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MLB Preview: Cleveland Guardians (4-2) at Oakland Athletics (2-3)

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MLB Preview: Cleveland Guardians (4-2) at Oakland Athletics (2-3)

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS NOTES:

FOUR GAME WIN STREAK REACHES HALT
The Guardians saw a four-game win streak come to an end on Tuesday night in Oakland, shouldering their first walk-off loss of 2023 after getting edged by the Athletics, 4-3, at The Coliseum… Cleveland is 4-2 entering the finale of this season-opening 6-day, 6-game road trip thru Seattle (3-1) & Oakland (1-1); club sits in sole possession of 2nd place, one half-game behind Minnesota (4-1) in the AL Central standings…club’s first scheduled off day of ’23 takes place tomorrow, ahead of Friday’s Home Opener in Cleveland.

Tony Kemp ended the contest on the first pitch of the plate appearance with a two-out RBI-single in the bottom of the 9th, sparing Cleveland’s bullpen from a third consecutive extra-inning affair…Ryan Noda, who would go on to score the night’s decisive tally, drew a lead-off walk against JAMES KARINCHAK, who took his second loss, and advanced to second base on a 4-3 groundout… SHANE BIEBER did not factor into the decision despite fanning 7 across a 6.0-inning quality start (6.0IP, 3H, 3R-ER, 1BB, 7SO, 1WP, 89 pitches)…an earlier lead-off walk by Noda led to a pair of runs for the A’s in the 3rd ahead of Esteury Ruiz’s RBI-double and a sac fly from Jace Peterson…Cleveland answered with a pair of runs in the 4th, as OSCAR GONZALEZ tripled and scored on a groundout ahead of a solo homer by GABRIEL ARIAS (1) off JP Sears (4.2IP,
8H, 3R-ER, 1BB, 5SO, 1HR, 98 pitches)…JOSÉ RAMÍREZ looped an RBI-double in the 5th for a 3-2 lead, his third go-ahead RBI of this young season, and extended his hitting streak to 11 games… Kemp helped Oakland answer in the 6th, collecting a lead-off single and steal of second before later scoring on a Bieber wild pitch to knot the score at 3-3.

TODAY’S SERIES FINALE
The Guards are looking for their second series win of 2023 today at RingCentral Coliseum…Cleveland went 26-15-10 in series over 2022, turning in winning marks at home (12-7-6) and on the road (14-8-4)…they finished the 2022 season on an 8-1 run in series play starting on Sept. 5, with the lone series loss coming in a one-game stint against Chicago-AL on Sept. 15…with a win today, the Guardians would extend their current series win streak to seven straight dating back to Sept. 16, 2022…a win today would mark the first time the Guards open a season with two series wins since 2020…the last time Cleveland won two road series to start a season was 2002.

Cleveland controlled the season series against Oakland in 2022, going 6-1 and winning both series against the Athletics…the lone loss (10-4) came at home on June 11…the Guardians lead the all-time matchup between the two clubs, 1,044-924.

STEVEN’S STANDARD
After going 2-for-4 in last night’s contest, Bay Area native STEVEN KWAN has now hit safely in all 7 career games he has played against the Athletics…he has 4 games with multiple hits and is 12-for-32 (.400) with 6 runs scored…he also has base knocks in all 4 career games he has played at RingCentral Coliseum (.389, 7-for-18)…Kwan became the first Cleveland leadoff batter to start a season with 7+ RBI in the first five games of a season since Kenny Lofton in 1998.

Kwan maintains his MLB lead in pitches faced (127) through six games, ranking ahead of CHC’s Ian Happ (116)…he is currently T4th in the AL with MIN’s Joey Gallo at 7 RBI, highlighted by a 5-RBI performance on March 31 at Seattle…the outfielder is the only player with 6-or-more RBI with no home runs…with 3 more multi-hit efforts thru 7 games already this season, Kwan’s 35 multi-hit games as a leadoff hitter since the start of 2022 are 8th-most in MLB and 5th in the AL…since 2022, he also ranks T4th in MLB and T3rd in the AL for most 3+ hit games.

WHY WAS SIX AFRAID OF SEVEN? BECAUSE 7-8-9!
One of the keys for success in Cleveland’s first six games has been the production from the 7-8-9 spots in the batting order.

In the 7 spot, ANDRÉS GIMÉNEZ leads MLB 7-hitters in hits (6) and runs (5)…as a team, Cleveland’s 7-hitters rank 1st in MLB in runs (6) and T1st in hits (8).

In the 8 spot, MIKE ZUNINO ranks T2nd among MLB 8-hitters in runs (4) and doubles (2), and also ranks T3rd in hits (4)…as a team, the Guards 8-hitters rank 2nd in runs (7) and T5th in MLB in hits (6).

In the 9 spot, MYLES STRAW ranks 1st among MLB 9-hitters in walks (5), T1st in runs (4), and T2nd in hits (5)…as a team, the Guards 9-hitters rank 1st in walks (5) and 2nd in runs (4).

Among MLB teams’ 7-8-9 hitters, the Guardians have the 2ndmost hits (19) in MLB (STL, 21) and rank 1st in the AL…their 11 walks are tied for most in MLB (LAD) and rank 1st in the AL…the Guardians 5 XBHs also rank T6th in MLB and T3rd in the AL.

LEADING THE WAY
AMED ROSARIO (28), STEVEN KWAN (26), and JOSÉ RAMÍREZ (26) rank 1st and T2nd in MLB in at-bats thanks to two extra-innings contests…Ramírez has 3 go-ahead RBI which ranks T1st with five others in MLB and 3 doubles (T4th in MLB and AL)… ANDRÉS GIMÉNEZ ranks T3rd in MLB (T2nd in AL) in runs (6)… JOSH BELL’s 6 walks rank T4th in MLB and T1st in the AL… MYLES STRAW’s 4 SB rank T1st in both MLB and the AL.

As a team, Cleveland ranks 2nd MLB with 55 hits, T2nd in triples (2) and go-ahead RBI (7), 3rd in stolen bases (8), 4th in singles (38), and 5th in walks (25).

TODAY’S STARTER 70 HUNTER GADDIS RHP

GADDIS’ MLB CAREER
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
2022 0-2 18.41 2 2 7.1 15 15 15 3 5
Career 0-2 18.41 2 2 7.1 15 15 15 3 5

GADDIS’ MINOR LEAGUE CAREER
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
2022 8-6 4.01 24 23 121.1 90 57 54 41 158
Career 13-20 3.90 57 53 251.2 197 138 109 76 338

LAST START
Gaddis got the nod in Cleveland’s second game of the season on March 31 at Seattle…he fell one out shy of completing 4.0 frames and did not factor into the Guardians 9-4 victory (3.2IP, 5H, 4R/ER, 1BB, 4SO)…Gaddis gave up an RBI-single to Kolten Wong in the bottom of the 1st, then gave up a 2-run double to Cal Raleigh in the bottom of the 3rd…he was he was pulled in the bottom of the 4th with a runner on first and charged with the run after the runner scored on an RBI-double from Julio Rodríguez.

2022 RECAP
Gaddis became the 13th Clevelander of the 2022 season to make his MLB debut for the Guardians on Aug. 5 vs. Houston at Progressive Field (3.1IP, 7H, 8R/ER, 2BB, 2SO, 2HR, 79 pitches)… after retiring the first three batters of his Major League career, he ran into trouble…a Trey Mancini solo shot in the 2nd, an RBI-single by Yordan Alvarez & grand slam from Mancini in the 3rd, and a Jose Altuve RBI-double in the 4th put Cleveland in an 8-1 deficit.

Gaddis made a second spot-start with the Guardians on Sept. 15 vs. Chicago-AL at Progressive Field (4.0IP, 8H, 7R/ER, 1BB, 3SO, 5HR, 92 pitches)…after beginning with a 1-2-3 inning for the second straight start, the White Sox broke the game open via the long ball…Gavin Sheets and Andrew Vaughn tallied back-toback home runs in the 2nd, Yoan Moncada went deep in the 3rd, Yasmani Grandal went yard in the 4th, and Elvis Andrus hit one over the wall in the 5th…the five home runs allowed were the most allowed by a Cleveland pitcher since April 18, 1969 (Luis Tiant).

CAREER SNAPSHOT
2022: Split Minor League season between AA Akron and AAA Columbus, going a combined 8-6 with 4.01 ERA in 24 games/23 starts (121.1IP, 90H, 54ER, 41BB, 158SO)…was promoted from AA Akron to AAA Columbus on July 23 and made ML debut just two weeks later…went 3-1 with 2.42 ERA in 4 Sept. starts at AAA Columbus (22.1IP, 12H, 6ER, 3BB, 29SO)…tallied 6th-lowest ERA, 3rd-lowest batting average, and T8th-most SO in Sept. International League play…went 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA (4ER/26.0IP), 5 walks and 37 strikeouts from 4/26-5/19 with AA Akron…led AA Eastern League in strikeouts in that stretch…struck out a careerhigh 11 batters in 6.0 shutout innings on 5/19 vs. Erie.

2021: Spent the entire season with High-A Lake County, making 19 starts; his 4.16 ERA was 4th-lowest in the High-A Central, while his 127SO were tied for the league lead.

2020: Did not pitch due to canceled Minor League season.

2019: Went 1-2 with a 3.12 ERA (6ER/17.1IP) in 7 games/5 starts in the Arizona Complex League, before posting a 2.30 ERA (4ER/15.2IP) over 6 outings w/ Low-A Mahoning Valley

OAKLAND ATHLETIC NOTES:

ABOUT THE A’S: Snapped their three-game losing streak with the first walkoff win of the season last night…have split the first two games of this series after losing two of three to the Angels to start the season…have lost the first two series of the season just once over the previous 11 years (2021)…this is the A’s 56th season in Oakland where the A’s have won 17 American League West titles, four AL Wild Cards, six AL pennants and four World Championships…only the Atlanta Braves (22), New York Yankees (20) and Los Angeles Dodgers (20) have more division titles than the A’s…since the A’s moved to Oakland in 1968, only the Yankees (11), Cardinals (8) and Dodgers (8) have more league championships and only the Yankees have more world championships (7)…have a 4495-4182 (.518) record over the previous 55 seasons in Oakland…only four teams have won more games over that span (New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston, St. Louis)…this is the Athletics franchise 123rd season in the American League…since 1901, the A’s have 17 AL West titles plus 15 AL pennants and nine World Championships…only the Yankees (27) and Cardinals (11) have won more World Championships…the A’s are 9210-9654 (.488) in their previous 122 seasons…that includes a 3886- 4248 record from 1901-54 in Philadelphia and 829-1224 from 1955-67 in Kansas City.

OFFENSE: The A’s have scored 15 runs on 20 hits in the first two games of this series with the Guardians after totaling three runs on 16 hits in the three-game series against the Angels to start the season…are tied for the fifth in the majors in fewest home runs (4) and most grounded into double plays (6) and have the sixth lowest batting average (.218) and OPS (.639).

PITCHING: The A’s pitching staff has the fourth highest ERA in the majors (6.07)…has issued five wild pitches, which is second most to the Guardians (5)…led the majors with 36 wild pitches this spring…A’s starting pitchers have a 9.13 ERA, which is second highest in the majors to the Red Sox (10.18)…the bullpen has a 3.09 ERA, which is eighth lowest.

DEFENSIVE DOINGS: The A’s have committed an error in each of the first five games, which is the longest season-opening streak by an A’s team over the last 47 years…in Oakland history, the only longer such streaks are a 10-game streak in 1976 and a six-game streak in 1970…have six errors for the season, which is tied with the Orioles for the most in the majors.

HOME AND AWAY: The A’s are 2-3 on this season-opening six-game homestand against Los Angeles-AL (1-2) and Cleveland (1-1)…went 29-51 (.362)
at home last year, which set an Oakland record for lowest home winning percentage…had the second worst home record in the majors to Washington (26-55, .321)…leave following the game tomorrow for the first road trip of the season, a seven-game trip to Tampa Bay (three games) and Baltimore (four games) that begins on Friday…went 31-51 (.378) on the road in 2022, which was the third worst road record in the American League.

THIS AND THAT: The A’s won 4-3 last night and both of their victories have been one-run decisions…are 2-1 in one-run games and the three games are tied with the Diamondbacks, Guardians and Red Sox for the most in the majors…are also 2-1 in games decided in the last at bat…the A’s average time of game is 2 hours and 41 minutes…the last time the A’s averaged under 2:50 per game was in 2010 (2:43).

DURING THE SPRING: The A’s went 11-17-3 (.355) this spring, which was the worst record in the Cactus League and third worst in the majors ahead of Pittsburgh (9-18-4) and Miami (7-16-4)…it was the fifth lowest spring winning percentage in Oakland history…went 5-10-3 last spring and have back-to-back losing springs for the first time since 2016-18 when they had three straight…the A’s led majors in on-base percentage (.367), walks (153), hit by pitches (26) and lowest strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.83)…the walks were second most by an A’s team during the spring since 1990, the earliest year spring stats are available (had 154 in 1997)…the hit by pitches were the most since 2009 (28) and the on-base percentage was the best since 2013 (.367)… tied for second in the CL in triples (9), ranked fourth in OPS (.783) and plate appearances per strikeout (4.45) and tied for fourth in runs (171) and doubles (64)…had the most grounded into double plays in the majors (32)…had the second fewest home runs in the CL (27) and the fifth lowest slugging percentage (.416)…the pitching staff had the highest ERA (6.35), opponents OPS (.849) and on-base percentage (.385) in the majors, the third highest batting average (.283) and fifth highest slugging percentage (.465)…the ERA was the highest by an A’s team during the spring since at least 1990 (previous: 6.22 in 1999)…also led the majors in runs (209), walks (171) and wild pitches (36)…the walks are the most by an A’s team during the spring since at least 1990…tied for the second most home runs allowed in the CL (40)…were one of two teams in the majors without a balk (Cardinals)…the A’s defense had the fourth fewest errors in the CL (23) and tied for fifth in outfield assists (4)…had the most passed balls (7).

THE RULE CHANGES: The A’s stole 40 bases this spring, which was third most in the Cactus League…it was the most by an A’s team during the spring since at least 1990 (previous: 39 with the 1995 replacement players)…tied for the fourth fewest caught stealings (6) and had the fifth best stolen base percentage (87.0)…the A’s average time of game was 2:46, compared to 3:07 from last spring…however, had the highest average time of game in the majors (Phillies, 2:43)…league-wide, the average time of game was 2:35 compared to 3:01 last spring.

ROSTER NOTES: The A’s Opening Day roster featured seven players who returned from last years Opening Day roster (Acevedo, Brown, Jackson, Jiménez, Kemp, Moll, Oller), which matched the fewest returning players by an A’s team since Opening Day rosters are first available in 1992 (also 2012)… seven were signed as free agents (Aguilar, Díaz, Familia, Fujinami, May, Perez, Peterson), which are the most free agents on an A’s Opening Day roster since 1995 when they had eight…had two players in the Opening Day starting lineup that also started the opener last year, which were the fewest by an A’s team since 2015 when they also had two…of the 26 players on the A’s Opening Day roster, only four played for Oakland in at least each of the previous three seasons: Ramón Laureano (2018-22), Seth Brown (2019-22), James Kaprielian (2020-22) and Tony Kemp (2020-22)…only Kemp, who has been on each of the A’s last four Opening Day rosters, has a streak of more than two consecutive Opening Day rosters with the A’s…Seth Brown, who was drafted on June 10, 2015 has the longest tenure in the A’s organization…18 of the 26 players were acquired by Oakland since the conclusion of the 2021 season (all but Acevedo, Allen, Brown, Jackson, Kaprielian, Kemp, Laureano, Moll)…had six rookies on the Opening Day roster (Capel, Fujinami, Muller, Noda, Ruiz, Waldichuk)…five players had six or more years of service: Familia (10 years, 8 days), May (8 years, 12 days), Peterson (6 years, 142 days), Díaz (6 years, 100 days) and Aguilar (6 years, 82 days)…the average age on the A’s Opening Day roster was 28.50 years, which is the A’s youngest since 2015 (27.92)…Esteury Ruiz, who was 24 years and 43 days, is the youngest… Trevor May was the oldest at 33 years and 188 days and he is the youngest oldest player on an A’s Opening Day roster since Mark Ellis in 2010 (32 years, 303 days).

THE INJURED LIST: The A’s begin the season with five players (Blackburn, Piña, Rucinski, Snead, Tarnok) on the injured list after starting the season with three last year…used the IL 31 times last year, which broke the Oakland record of 27 set in 2016 and matched in 2021…however, used the IL nine times for Covid in 2022 and three times in 2021.

A’S VS. GUARDIANS
• The A’s snapped a six-game home losing streak against the Guardians last night, which matched the longest home losing streak against Cleveland in Oakland history (6, June 3, 1994-July 27, 1995).

• Lost the season series last year for the first time since 2016.

• Went 1-6, which was their worst record against Cleveland since going 0-7 in 1995.

Year Home Road Totals
2023 1-1 0-0 1-1
2022 0-3 1-3 1-6
Oakland History: 289-251
at the Coliseum: 152-112
at Progressive Field: 52-70
All-Time: 924-1044

TODAY’S TIDBITS
Seth Brown has six home runs in 15 career games against Cleveland, which are his most against any team…Ramón Laureano made his fourth career Opening Day start last Thursday, his first in right field (2019-21 in center), and went 0-for-4…has hit safely in each of his four games since then (5- for-14, .357)…Trevor May picked up his second win of the season last night and is one of three two-game winners in the majors…has three decisions and is the third pitcher in Athletics history with three decisions over the first five games (Scott Perry, 1920; Orlando Peña, 1964)…Esteury Ruiz is the only player to reach base safely in each of the A’s first five games.

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER: Kyle Muller (0-0, 1.80 ERA)

FOR STARTERS: Is scheduled to make his second start of the season and the 13th of his career…was the A’s Opening Day starter and became the first rookie pitcher in Oakland history to make a start on Opening Day…prior to that, the last Athletic rookie to start an opener was Eddie Smith on April 19, 1937 for the Philadelphia A’s…Muller had just 11 career starts entering the opener and the only Opening Day starting pitchers in Oakland history with fewer career starts entering the game are Sonny Gray (2014), Carlos Reyes (1996) and Vida Blue (1971), who all had 10 career starts…at the age of 25 years and 174 days, Muller was the youngest Opening Day starting pitcher for the A’s since Sonny Gray in 2015 (25 years, 150 days)…was the A’s third different Opening Day starting pitcher in the last three years (Montas, Bassitt) and the fifth in the last six (Fiers, Graveman)…begins his third season in the majors and is on his first Opening Day roster…was acquired from Atlanta in the three-team, nine-player trade on Dec. 12, 2022 that sent Sean Murphy to the Braves.

LAST START: He had a no decision in the A’s 2-1 win over Los Angeles (AL) on Opening Day, last Thursday in Oakland…retired each of the first seven batters and blanked the Angels on two hits over the first four innings…allowed his only run in five innings of work when Urshela singled, advanced to second on a Kemp error and third on a wild pitch before scoring on an O’Hoppe single…the A’s scored twice in the eighth for the win.

2022 RECAP: Spent most of the season with Triple-A Gwinnett where he was named to the International League Postseason All-Star team after going 6-8 with a 3.41 ERA and .694 OPS in 23 starts… also went 1-1 with an 8.03 ERA and .782 opponents OPS in three starts over three stints with Atlanta.

WITH ATLANTA: Allowed a .260 opponents batting average…right-handed hitters batted .295 (13-for-44) and left-handers were 0-for-6 with three walks…opponents hit .143 with runners in scoring position and he has allowed a .167 (8-for-48) average with RISP in his career.

CAREER: Was selected in the second round of the 2016 draft by Atlanta and made his Major League debut with the Braves in 2021…went 3-5 with a 5.14 ERA in 12 games, including 11 starts, over two seasons, before being traded to the A’s in a three-team, nine-player deal on Dec. 12, 2022…the Braves traded him, Manny Piña, Freddy Tarnok and minor leaguer Royber Salinas to Oakland, Milwaukee traded Esteury Ruiz to Oakland, Oakland traded Sean Murphy to Atlanta and Joel Payamps to Milwaukee and Atlanta sent William Contreras and minor leaguer Justin Yeager to Milwaukee…Muller compiled a 31-22 record and a 3.18 ERA in 108 games, including 107 starts, in six seasons in the Atlanta farm system…struck out 588 batters in 541.0 innings, an average of 9.78 per nine innings…was named to the International League Postseason All-Star team in 2022…was rated as the Braves No. 6 prospect by MiLB.com following the 2020 season, No. 5 after 2021 and No. 1 after 2022…was listed as the A’s No. 5 by MiLB.com following the trade…was rated as the Braves No. 1 prospect by Baseball America following the 2022 season and the A’s No. 2 prospect by the magazine following the trade…pitched for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League in 2018 and was named to the AFL Rising Stars Game.

NBA Preview: Los Angeles Lakers 41-38) at Los Angeles Clippers (41-38)

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NBA Preview: Los Angeles Lakers 41-38) at Los Angeles Clippers (41-38)

When the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers meet, the stakes have rarely been higher. As the regular season draws to a close, the game on Wednesday night will be a legitimate showdown.

Despite the fact that it is only known as a rivalry based on proximity, the Lakers’ game on Wednesday stands to be remembered regardless of who wins.

With three regular-season games remaining, both teams are 41-38, but the Clippers are technically in sixth place in the Western Conference, guaranteeing them a spot in the playoff first round.

As the top seed in the play-in tournament, the Lakers are ranked seventh.

Wednesday’s designated home team, the Clippers, have already won the season series 3-0. The Clippers have not lost to the Lakers in three seasons, going 10-0 during that time.

After a wild 135-133 overtime road victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, the Lakers were able to tie their overall record with that of the Clippers. Their participation in the play-in tournament was secured.

Be that as it may, it implies Lakers veterans LeBron James and Anthony Davis will have little reprieve heading into Wednesday’s major event, in the event that they play by any means.

In 38 minutes, James scored 37 points, including the game-winning shot with 27 seconds left on Tuesday. In 42 minutes, Davis scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

Since March 5, the Clippers have been in flux since Paul George left with a knee injury on March 21. The Lakers are on a four-game winning streak and are 11-4. The group has gone 3-3 since while sticking to a main six season finisher spot.

Following Saturday’s 122-114 road defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans, the Clippers are now two games without a win. The day before, the team lost 108-94 to Memphis in that matchup.

Russell Westbrook had ten assists in the game against the Pelicans, and Kawhi Leonard had 40 points and eight rebounds.

Westbrook had a rough start to the season with the Lakers coming off the bench, but since he joined the Clippers on Feb. 24, his erratic play has been much more measured. Wednesday will be Westbrook’s most memorable game against the Lakers since the middle of the season separate.

Whether Westbrook tries to make a statement during the game will be the main focus.

After Westbrook was acquired, the Clippers lost his first four games and had difficulty integrating him into the rotation. However, the previous MVP has gotten comfortable now with a normal of 15.2 places and 7.8 helps with his new group, helping the crew to a 8-5 record from that point forward.

NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings (48-31) at Dallas Mavericks (37-42)

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NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings (48-31) at Dallas Mavericks (37-42)

The Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings have a limited amount of time to improve their standings.

The Kings (48-31) utilized a 121-103 triumph at New Orleans on Tuesday night to secure the Pacific Division title and stay up with the Memphis Grizzlies (50-29) in their bid for the No. Western Conference’s second-ranked seed.

The Kings hold the gathering record sudden death round over the Grizzlies would it be a good idea for them they finish in a tie, yet that would require Memphis losing something like two times in its last three games.

Sacramento plays a home game against the Golden State Warriors on Friday before traveling to play the Denver Nuggets on Sunday after a stopover in Dallas.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks (37-42) got a break on Tuesday when the Warriors beat Oklahoma City 136-125. This put the Thunder (38-42) and Dallas (38-42) in a tie for the 10th and final play-in spot in the West.

Since the Thunder hold the tiebreaker for the season series over the Mavericks, even if Dallas wins its remaining games, Oklahoma City still has a chance to win the playoffs by defeating the visiting Utah Jazz on Thursday and the Grizzlies on Sunday.

The Mavericks conclude their season with home games against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday and the Chicago Bulls on Friday.

On Wednesday, the Kings and Mavericks’ season series will be decided. In February, the teams played two games at the same location in Sacramento. The Kings won the second game, 133-128 in overtime, after losing 122-114.

The star of Tuesday’s victory over New Orleans was Domantas Sabonis, who had a triple-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists.

After the game, Kings coach Mike Brown did not specify whether the No. 2 seed was a higher priority than resting his players for the beginning of the end of the season games one week from now. However, the Kings’ post-game celebration of their franchise winning its first division title since 2003 may have provided the answer.

Kyrie Irving was playing in his second and third games with the Kings since being acquired from Brooklyn on Feb. 6 when the Kings last saw the Mavericks. In the first of the two games, he had 25 points and 10 assists. The next night, he had 28 points and seven assists, respectively, in the overtime loss.

Luka Doncic scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds in only the second game of the series.

The Mavericks will take the court after returning from a five-game trip with a three-game losing streak. In each of the three defeats, Irving and Doncic worked together.

However, Irving has a sore right foot and Doncic has a bruised thigh, and both are listed as questionable for the game against the Kings.

On Wednesday, there was a rumor that Irving and Doncic would be benched for the remainder of the season; however, Doncic insisted that this will not be the case at this time.

NBA Preview: Memphis Grizzlies (50-29) at New Orleans Pelicans (40-39)

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NBA Preview: Memphis Grizzlies (50-29) at New Orleans Pelicans (40-39)

In their first attempt to secure a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, the New Orleans Pelicans were unsuccessful.

They’ll attempt to return from only their second misfortune in nine games when they have the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

After scoring 40 points in the second quarter, Sacramento (40-39) took control of the game against New Orleans.

Before the Kings started making 3-pointers, the Pelicans took a 14-4 lead, and New Orleans was unable to keep up. From beyond the arc, the Kings made 17 of 42 shots, while the Pelicans made 7 of 20.

Brandon Ingram drove New Orleans with 22 places, however that finished a dash of nine back to back games where he had scored something like 25. When he scored 14 points in the first quarter, he appeared to be on track to extend the streak, which saw him score 30.3 points per game on average.

However, the Pelicans’ offense stalled as the Kings began to swarm him with multiple defenders.

An update on All-Star forward Zion Williamson, who hasn’t played since January 2 due to a strained right hamstring, is expected from New Orleans on Wednesday. Last week, he was granted permission to resume basketball activities.

Williamson’s availability on Wednesday is unlikely, but the Pelicans haven’t ruled out his return before Sunday’s regular season finale.

The Grizzlies (50-29) are almost gotten into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 119-109 in Memphis’ home finale on Tuesday. With three games remaining, the Grizzlies lead Sacramento, which is in third place, by two games.

Getting to 51 may be all the more a test with Ja Morant (hip) and Luke Kennard (lower leg) recorded as dicey after Wednesday’s shootaround.

Tuesday’s game saw the Grizzlies come back from a 19-point first-quarter deficit, but in between, they saw the Blazers, who were shorthanded, win. Portland pulled within 66-62 at halftime after outscoring Memphis 37-25 in the second quarter.

With nine minutes remaining, the Blazers held a 101-96 lead, but Memphis went on a 22-2 run after Desmond Bane hit three 3-pointers.

Memphis has a 2-1 advantage over New Orleans in the series. Each game has been won by the home team.

NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls (38-41) at Milwaukee Bucks (57-22)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls (38-41) at Milwaukee Bucks (57-22)

The No. 1 seed will go to the Milwaukee Bucks. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference when they play the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

After defeating the Washington Wizards 140-128 on Tuesday, the Bucks (57-22) will play on the second night of a back-to-back. Milwaukee was led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 28 points, had 10 assists, and grabbed 11 rebounds.

However, Antetokounmpo praised several other Eastern Conference teams and slightly downplayed the significance of having home court advantage.

Bucks mentor Mike Budenholzer, thus, was only glad to with the each game in turn approach.

Chicago (38-41), which appears destined for the No. 1 spot, has secured a spot in the play-in tournament. 10 spot. If the Bulls make it to the first round, they might play Milwaukee in the first round.

Chicago is falling off a 123-105 misfortune at home against the Atlanta Birds of prey on Tuesday night. DeMar DeRozan had 21 points, Zach LaVine had 26 for the Bulls, and Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

This season, Antetokounmpo leads the Bucks in both rebounding (11.8) and scoring (31.1 points per game). Brook Lopez has an average of 2.5 blocks and Jrue Holiday has a team-best 7.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

The Bulls are driven in scoring by LaVine and Derozan with 25.1 and 24.9 focuses per game, separately. Vucevic averages 11.1 rebounds per game, while Derozan also holds the record for assists (5.1).

Despite missing Tuesday’s game to oversee his rehabilitation from a knee injury, the Bucks anticipate that Khris Middleton will be able to play. Budenholzer claims that Pat Connaughton will not play in Wednesday’s game because of a right ankle sprain he suffered on Monday. Due to an ankle injury, Grayson Allen is not expected to play Wednesday.

For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Bulls want to win the series against their I-94 rival. The Bucks won their first two games this season, one of which went to overtime, but on February 16, they won 112-100.

NBA Preview: Toronto Raptors (40-39) at Boston Celtics (54-25)

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NBA Preview: Toronto Raptors (40-39) at Boston Celtics (54-25)

When the Toronto Raptors take on the host Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, they won’t be demotivated.

Despite the fact that Toronto (40-39) can complete no lower than tenth in the Eastern Meeting standings, the Raptors would benefit altogether by procuring the No. 7 or No. 8 seed instead of finishing ninth or 10th, as the game between the No. 7 and No. With a win, the eight seeds in the play-in tournament will move on.

The champ of the game between the No. 9 and No. To extend its season, the 10 seeds will need to win a second game.

By defeating Charlotte 120-100 on Tuesday night, the Raptors secured their fifth victory in six games and Pascal Siakam’s 22 points.

As of Wednesday’s matchup, Toronto and Atlanta are tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta and Toronto are two games ahead of No. 7 Miami with three games remaining in the regular season.

The Celtics are probably going to finish as the No. 1 team because of their 103-101 defeat to Philadelphia on Tuesday. second-place Eastern Conference seed. With three games remaining, Boston (54-25) is three games behind Milwaukee, but the Celtics hold the tiebreaker against the Bucks.

Philadelphia, in third place, is two games behind Boston.

In Tuesday’s victory, the 76ers were led by 52 points from Joel Embiid. He also had two blocks, six assists, and 13 rebounds.

Jaylen Brown did not play for Boston because of a back injury. In games that Brown has not participated in this season, the Celtics have a 9-4 record. Center Robert Williams was also out for Boston with a knee injury.

Wednesday’s down will be the third gathering between the Celtics and Raptors this season. Boston won the main matchup 116-110 in December and required the second game 106-104 in January.

To conclude the season series, the two teams will meet once more on Friday in Boston.

On Monday night, the forward Justin Champagnie was acquired by the Celtics to fill the final vacancy on their roster. Champagnie had been playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G Association.

The 21-year-old Champagnie appeared in three Raptors games earlier this season. He also appeared in 36 games for Toronto during the season, scoring 2.3 points and playing 7.8 minutes per game on average.

NBA Preview: Washington Wizards (34-45) at Atlanta Hawks (40-39)

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NBA Preview: Washington Wizards (34-45) at Atlanta Hawks (40-39)

With back-to-back victories on Wednesday night, the Atlanta Hawks can end the regular season on a high note before facing the struggling Washington Wizards.

Despite playing without Trae Young, Atlanta (40-39) defeated Chicago (123-105) to move above.500.

Young, the Hawks’ leading scorer and assister with 26.2 points per game, missed Tuesday’s game due to a non-COVID illness. The void was filled by Bogdan Bogdanovic, who scored 26 points on 5-of-10 shooting from three-point range.

For Atlanta, the current No. 1 team, Saddiq Bey had 18 points, and Dejounte Murray had 17 points and 9 assists. 8 seed has a spot in the play-in competition.

After a 132-130 overtime thriller against Dallas on Sunday, in which Murray scored 25 points and Young scored 24, the Hawks won on Tuesday.

Atlanta, which is two games behind Miami for the No. 1 spot, will begin its final three-game stretch of the regular season with Washington’s visit. 7 seed. No. is three games behind the Hawks. 6 Brooklyn, which involves the Eastern Gathering’s last ensured season finisher spot.

Atlanta will try to win its third straight game against the Wizards and its third overall. On March 8 and 10, the Hawks defeated the Wizards in Washington by scores of 122-120 and 114-107, respectively.

Young led the way in both contests with 28 points.

The Wizards (34-45), who have lost four of their last five games, including a 140-128 defeat on Tuesday at home to Milwaukee, which leads the Eastern Conference, contributed to their ongoing slide.

Washington’s rookie Johnny Davis scored 20 points, breaking his previous career high of 16 points set in Sunday’s loss to New York.

Davis scored two points with a stunning dunk over Bucks guard Jrue Holiday. Davis became the first Wizards rookie since John Wall in 2011 to score 20 points, pull down five rebounds, and block two shots in a game.

Kristaps Porzingis missed his third consecutive game, Bradley Beal missed his seventh consecutive game, and Kyle Kuzma missed his eighth consecutive game, so Davis was part of a new Washington starting five.

With all of Washington’s season-high scorers out of action, Corey Kispert has capitalized, scoring more than 20 points per game in the Wizards’ last six games. He scored 27 points against Orlando on Friday and 29 points against New York on Sunday, but he only scored 12 points on Tuesday.

NBA Preview: New York Knicks (46-33) at Indiana Pacers (34-45)

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NBA Preview: New York Knicks (46-33) at Indiana Pacers (34-45)

Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks’ head coach, may be willing to give a few players a rare night off in order to secure a playoff berth.

Known for his all-gas, no-brake disposition, Thibodeau precluded various central participants for Wednesday night’s visit to the Indiana Pacers, the first of two matchups between the long-term rivals in the last five days of the standard season.

Additionally, Indiana has sat a number of top performers.

On Sunday, the Knicks defeated the visiting Washington Wizards 118-109 to secure a playoff spot, while the Pacers lost 115-105 to the host Cleveland Cavaliers to be eliminated from playoff contention.

The Cavaliers are the following rival that is important for the Knicks, who are gotten into that season finisher matchup. The Knicks (46-33) are guaranteed fifth spot in the Eastern Gathering after the 6th spot Brooklyn Nets tumbled to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.

Although the Nets (43-36) still have a chance to tie the Knicks, New York holds the tiebreaker due to its superior conference record.

On Tuesday night, the Cavaliers (50-30) defeated the Orlando Magic 117-113 to secure the fourth seed, while the Philadelphia 76ers, who were seeded third, defeated the Boston Celtics 103-101.

Thibodeau stated that it was “hypothetical” to begin considering how he might handle the final three games for his nicked-up team earlier Tuesday afternoon, hours before the Cavaliers officially became the Knicks’ first-round opponent.

Due to a sprained left ankle, power forward Julius Randle will miss the rest of the regular season, and star point guard Jalen Brunson has missed seven of the last 15 games with hand and foot injuries. RJ Barrett, the guard, is expected to return on Wednesday after missing Sunday’s game with a non-COVID illness.

On game day, however, the Knicks did shift gears. The team described Brunson’s absence from Wednesday’s game as “right hand maintenance.” Following the shootaround on Wednesday, Barrett remained in doubt for the game, and Randle’s absence was confirmed.

Even though the Pacers (34-45) have improved since their worst season in nearly four decades, they still won’t make the Eastern Conference play-in tournament because of an untimely loss. Three years in a row have passed without Indiana making the playoffs.

The Pacers, whose 57 losses in 2013-14 were their most since the team that finished 22-60 in 1984-85, started the season with a 23-18 record but have since gone 11-27, including 2-7 since March 18. In the final stretch, only one defeat has been by less than 10 points.

However, head coach Rick Carlisle is optimistic that Indiana is on the verge of making a turnaround given that there are only two rotation members who are over the age of 27. The Pacers have five picks in the forthcoming draft and cleared more than $10 million in cap space with a progression of minor arrangements at February’s exchange cutoff time.

The first round will feature three of these picks.

Leading scorers Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, two of the Pacers’ foundational players, were ruled out on Wednesday and may miss the remainder of the season due to injuries. Turner has been out of the last five games with a sore back and a problem with his left ankle, while Haliburton has been out of the last four games because of a sprained right ankle.

Indiana likewise precluded Chris Duarte with a lower leg injury.

NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets (43-36) at Detroit Pistons (16-63)

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NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets (43-36) at Detroit Pistons (16-63)

On Tuesday night, the Brooklyn Nets allowed the Miami Heat to get closer in the standings.

The Nets will now attempt to retain the No. When they play the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, they will be the 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

On Tuesday, the Nets lost 107-102 to Minnesota, while Miami defeated Detroit 118-105.

Brooklyn (43-36) presently holds a questionable one-game edge in the standings over the Intensity (42-37).

Brooklyn’s coach, Jacque Vaughn, saw Minnesota’s 58-46 advantage in the paint as a setback for his team.

In essence, Vaughn employed a seven-man rotation. Seth Curry and Cam Thomas, two of the regular rotation players, were among three other players who played fewer than five minutes. That could change on Wednesday during the second game of a back-to-back.

With 30 points and six assists, Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets against the Timberwolves.

The Pistons (16-63) battled the Heat for a long time before falling 118-105 for their tenth consecutive defeat. After taking a 99-96 lead in the fourth quarter, Detroit surrendered 11 points without reply.

Despite the poor record, rookies Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey continued to stand out. Ivey had a group high 30 focuses to go with seven helps, and Duren contributed 20 focuses and 14 bounce back.

This season, Ivey has scored 30 or more points three times. Although he committed five errors, coach Dwane Casey was pleased with his performance overall.

Along with fellow center James Wiseman, the 6-foot-11 Duren started in a jumbo front court and only missed one field goal attempt.

When Isaiah Livers landed on Ivey’s foot while making a jump shot in the first quarter, the Pistons, already plagued by injuries, were given yet another scare. Livers returned to the game and scored 15 points despite fracturing his ankle.

Since 1979-80, Detroit will never again have a season with fewer than 20 wins.

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were still on the team when Brooklyn split the first two games of the season series.

MLB Preview: Los Angeles Angels (3-2) at Seattle Mariners (2-4)

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MLB Preview: Los Angeles Angels (3-2) at Seattle Mariners (2-4)

LOS ANGELES ANGELS NOTES:

LEADING OFF: Today marks the sixth (3-2) and final game on the Angels opening road trip of the 2023 season against Oakland (2-1) and Seattle (1-1; April 3-5).

SHO DAY: Shohei Ohtani makes his second pitching start of the regular season today…On Opening Day, he worked 6.0 scoreless innings and tallied 10 strikeouts…With 10 strikeouts today, he would join Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers in Angels history with 10+ strikeouts in each of his first two starts of season; Ryan did so three times: first three starts in 1973 and first two starts in 1975 & 1978.

ANGELS RECENT RECORDS TO BEGIN SEASON
AFTER FIVE GAMES: AFTER SIX GAMES:
2023: 3-2 2023: ???
2022: 2-3 2022: 3-3
2021: 4-1 2021: 4-2
2020: 2-3 2020: 2-4
2019: 1-4 2019: 1-5

ON WITH THE SHO: Dating back to last season, Shohei Ohtani has reached base safely (via hit, walk, or HBP) in a career-high 28 consecutive games…It’s the second-longest active streak in the Majors, behind Aaron Judge (38 games).

RENDON SUSPENDED: On Monday, Major League Baseball issued a five-game suspension and an undisclosed fine to Anthony Rendon for his actions involving a fan last Thursday in Oakland…The suspension was ultimately been reduced to four games…Today will be the third game served of the four game suspension…The Angels will play with 25 active players during the suspension.

PITCHING POINTS: Through the first five games of the season, Angels pitching has combined to post a 3.14 ERA (43 IP – 15 ER) with 43 strikeouts…The ERA ranks fourth in the A.L., behind Minnesota (1.23 ERA; 44 IP – 6 ER), Tampa Bay (2.00 ERA; 45 IP – 10 ER) and New York (2.40 ERA; 43 IP – 15 ER).

VS. SEATTLE: Today is the third (1-1) of 13 meetings this season between the Angels and Mariners (six in Seattle and seven at Angel Stadium)…Last season, Halos went 10-9 against Seattle, including a 6-3 record at T-Mobile Park…Mike Trout is a career .325 (209/644) hitter vs. Seattle and is the all-time leader in career home runs against the Mariners, with 54…His 143 career runs scored vs. Seattle are second all-time, behind Rickey Henderson (145).

MOST CAREER RUNS SCORED vs. MARINERS

  1. Rickey Henderson – 145
  2. Mike Trout – 143
  3. Rafael Palmeiro – 140

MOST CAREER HOME RUNS vs. MARINERS

  1. Mike Trout – 54
  2. Rafael Palmeiro – 52
  3. Manny Ramirez – 39

RIB EYE STREAK: Logan O’Hoppe drove in at least one run in each of the Angels first three games this season…He was the first player to do so since Mike Trout in 2017…Before Trout, it last happened in 2007 by both Vladimir Guerrero and Casey Kotchman.

OPENING SHO: On Thursday, Shohei Ohtani made his second MLB Opening Day start as a pitcher and tossed 6.0 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts… He became the fourth pitcher in Angels history with 10+ strikeouts on Opening Day, joining Nolan Ryan (12 SO; 1973 & 1975), Andy Messersmith (11 SO; 1970) and Jered Weaver (10 SO; 2012).

THE 11 SPOT: Saturday afternoon at Oakland, the Angels plated 11 runs in the top of the third inning, marking the Halos highest scoring frame since July 2, 2016 (11 runs in the 7th inning at Boston)…It was the sixth 11+ run inning in franchise history.

A UNIQUE SAVE: Saturday at Oakland, Tucker Davidson earned his first career save after tossing 4.0 scoreless frames to finish off the Angels 13-1 win over the A’s…The 12-run victory marked the largest run differential in a save for an Angels pitcher since Chris Bootcheck (4 IP) in a 14-1 win vs. Royals on May 28. 2005.

VETERAN ROSTER: The Angels Opening Day active roster featured just one rookie: Logan O’Hoppe.

BABY BACKSTOP: With his start on Thursday, Logan O’Hoppe (23 years, 49 days) became the youngest Opening Day catcher in Angels history (previous was Buck Rodgers – 23 years, 237 days in 1962)…He was the first Angels rookie catcher to start on Opening Day since Bengie Molina in 2000.

WELCOME TO THE RENAISSANCE: With Anthony Rendon, Hunter Renfroe & Luis Rengifo hitting 4-6 in the Angels Opening Day batting order, it was the first lineup in franchise history to feature three straight players who have the same first three letters of their last name…The last MLB occurrence was by Detroit on July 20, 2015 (Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez, Jefry Marte).

THE NEW GUYS: Angels Opening Day roster featured eight players new to the organization in 2023: LHP Tyler Anderson, INF Brandon Drury, RHP Carlos Estévez, INF Jake Lamb, LHP Matt Moore, OF Brett Phillips, OF Hunter Renfroe and INF Gio Urshela

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – RHP SHOHEI OHTANI
• SHO TIME: Making second start of the season (both on the road)…Is in sixth Major League season with Angels.

• OPENING DAY STARTER: Was Angels Opening Day starter for second consecutive season…Also made two Opening Day pitching starts in Japan for Nippon-Ham Fighters…Became first Angels pitcher to start consecutive Opening Days since Jered Weaver (2010-15).

• LAST TIME ON THE MOUND: Did not factor in decision in Opening Day start at Oakland after tossing 6.0 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts…Became fourth pitcher in Angels history with 10+ strikeouts on Opening Day, joining Nolan Ryan (12 SO; 1973 & 1975), Andy Messersmith (11 SO; 1970) and Jered Weaver (10 SO; 2012).

• 10 K: Tallied 10 strikeouts in first start of season; only pitcher in Angels history with 10+ strikeouts in each of first two starts of a season was Nolan Ryan (1973, 1975, 1978)…Recorded 10+ strikeouts in 10 starts last season, which was the most such games in the A.L.; joined Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers in franchise history with 10+ strikeouts in at least six consecutive games.

• VS. SEATTLE: Is 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA (38 IP – 7 ER) in six career pitching starts vs. Mariners…Last season, was 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA (19 IP – 2 ER) in three starts vs. Seattle…Enters today’s game with active streak of 10.0 consecutive scoreless innings vs. Mariners.

• AT T-MOBILE PARK: Today marks third career pitching appearance in Seattle…Is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA (12 IP – 2 ER) in the two previous starts…Only start at T-Mobile last year came on June 16, 2022 (W; 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 SO).

• WBC MVP: Named Most Valuable Player of the 2023 World Baseball Classic…Made three pitching appearances (two starts) for Japan, going 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA and 11 strikeouts and earned the save in the Championship Game against the United States…Marked first relief appearance since October 16, 2016 in Game 5 of the Final Stage of the 2016 Pacific League Climax Series for Fighters.

• ONE AND ONLY: Last season, became only player to ever qualify for the league leaders as both a hitter and a pitcher in one season…Was the first A.L/N.L. player since Babe Ruth (1918) with 10+ wins and 10+ HR in the same season and the only player in MLB history with 10+ wins & 30 + HR.

• 2022 ON THE MOUND: Was the runner-up in 2022 A.L. MVP voting after winning the award in 2021…Finished 2022 with a 15-9 record, a 2.33 ERA (166 IP – 43 ER) and 219 strikeouts in 28 pitching starts, while holding opponents to a .203 average (124/610)…Led A.L. with an 11.87 SO/9 innings rate…Allowed two-or-fewer runs in 22 of 28 starts…Ranked among league leaders in strikeouts (219; 3rd), whiff% (33.0%; 4th), ERA (2.33; 4th), wins (15; T4th), WHIP (1.01; 5th) and opponent batting average (.203; 6th).

• 200K: Was the first Angels pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts since Jered Weaver in 2010 and the only player in MLB history with 200+ pitching strikeouts and 8+ home runs in one season.

• M V P: Was unanimously named the 2021 American League Most Valuable Player…Marked Angels sixth MVP award in franchise history, following Don Baylor (1979), Vladimir Guerrero (2004) and Mike Trout (2014, 2016 & 2019)…He is the second Japanese-born player to receive MVP honors in the Major Leagues, joining Ichiro Suzuki (2001).

• JAPANESE HALOS: Is one of five Japanese-born players to play for Angels, along with Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Hideki Matsui, Hisanori Takahashi and Junichi Tazawa.

• PITCHING CAREER IN JAPAN: In 85 career games (82 starts) as a pitcher for Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japanese Pacific League, went 42-15 with a 2.52 ERA (543 IP – 152 ER) and 624 strikeouts.

• THE OHTANI RULE: In the event the starting pitcher will bat for himself, the player will be considered two separate people…If the starting pitcher is replaced, he can continue as the Designated Hitter, and if the Designated Hitter is replaced, he can continue as the pitcher (but can no longer hit for himself)…Was the Angels DH in all of his pitching starts in 2022.

• MLB CAREER NOTES: Signed with Angels as international free agent, Dec. 10, 2017…Made Major League debut as a DH on March 29, 2018 at Oakland and had first start as a pitcher on April 1, 2018 at Oakland…Named the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year and unanimous 2021 American League Most Valuable Player…First MLB player to ever be selected to the All-Star Game as both a pitcher and position player (2021 & 2022).

SEATTLE MARINERS NOTES:

TODAY’S TILT…the Mariners wrap up a 3-game series (1-1) today with a rubber match against the Los Angeles Angels…Seattle began the regular season with a 4-game series (1-3) against the Cleveland Guardians to begin the 7-game homestand (2-4)…following today’s game, the Mariners will embark on a 6-game road trip against the Guardians (3 G, 4/7-4/9) and Chicago Cubs (3 G, 4/10-4/12)…today’s game will be televised live on ROOT SPORTS with Aaron Goldsmith and Mike Blowers on the call and broadcast live on Seattle Sports (710 AM) and Mariners.com with Rick Rizzs and Dave Sims.

ODDS AND ENDS…the Mariners defeated the Angels by an 11-2 score in last night’s middle game…Seattle goes for its first series victory of the season today.

• Complete Win – Seattle’s 11-2 win marked its largest margin of victory (+9) in a game since defeating Oakland by a 9-0 score on June 22 last season.

• Rubber Soul – The Mariners went 10-9 in rubber games last season.

• Daylight Come And… – Seattle went 37-27 (.578) in 64 day games in 2022.

• Swing & A Miss – Luis Castillo induced 17 swing and misses in last night’s start.

OFFENSIVE BREAKOUT…the Mariners tallied a season-high 11 runs and 13 hits in last night’s 11-2 win over the Angels…7 different Mariners recorded a hit, while 6 recorded multi-hit games…Teoscar Hernández and AJ Pollock led the charge with 2 home runs apiece, while Julio Rodríguez registered a pair of doubles…Seattle’s 8 extra-base hits (4 doubles, 4 home runs) are the most they have had in a game since registering 8 on June 22, 2022 at Oakland.

ONE THROUGH SIX GETTING IN THE MIX…Seattle’s 1-through-6 in their starting lineup all registered 2 hits in last night’s win: Julio Rodríguez, Ty France, Teoscar Hernández, Eugenio Suárez, Cal Raleigh and AJ Pollock…it marked the first time the 1-through-6 in the Mariners starting lineup all recorded multi-hit games since June 29, 2008 in a 9-2 win at San Diego…in that game, the 1-through-7 in Seattle’s order all recorded multihit games: Ichiro Suzuki, José López, Raúl Ibañez, Jose Vidro, Adrián Beltré, Jeremy Reed and Jeff Clement.

MULTI-HOMER DUOS…Teoscar Hernández and AJ Pollock both hit 2 home runs in last night’s win…Jarred Kelenic and Mitch Haniger both hit 2 homers for Seattle on Sept. 29, 2022 vs. Texas, while Julio Rodríguez and Eugenio Suárez did it for the Mariners on Sept. 11, 2022 vs. Atlanta…the Mariners have accounted for each of the last 3 multi-homer teammate duos in the same game across the Majors…they are the first team to account for 3 consecutive around the Majors, without any other team doing it in that span, since the Houston Astros did it on July 23, 2000 (Lance Berkman, Bill Spiers), Aug. 13, 2000 (Moises Alou, Jeff Bagwell) and Sept. 9, 2000 (Berkman, Tim Bogar, Richard Hidalgo).

LA PIEDRA “ROCKS”…Luis Castillo tossed 5.2 scoreless innings in last night’s start, earning the win and allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts…Castillo has opened his season with back-to-back scoreless outings, leading the Mariners to each of their 2 victories…Castillo is the third pitcher in Mariners history to open a season with consecutive scoreless outings of at least 5.0 innings, joining Félix Hernández (2007) and James Paxton (2017)…Paxton tossed at least 5.0 scoreless innings in each of his first 3 starts to begin 2017.

FLEX-IBLE…Chris Flexen is set to make his first start of the season (second overall appearance)…in his season debut on March 31, the right-hander tossed 4.0 innings out of the bullpen…he allowed just one run on 4 hits, walking 3 and striking out one batter on 66 pitches (39 strikes)…in 65 games with the Mariners (2021-c), Flexen has either started (53) or finished (12) all 65 games that he has appeared in.

HOT START FOR JULIO…Julio Rodríguez went 2-for-5 with 2 runs and 2 doubles in last night’s victory…in 6 games this season he is batting .308 (8×26) with 6 runs, 4 doubles, 1 home run, 2 RBI, 2 stolen bases and 2 walks, getting on base at a .357 clip, slugging .577 with a .934 OPS and 157 OPS+…Julio has reached base at least twice in each of his last 5 games, registering multiple hits in 4 out of his last 5 games.

THE J-ROD SHOW BEGINS IN THE FIRST…Julio Rodríguez doubled and scored on a wild pitch in the 1st inning last night…in the 1st inning this season, Julio has reached base in 5 of 6 games and each of his last 5, going 4-for-5 with a walk in total…he is a .446 career hitter (41×92) in the 1st inning of games…in 103 career plate appearances in the 1st inning, Julio is batting .446 with 31 runs, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, 14 RBI, 6 stolen bases and 10 walks, getting on base at a .505 clip, slugging .848 with a 1.353 OPS and 78 total bases.

GENO GENO…Eugenio Suárez went 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored last night…in 6 games this season he is batting .333 (8×24) with 4 runs, 3 doubles and 3 RBI with a .792 OPS and 119 OPS+…Geno has started all 6 games at third base for the Mariners.

TY TY HE’S OUR GUY…Ty France went 2-for-4 with a double and 2 runs scored last night, raising his season batting average to .360 (9×25)…on the season France has 5 runs, 3 doubles, 1 home run, 4 RBI, 1 stolen base and 1 walk with a .985 OPS and 171 OPS+.

CAL THE CRUSHER…Cal Raleigh went 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and RBI last night…in 5 games this season the Mariners backstop is hitting .333 (6×18) with 3 doubles and 5 RBI, slugging .500 with an .833 OPS and 130 OPS+…Cal has the Mariners hardest-hit batted ball in 3 of their 6 games this season.

TODAY’S MARINERS STARTER – RHP CHRIS FLEXEN
ABOUT FLEXEN…
• 28-year-old right-hander is making his first start (2nd appearance) of 2023 and first start against the Angels this season…he is also making his 65th career start (93rd appearance) and 8th career start against Los Angeles-AL.

• Signed with the Mariners as a free agent, agreeing on a 2-year con- tract with an option for 2023 on 12/18/20.

• Was originally selected by the Mets in the 14th round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of Newark Memorial (CA) High School…made his ML debut with New York-NL on 7/27/17 at SD.

• Graduated from Newark Memorial High School (CA) in 2012…played 4 years of baseball and was a quarterback on the football team for 2 years…was committed to Arizona State University before signing with the Mets.

• Appeared in parts of 8 minor league seasons with Mets organization (2012-19)…overall, went 43-31 with a 3.61 ERA (236 ER, 588.0 IP) with 192 walks and 513 strikeouts in 122 games (105 starts)…in 2013, was named Topps Appalachian Player of the Year.

• In his Mariners debut on 4/3/21, became the 900th Seattle Mariners player in franchise history. • Recorded his 100th career strikeout when he struck out Cavan Biggio on 6/29/21 against Toronto (in Buffalo).

LAST START…ND in game one of a doubleheader on 10/04/22 vs. Detroit Tigers…tossed 4.0 innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits (1 HR), and 1 walk with 2 strikeouts.

I’M A RELIEVER…made his first appearence out of the Mariners bullpen this season on 3/31…pitching 4.0 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits, 3 walks and 1 strikeout.

NEXT MAN UP…after beginning the season as a member of the bullpen, Flexen is making his first start of the season in place of the injured Robbie Ray… Ray was placed on the 15-day IL on 4/1 with a left flexor strain.

LOS BOMBEROS…made 11 appearences as a reliever in 2022 going 1-0 with a 1.62 ERA (3 ER, 16.2 IP) with 12 strikeouts and recording 2 saves out of the bullpen.

BIRTH MONTH BOOM…in 5 July starts in 2022, Flexen went 3-0 with a 1.95 ERA (6 ER, 27.2 IP) with 18 strikeouts…his 3.57 ERA (25 ER, 63.0 IP) in 12 career July starts is his lowest ERA in any individual calendar month…Chris celebrates his birthday on July 1.

FLEX ON ‘EM…tied for the longest winning streak by a Mariners starting pitch- er in 2022 after winning 4 consecutive decisions (6/24-7/13)…Logan Gilbert and Robbie Ray also recorded 4 game win streaks last season.

HIGH QUALITY…recorded 9 quality starts last season, the 5th most on the team…his last quality start was on 7/25/22 against Texas when he pitched 6.0 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (1 HR) and 2 walks while striking out 5.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS…had decisions in each of his first 7 starts of the
2022 season (1-6)…the last Mariners pitcher to start the season with 7-ormore decisions in a row were Aaron Harang (2-5) and Brandon Maurer (2-5), both in 2013.

SEASON-HIGH PUNCHIES…struck out a season-high 8 batters on 7/4/22 at San Diego, matching his career high…this marked the third time Flexen has struck out 8 batters in one game.

HOME IS WHERE THE START IS…since he joined the Mariners, Flexen is 12-9 with a 3.56 ERA (63 ER, 159.0 IP) with 113 strikeouts and 38 walks in 32 appearances at T-Mobile Park and 10-6 with a 3.75 ERA (66 ER, 158.1 IP) with 108 strikeouts and 56 walks in 33 games on the road.

WINNING WAYS…Flexen’s 8 wins last season was tied for 4th on the team with George Kirby…he trailed Logan Gilbert (13), Robbie Ray (12), and Marco Gonzales (10)…7 of his wins came as a starter and 1 win came as a reliever.

ANGEL EYES…has a 3.27 ERA (15 ER, 41.1 IP) in 7 career starts against the Angels…his 3.27 ERA is the 3rd-lowest ERA against any single team that he has made at least 2 starts against, trailing only Kansas City (1.32 ERA/ 2 ER, 13.2 IP) and Texas (2.36 ERA/ 12 ER, 45.2 IP).
2022 RECAP…went 7-9 with a 3.92 ERA (51 ER, 117.0 IP) with 81 strikeouts and 43 walks as a starter in 2022…moved to the Mariners bullpen in August…made his first relief appearance of the season on 8/13/22 at Texas…as a reliever Flexen went 1-0 with a 1.62 ERA (16.2 IP, 3 ER) with 12 strikeouts and 7 walks.

CAREER…has appeared in 6 Major League seasons with New York-NL (2017-19) and Seattle (2021-23)…was originally selected by the Mets in the 14th round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Newark Memorial (CA) High School…made his Major League debut with New York-NL on July 27, 2017 at San Diego.

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