Jasson Domínguez's RBI single
Tyler Stephenson's sacrifice fly
Tyler Stephenson hits a sacrifice fly to right-center field to cut the Reds' deficit to 7-3 against the Cubs in the top of the 9th inning
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Associated Press
15 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Thunder have 5 players on the court. The way they see it, 18,000 helpers are in the stands
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — There is something different about Oklahoma City Thunder fans, and players aren't afraid to say that. The crowd of 18,000 or so always arrives early. They stay late. They show up in the middle of the night at the airport to welcome the Thunder charter flight home and maybe get a wave or a fist bump from a player, even though a chain-link fence separates the team from the fans. It's like a college atmosphere at Thunder games at times. It will be a raucous atmosphere on Thursday: Game 1 of the NBA Finals is coming to Oklahoma City, and the top-seeded Thunder — big favorites over the Indiana Pacers in this series — freely say that the fans have factored into the team's success. 'I think the fans put the wind at our players' backs,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'There's not a level of judgment. There's no level of skepticism.' It is ... well, unusual. In a good way. Daigneault tells the story of a game on Oct. 26, 2021, as one of the best illustrations of what the relationship is like between the city and its team. The Thunder were 0-3 to start that season, the three losses by 21, 33 and 12 points. Golden State visited Oklahoma City that night; the Thunder led by 11 at the half, before eventually losing by eight. 'They gave us a standing ovation at the end of the game,' Daigneault said. 'And it was a week into the season. We had not won a game. As great as they are right now, and they are unbelievable right now, that's the one that I always go back to because it really struck me. It certainly was unexpected.' The Thunder have given fans plenty of reasons to cheer since. They're a league-best 43-7 at home this season; the last four teams to win at least 40 home games in a full season — Toronto in 2018-19, Golden State in 2021-22, Denver in 2022-23 and Boston last season — went on to win the NBA title. And this year's club is winning home games by an average of 16.9 points per contest. That's on pace to be the second-biggest such differential in NBA history, behind Milwaukee's 18.1-point average home margin in 1970-71. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said keeping the home crowd happy is on his mind all the time, and he was thinking of it when the Thunder closed out Minnesota at home in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals last week. 'I didn't want to go back to Minnesota, travel-wise,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'And then I wanted the fans to be able to enjoy the moment with us. I wanted them to be able to see it unfold in front of their eyes. I wanted them to be to celebrating in our building, go home, get drunk, whatever they do. I wanted them to have fun with the moment. ... I just wanted to make sure I could give my energy and my effort to try to give these fans what they deserve.' ___ AP NBA:
Washington Post
18 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Scott Foster picked to work NBA Finals for 18th time, one of 12 referees selected for the series
OKLAHOMA CITY — Scott Foster was selected to officiate the NBA Finals for the 18th time, the league said Tuesday when announcing the roster of 12 officials and two alternates that were picked to work the title series between Indiana and Oklahoma City. Foster is the most veteran of the group. Tony Brothers and Marc Davis were both picked for the 14th time, James Capers for the 13th time, Zach Zarba for the 12th time and John Goble for the ninth time in his career.
Forbes
20 minutes ago
- Forbes
As Trade Season Starts, Look For The Phillies To Shop For A Closer
Rejoice! It's nearly trading season. And this go-around, it's a guarantee the Phillies will be a busy participant in trade talks leading up to the July 31 trade deadline. And also a guarantee: The Phils will be looking to upgrade its weakest unit — the bullpen. The buzzy name already attached to the Philly is Tampa Bay closer Pete Fairbanks. ESPN baseball insider Jeff Passan calls Fairbanks 'the best fit' for Philadelphia, saying: 'Maybe it's Fairbanks. Maybe it's [Washington's Kyle] Fairbanks, who has 10 saves and a 2.05 ERA and who's better option than anyone the Phillies currently have, is a proven late-inning weapon, tallying 68 saves since 2023. He does it with a power heater and also wields one of the nastiest pitches in baseball: a 95-mph changeup. (Not a typo, that's a 95-mph changeup). Take a gander at the Ninja-worthy pitch: As Passan notes, with Jose Alvarado gone for 80 games and out for the postseason after a PED suspension, the need for relief help "is that much more grave' in Philly. Yes, it's only June 3 and the Phillies' bullpen already looks zonked, with a collective ERA of 4.65, the third-worst in the National League. Current closer Jordan Romano, who has improved after a nightmarish start to his Phillies career, still gives queasy vibes, and neither Matt Strahm (3.70 ERA) nor Orion Kerkering (3.18 ERA) look like lockdown guys. So it will be Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski's mid-summer gig to find a swing-and-miss reliever (or two or three) that his team desperately needs. It's been a looming priority after Philadelphia's bullpen blitzed its postseason run last year. And if Dombrowski looks to trade from a surplus — which is starting pitching — he has a pretty good trade chip in Phillies rookie Mick Abel, who has reestablished his prospect pedigree with a sensational 2025 at Triple-A. Abel also aced his big-league debut with six shutout innings against the Pirates in a spot start on May 18. And on Sunday, the Phillies recalled the kid and inserted him into the rotation as Aaron Nola gets healthy from an ankle ailment. So, if Abel pitches well during his extended audition, it's a solid bet he'll be included in a deadline deal for a closer. In addition to Fairbanks and Finnegan, other potential trade targets include Baltimore's Félix Bautista, Boston's Aroldis Chapman and the Angels' Kenley Jansen. Phillies fans have clamored for A's closer Mason Miller since last year's trade deadline but the A's are unlikely to deal the low-salaried reliever; plus, Miller is having a down season (5.49 ERA). But no matter who it is, Dombrowski and staff will be busy looking for a new lights-out closer before July 31.
