[Posted prior to NBA Game 7 and late baseball….]
Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.
MLB Quiz: 1) Name the last three pitchers to throw 10 or more complete games in a season. [Hint: The years were 2011, 2008, 1999.] 2) Who am I? I led all of baseball in complete games five consecutive seasons, 1952-56. Answers below.
NBA Finals
–We have a Game 7 tonight in Oklahoma City, 8:00 p.m. ET, owing to the Thunder totally laying an egg in Game 6 Thursday night in Indianapolis, 108-91.
OKC shot 8 of 30 from 3-point land, 26.7%, and they committed 21 turnovers (resulting in 19 Indiana points) to just 10 TOs for the Pacers.
Tyrese Haliburton, bad leg and all, played a gutty 23 minutes with 14 points, and was +25! Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, on the other hand, the league’s MVP, had eight of the Thunder’s 21 turnovers.
Obi Toppin was big off the bench for the Pacers with 20 points.
Indiana has been counted out so often, including after Game 5’s loss, but here we are…both teams looking for their first NBA title.
–The Phoenix Suns traded 15-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the draft and five second-round picks. The trade can be formally completed with the new league year begins July 6.
The Rockets were one of Durant’s three trade preferences, together with Miami and San Antonio.
He has hardly been playing like he’s washed up, turning 37 in September, as he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games. He has averaged at least 25 points, 50% shooting and 40% on 3-pointers in three straight seasons, the longest streak ever in the NBA, according to ESPN Research.
Durant and Houston coach Ime Udoka have a strong relationship dating back to shared stints with Brooklyn and USA Basketball. Last week, Udoka agreed to a new long-term contract extension.
The Rockets also have 2025 All-Star Alperen Sengun, rising two-way force Amen Thompson and veteran guard Fred VanVleet.
—The Buss family has agreed to sell the Lakers, one of the most iconic sporting brands in the world, to financier Mark Walter in a deal that values the team at a global record of $10 billion.
The sale, which is not yet finalized, could eventually value the team at $12 billion, according to The Athletic. That would be far more than the $6.1 billion valuation for the Boston Celtics when they were sold in March.
Mark Walter is also the controlling owner of the Dodgers.
Jeanie Buss, 63, will remain governor after the sale is complete, a league source said. Her father, Jerry Buss, purchased the Lakers in 1979, and the following year the Lakers were NBA champions, the first of 10 titles they would win under his ownership. With stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, the “Showtime” Lakers of the 1980s helped reinvigorate the league’s popularity and made the franchise one of the most popular in sports.
Jerry Buss originally bought the Lakers for about $68 million from Jack Kent Cooke, the former owner, in a complex deal that also gave him the Los Angeles Kings and the Forum. Not a bad move, I think you’d agree.
–The NBA Draft is Wednesday at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Former Rutgers star Ace Bailey has been cancelling visits, including a request from Philadelphia, the Sixers with the No. 3 pick in the draft.
Bailey is the only U.S.-based prospect yet to visit any clubs, and this from a guy who is widely considered to be anywhere from No. 3 to No. 8, after Dallas takes Cooper Flagg at No. 1 and San Antonio is expected to select Rutgers’ Dylan Harper.
Stanley Cup Finals
For the record, since it happened after I last posted, the Florida Panthers wrapped up their second consecutive Cup title, both times over Edmonton, 5-1 on Tuesday.
The Oilers fell in six this year, after taking it to a Game 7 last season.
So the Montreal Canadiens, 1992-93, remain the last team from Canada to win the Cup.
MLB
–Oh, these are worrisome times for us Mets fans. After getting swept at home by the Tampa Bay Rays last weekend, the Mets traveled to Atlanta to face their chief nemesis, and Tuesday, behind starter David Peterson, New York led the Braves 4-1 heading to the bottom of the eighth, Peterson’s pitch count low, so he took the mound for more action.
And after two pitches way outside, Mets fans knew we were in trouble. The bullpen would cough it up, the Mets losing 5-4 in 10 innings, failing to even move the ghost runner over to third in the top of the tenth. It was sort of reminiscent of the Knicks’ Game 1 collapse against Indiana that spelled doom for them in that series.
New York then lost 5-0, 7-1 the next two nights in Hotlanta, six losses in a row, and moved on to Philadelphia, who with the Mets’ woes, were suddenly tied with New York for the NL East lead.
And on Friday night, the Mets were whipped like a rented mule, 10-2, losing streak seven. Francisco Lindor is 0-for-19…hardly the catalyst he needs to be.
But Saturday night, the Metropolitans got off the schneid, 11-4, blasting seven home runs, two each by Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo, Lindor with a homer, double and three RBIs as he also snapped out of it.
So as the teams head to Sunday night’s ESPN game, they are tied atop the NL East at 46-31.
[Today, the Mets demoted catcher Francisco Alvarez to Triple-A. While he’s still just 23, he’s regressing at the plate in his third season and hasn’t approached the power of his rookie year, 2023, when he slammed 25 home runs in 382 at-bats. Plus, his fielding has cost the team in key situations. This is a good move. He’ll come back the better for it.]
—In the win over the Mets on Wednesday, Atlanta’s reigning Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale made a diving stop in the ninth inning of a one-hopper in an attempt to help preserve his shutout, but the Braves announced Saturday, Sale had been placed on the 15-day injured list with a fractured left rib cage he suffered on the play.
Sale exited the game one out shy of completing the 5-0 shutout having thrown 116 pitches. He is 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings.
–The Yankees broke a six-game losing streak on Thursday, beating the Angels 7-3 at the Stadium, after their earlier 29 consecutive innings without scoring streak ended the day before in a 3-2 loss to the Halos.
But the Yanks lost Friday night to the Orioles, 5-3, Luke Weaver, returning from injury to shore up the bullpen, the chief culprit. At least Aaron Judge had three hits, including home run No. 27.
Then Saturday, New York’s Clarke Schmidt threw seven no-hit innings against Baltimore, whereupon he was taken out after throwing a career-high 103 pitches. While the Yankee broadcast team debated the removal, I thought it was totally understandable, Schmidt having thrown 21 pitches in the seventh, and manager Aaron Boone wasn’t the least bit defensive in his post-game comments. The Yanks need a healthy Schmidt (4-3, 2.84) for the duration. Easy call.
Meanwhile, the Yankees hit four home runs and won it 9-0, though Aaron Judge was 0-for-3, average down to .367.
And today, Sunday, the Yanks had a nice win, scoring three in the bottom of the eighth for a 4-2 win.
But prior to the game the team announced starter Ryan Yarbrough was heading to the 15-day IL with a right oblique strain. He’s been a valuable piece this season.
–The Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, once the property of the Mets, who is basically already a superstar but because of his short stint in the big leagues, we are obligated to use the term “budding” superstar, reached the 20-20 mark in his 73rd game Thursday, 20 home runs, 23 steals. He’s the fastest Cubs player ever to reach that plateau.
Eric Davis is the all-time leader in being the fastest to 20-20, in just 46 games in 1987 for the Reds. That season the oft-injured Davis was limited to 129 games and finished with 37 home runs, 50 stolen bases.
–How about Wake Forest’s Nick Kurtz?! The rookie A’s first baseman is making his mark on the sport in just the last six games.
Going back to last Sunday, Kurtz hit a ninth-inning go-ahead homer in a 3-2 win over the Royals. He then slammed a walk-off homer in a 3-1 win over the Astros on Monday. And then Thursday, the lefty-swinging Kurtz hit a 96-mph Josh Haider (lefty) fastball for another walk-off in extra innings against the Astros.
Friday night he had a two-run homer in the bottom of the first for what proved to be the game-winner in a 5-1 win over the Guardians. Five home runs his last six games.
Saturday, Kurtz was 0-for-3 with a walk in a 4-2 A’s loss to Cleveland.
—Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee’s rookie hurler, threw five innings of no-hit ball last week in his first start before having to exit the game with a freak injury. He said at the time he wouldn’t miss his turn in the rotation.
His second start was Friday night against the Twins and this time he threw six hitless innings. So eleven innings in the big leagues…no hits. It’s the second-longest by a rookie to begin a career since the expansion era began in 1961. Only Austin Cox, who began his career with 11 2/2 innings of no-hit ball, went longer, though Cox’s hitless run was spread over six relief appearances in 2023. [Cox hasn’t pitched in the majors since that season, but wait…he’s in relief for the Braves today! Can’t believe I picked that up, frankly.]
When it comes to exclusive starters, Misiorowski’s 11 consecutive hitless innings are the most to start a career since 1900, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Well, the dude did allow a two-run homer to lead off the bottom of the seventh, the first hit. Misiorowski was then pulled, the Brewers eventually winning 17-6. Christian Yelich matched the Milwaukee team record with eight RBIs., the most a player has ever had without hitting a home run!
–Also Friday night, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh broke Johnny Bench’s record for most home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break.
Raleigh, who is currently slated to start the Midsummer Classic for the American League based on recent voting, hit two home runs to break Bench’s 1970 record of 28 home runs in the Mariners’ 9-4 win over the Cubs.
Raleigh’s 29 came in 73 games, compared to Bench’s 87.
The most home runs in a single season by a primary catcher is 48, held by Kansas City’s Salvador Perez.
Saturday, Raleigh then hit No. 30, giving him the most homers by a switch hitter before the All-Star break, but the Mariners fell to the Cubs 10-7.
The record for home runs in a season by a switch hitter is held by Mickey Mantle, 54, set in 1961.
And Raleigh slammed No. 31, Sunday…amazing…Mariners (39-37) win 14-6.
–After signing 22-year-old second baseman Kristian Campbell to an eight-year, $60 million contract this spring, the Red Sox sent him down to Triple-A. Since earning the AL Rookie of the Month honors for April, he hit .159 since.
There are many in the sport who said Campbell should have spent most of the entire year at Triple-A, instead of instantly being rewarded for his early play with the nice deal.
–In his introductory news conference with the Giants, former Boston slugger Rafael Devers said he was open to playing multiple positions with his new club, which enraged Red Sox fans. Boston traded Devers in a shocking move after a rift between player and club, which predominantly centered around Devers’ refusal to play first base. To twist the knife more, the Giants have asked Devers to start taking grounders at first – and he’s game, apparently.
Well, ironically, Boston was in San Francisco for three games this weekend and Friday night, the Red Sox won it 7-5, Devers 0-for-5 at DH.
But Devers hit a 2-run homer on Saturday, his first homer as a Giant, in a 3-2 victory.
–In the College World Series, it came down to Coastal Carolina and LSU for the final in scorching hot Omaha, Nebraska.
The Chanticleers, winners of 26 straight, eliminated Louisville, 11-3, on Wednesday. LSU then took care of Arkansas by scoring three in the bottom of the ninth. The Tigers can now win their second national title in a three-year span and eighth all-time. Coastal Carolina is looking for its second NCAA title – the other in 2016.
But Arkansas played awful defense in the ninth inning Wednesday, for what should have been a winner-take-all showdown on Thursday, only it wasn’t to be.
So in Game 1 Saturday night, LSU’s junior lefthander Kade Anderson, projected to go in the top five of the 2025 MLB Draft, threw a 3-hit shutout, 10 strikeouts, as the Tigers won 1-0, ending Coastal Carolina’s winning streak.
Game 2 was Sunday afternoon in Omaha…and it’s LSU, 5-3, the SEC’s sixth consecutive title. The Tigers brought amazing ‘talent,’ I can’t help but add…but then I’ve personally seen what they do in this regard.
Golf Balls
–They had a Signature Event, last one of the year, at the Travelers Championship, TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., this weekend and there was a familiar figure at the top of the leaderboard after the first two rounds…Scottie Scheffler, tied with Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood at -9, Jason Day a shot back. Rory McIlroy was at -5, four back.
But Scheffler, and Thomas, played awful on Saturday, while Fleetwood, Russell Henley and Keegan Bradley were shooting lights out.
And so after three rounds….
Fleetwood -16…63
Henley -13…career-low 61
Bradley -13…63
T8 Scheffler -7…72 (+2)
T8 McIlroy -7…68
T14 Thomas -6…73 (+3)
The 34-year-old Fleetwood, long a fan favorite, is still looking for his first PGA Tour title…a ton of folks in the gallery will be rooting for him Sunday, including yours truly. But the veteran Keegan Bradley is a local fan favorite as well.
And what a fascinating tournament we had develop….
Fleetwood went bogey, birdie, bogey, bogey first four holes and it was game on.
Bradley made a 64-foot absurd putt for birdie on 9 to tie it at -14
Jason Day hit a spectacular bunker shot for birdie on No. 11.
Scheffler and Rory were making moves…and we had this….
Fleetwood -14 thru 9
Bradley -14…9
Day -13…11
Henley -13…9
Scheffler -11…13
McIlroy -10…12
But Bradley bogeyed No. 10 to fall one back, three-way tie for second.
And then….
Fleetwood -15…11
Bradley -13…11
Day -13…12
Henley -13…11
Scheffler -12…15…but he needs to birdie in….
McIlroy -11…13
And then….
Fleetwood -16…14
Day -14…15
Henley -14…14
Bradley -13…14
And then….
Fleetwood bogeys No. 16, Bradley inexplicably leaves his birdie putt short….
Fleetwood -15…16
Bradley -14…16
Day -14…16
Henley -13…16
Harris English -13…17
Fleetwood with a clutch 5-foot par save on 17. One shot lead heading to 18…can he finally close the deal on the PGA Tour?
Fleetwood changes to pitching wedge on second shot and is way short!
And Bradley, one back, nails his approach on the par-4 to five feet! As much as everyone wants Fleetwood to bag his first title…Bradley is the local boy, and upcoming Ryder Cup captain, amid Saturday’s activities in Iran….
And then, out of f’n nowhere, Henley holes his shot out of the rough…-14.
Fleetwood’s long birdie attempt is way short.
Fleetwood first…misses it!
And Bradley sinks it for the win! Holy f’n Toledo!!! [Win No. 8]
What a freakin’ final round.
Poor Tommy, but he made a very costly change in clubs.
—Jordan Spieth was forced to withdraw for the first time in 297 career PGA Tour starts. Spieth said he woke up feeling pain in his neck and received treatment at the course. He felt a bit better but got progressively worse as he played his first round, five bogeys in his first 12 holes, and he pulled out.
–Earlier in the week, Jay Monahan said he was leaving the PGA Tour next year, to be succeeded by top NFL executive Brian Rolapp in a new role of CEO.
Rolapp, the chief media and business officer for the NFL and a key executive for Commissioner Roger Goodell, was introduced Tuesday as CEO, a position that had never existed in the tour’s six decades of existence.
Monahan announced last December the search for a CEO. He will shift his day-to-day responsibilities to Rolapp and focus more on his position on the PGA Tour board, along with the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises board, through 2026.
Monahan, who guided all of golf through the Covid-19 pandemic, was criticized for not taking a meeting with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia when it wanted to invest in golf with a team component.
LIV Golf then began in June 2022 and lured away over the next two years Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson.
Monahan and two board members, Jimmy Dunne and Ed Herlihy, then secretly met with PIF leadership and reached an agreement in late May 2023 that was geared toward bringing golf back together. That infuriated PGA Tour players who stayed loyal.
The framework was never finalized. The two sides are still negotiating and not even Donald Trump could smooth the way after a meeting in February.
But now the PGA Tour is like, we don’t need LIV and its ‘stars.’ The only attractive players are really DeChambeau, Koepka and Rahm.
LIV golfers have won just two of 10 majors since the league launched (Koepka’s 2023 PGA Championship, Bryson’s 2024 U.S. Open) and they have come up small down the stretch in the majors this year.
—Last Sunday’s rain-affected final round of the U.S. Open averaged a 2.4 rating and 5.4 million viewers on NBC, down 8% in viewership from last year (2.8, 5.9M), per Nielsen. According to NBC, viewership was trending up six percent from last year until the rain delay.
Viewership peaked with nine million viewers in the 8 p.m. ET quarter-hour, down more than 20 percent from last year’s peak of 11.4 million at 6:15 p.m. ET.
Rory McIlroy’s dramatic win at the Masters saw viewership soar by more than a third over the year before. Ratings for Scottie Scheffler’s win at the PGA Championship fell four percent last month.
By the way, through seven head-to-head Sundays, the audience comparison between the PGA Tour and LIV tells us the following. On Sundays in which the two tours have held events in 2025, the PGA Tour is averaging 3.1 million average viewers on CBS/NBC, while LIV is averaging 175,000 on Fox/FS1/FS2.
Stuff
—Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders was ticketed for speeding twice this month in Ohio, which has given Cleveland cause to release him.
Sanders was accused of driving a Dodge TRX pickup truck 101 mph in a 60-mph zone on a suburban Cleveland interstate, I-71, early in the week.
But it turns out on June 5 in Brunswick Hills, Ohio, Sanders was pulled over for 91 mph in a 65-mph zone.
Sanders failed to appear for an arraignment for the June 5 ticket on Monday and owes $269 in court costs.
For the second case, Sanders could pay a $250 fine to waive the fourth-degree misdemeanor case, according to police.
Saturday, Sanders addressed the incidents at a celebrity softball game.
“I’ve made some wrong choices,” he said with a laugh. “I gotta own up to them…I learn from them.”
It turns out as of Friday, both tickets had been paid.
–We note the passing of singer Lou Christie, famous for one of the truly great rock songs of the 60s, the #1 1966 smash “Lightnin’ Strikes,” which has held up very well over nearly 60 years and has always been a big fave of mine.
Christie, 82, also had the #6 “Two Faces Have I” (1963), #16 “Rhapsody In The Rain” (1966) and the #10 “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” (1969).
Born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco in 1943, the falsetto crooner grew up in the Pittsburgh suburb of Glen Willard – moving to New York right after high school, in 1961, to pursue a career in the music industry.
Christie’s “Rhapsody In The Rain” was deemed controversial and initially faced limited radio play due to its then-raunchy lyrics.
Top 3 songs for the week of 6/26/65: #1 “Mr.Tambourine Man” (The Byrds) #2 “I Can’t Help Myself” (Four Tops) #3 “Wooly Bully” (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs)…and…#4 “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (The Rolling Stones) #5 “Wonderful World” (Herman’s Hermits) #6 “Crying In The Chapel” (Elvis Presley) #7 “For Your Love” (The Yardbirds) #8 “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte” (Patti Page) #9 “Help Me, Rhonda” (The Beach Boys) #10 “Seventh Son” (Johnny Rivers… ‘A’ week…)
MLB Quiz Answers: 1) Last three pitchers to throw 10 or more complete games in a season…2011 – James Shields, Tampa Bay, 11; 2008 – CC Sabathia, Cleveland-Milwaukee, 10; 1999 – Randy Johnson, Arizona, 12. 2) Hall of Famer Robin Roberts led MLB in complete games five consecutive seasons, 1952-56, while with the Phillies.
Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.
