announced a change to their rotation after Saturday night’s game. Manager Craig Stammen said right-hander Griffin Canning would be activated from the injured list to make his first start of the season.
Canning, who was 7-3 with a 3.77 ERA last year for the New York Mets before suffering a season-ending ruptured Achilles, is 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox.
Stammen said that the plan to start Canning on Sunday actually came to fruition earlier in the week.
“We just wanted to split Michael (King) and Randy (Vasquez) up a bit,” Stammen said.
Besides adding depth to a rotation that has battled injuries to start the season, Stammen also is looking for better, more consistent approaches from his hitters. San Diego has just nine runs in a four-game losing streak and was blanked at home Saturday for the first time this year.
“While there are some good at-bats in there, there are also some not-so-good at-bats in there,” Stammen said. “We have to figure out a way to stick nine good ones together through the entire lineup.”
The Padres are batting just .235 with a .307 on-base percentage this season, ranking 21st and 25th, respectively, in the majors. Their 29 homers are tied for 24th.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tigers hope to steal a series from Rangers
Detroit Tigers pitcher Drew Anderson (38), left, hugs catcher Dillon Dingler (13) after 5-1 win over Texas Rangers at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Aggressiveness on the bases could become a new dynamic for the Detroit Tigers.
As the Tigers look for a series win in the finale of a three-game home set with the Texas Rangers on Sunday night, Detroit’s sudden penchant for stealing bases could be a key.
The Tigers swiped four bases in a 5-1 win on Saturday to raise their season total to 14. While they haven’t torn it up on the bases this season, the Tigers are expected to turn to a bullpen game on Sunday, and Dillon Dingler said baserunning is a way to manufacture runs.
“It’s fascinating because we aren’t usually a team that runs the bases,” said Dingler, who hit a three-run home run in the first inning on Saturday. “It is something that applies pressure, though.”
Dingler leads the Tigers in RBIs (23) and slugging percentage (.495) and is tied with Kerry Carpenter for the team lead in home runs (six).
An injury to Casey Mize (right adductor strain) sent the right-hander to the 15-day injured list on Friday and has forced Detroit to turn to its bullpen to wrap up the series.
Tyler Holton (0-1, 5.54 ERA) is set to be the first pitcher for the Tigers. In nine career appearances against the Rangers, he is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings.
On Tuesday, he gave up four hits and two runs while recording one strikeout in one inning as the Tigers lost 5-2 at the Atlanta Braves.
While the Tigers will piece together their pitchers on Sunday, the Rangers are scheduled to start right-hander Jack Leiter (1-2, 5.17 ERA), who made his major league debut, and only career appearance, on the road against the Tigers in 2024. He allowed eight hits, seven runs, walked three and struck out three in 3 2/3 innings.
In his most recent start, Leiter took the loss Monday after he gave up four runs on eight hits over six innings in a 4-2 home defeat to the New York Yankees.
Texas hopes Brandon Nimmo will return to the lineup as the team vies for a series win on Sunday night. He’s pushed through a hamstring strain the last three days but exited the series opener on Friday in the fourth inning after his third at-bat.
The Rangers already are playing without Wyatt Langford, who had a setback in his recovery from a Grade 1 flexor strain in his right forearm. He’s been on the injured list since April 22 and will be re-evaluated in a week.
Because of the chilly temperatures in Detroit on Saturday night, Texas manager Skip Schumaker played it safe with Nimmo. Without the outfielder, the Rangers’ offense managed just one run on seven hits.
“The thought is, if I can give him (Nimmo) maybe 48 hours almost with pulling him (Friday) and hopefully starting him tomorrow,” Schumaker told The Dallas Morning News. “I think that might really settle it down.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets' Bo Bichette could move to SS with injury to Ronny Mauricio
Apr 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Ronny Mauricio (0) singles during the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images New York Mets shortstop Ronny Mauricio broke his left thumb Saturday, meaning starting third baseman Bo Bichette temporarily could take over at his former position.
Mauricio hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning Friday night, leading the Mets to a comeback road win against the Los Angeles Angels.
And in the seventh inning Saturday night, Mauricio broke the thumb on a headfirst slide into first base in the 4-3 loss.
The Mets are expected to put the 25-year-old Mauricio on the injured list Sunday morning before they play the finale of the three-game series in Anaheim, Calif.
Mauricio has started at shortstop for the Mets as a replacement for All-Star Francisco Lindor, who is expected to be out until at least June due to a serious left-calf strain.
Now, the Mets — the big-ticket team that has the MLB’s worst record — need a replacement for the replacement.
“I am pretty sure Bo is going to be in the conversation,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of the chance Bichette could take over at shortstop.
Bichette signed a three-year, $126 million contract in January, knowing he would move to third base with Lindor entrenched at shortstop.
With the Blue Jays (2019-25), Bichette played 716 of his 748 games at short.
“Whatever the team needs,” Bichette told reporters about a possible position switch.
Mauricio, in 10 games, is hitting .219 (7-for-32). He has one extra-base hit, a home run.
Bichette has gotten off to a slow start with his new team, hitting two home runs and driving in 14 in his first 32 games. His average of .238 is well below his career .292. Last season in Toronto, he hit .311 with 18 homers and 94 RBIs.
Mauricio joins a growing list of players on the injured list for New York — a list that includes outfielder Luis Robert Jr., infielder Jorge Polanco and right-hander Kodai Senga.
–Field Level Media
White Sox pursue sixth straight victory, sweep of Padres
Tigers hope to steal a series from Rangers
