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VIDEO | From Dhoni dreams to IPL reality: Mukul Choudhary finishes it for LSG Mukul Choudhary’s rise from a M.S. Dhoni-inspired dreamer to a match-winner has been rapid, but not accidental. At Eden Gardens on Thursday, the 21-year-old powered Lucknow Super Giants to a last-ball, three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders with a stunning, unbeaten 54 off 27 balls.“I dedicate this to my father… I also always watch MS (Dhoni) sir, the way he finishes,” Mukul said, reflecting on the influence of Dhoni.That composure is built on routine. “Everyday I hit around 100-150 sixes… for the last five-six months, I’ve been practising a lot,” he revealed. His confidence in high-pressure finishes isn’t new either. Recalling a domestic game, he said: “25 runs were needed from the last over and five runs from the last ball… I got picked from that innings.”Against KKR, that belief resurfaced as he turned 128/7 into victory. “I never thought about the result, just wanted to take the match till the end… in the end it became clear that ‘yes I can do it’.”A key part of that clarity is mental discipline. “When there are many things going around, I want to sit down peacefully for five seconds and take 2-3 deep breaths, just watch the ball and play the ball.”Support from skipper Rishabh Pant has also been crucial. “Rishabh bhaiya told me that ‘don’t think so much, just do what you have been doing’.”Published on Apr 10, 2026 #VIDEO #Dhoni #dreams #IPL #reality #Mukul #Choudhary #finishes #LSG

VIDEO | From Dhoni dreams to IPL reality: Mukul Choudhary finishes it for LSG

Mukul Choudhary’s rise from a M.S. Dhoni-inspired dreamer to a match-winner has been rapid, but not accidental. At Eden Gardens on Thursday, the 21-year-old powered Lucknow Super Giants to a last-ball, three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders with a stunning, unbeaten 54 off 27 balls.

“I dedicate this to my father… I also always watch MS (Dhoni) sir, the way he finishes,” Mukul said, reflecting on the influence of Dhoni.

That composure is built on routine. “Everyday I hit around 100-150 sixes… for the last five-six months, I’ve been practising a lot,” he revealed. His confidence in high-pressure finishes isn’t new either. Recalling a domestic game, he said: “25 runs were needed from the last over and five runs from the last ball… I got picked from that innings.”

Against KKR, that belief resurfaced as he turned 128/7 into victory. “I never thought about the result, just wanted to take the match till the end… in the end it became clear that ‘yes I can do it’.”

A key part of that clarity is mental discipline. “When there are many things going around, I want to sit down peacefully for five seconds and take 2-3 deep breaths, just watch the ball and play the ball.”

Support from skipper Rishabh Pant has also been crucial. “Rishabh bhaiya told me that ‘don’t think so much, just do what you have been doing’.”

Published on Apr 10, 2026

#VIDEO #Dhoni #dreams #IPL #reality #Mukul #Choudhary #finishes #LSG

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Mukul Choudhary’s rise from a M.S. Dhoni-inspired dreamer to a match-winner has been rapid, but not accidental. At Eden Gardens on Thursday, the 21-year-old powered Lucknow Super Giants to a last-ball, three-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders with a stunning, unbeaten 54 off 27 balls.

“I dedicate this to my father… I also always watch MS (Dhoni) sir, the way he finishes,” Mukul said, reflecting on the influence of Dhoni.

That composure is built on routine. “Everyday I hit around 100-150 sixes… for the last five-six months, I’ve been practising a lot,” he revealed. His confidence in high-pressure finishes isn’t new either. Recalling a domestic game, he said: “25 runs were needed from the last over and five runs from the last ball… I got picked from that innings.”

Against KKR, that belief resurfaced as he turned 128/7 into victory. “I never thought about the result, just wanted to take the match till the end… in the end it became clear that ‘yes I can do it’.”

A key part of that clarity is mental discipline. “When there are many things going around, I want to sit down peacefully for five seconds and take 2-3 deep breaths, just watch the ball and play the ball.”

Support from skipper Rishabh Pant has also been crucial. “Rishabh bhaiya told me that ‘don’t think so much, just do what you have been doing’.”

Published on Apr 10, 2026

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Deadspin | Clippers, Trail Blazers duke it out for No. 8 seed <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28633527.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28633527.jpg" alt="NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Mar 31, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (24) shoots the ball against LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Jockeying for positioning in the Western Conference play-in round hits the home stretch on Friday when the Portland Trail Blazers welcome the Los Angeles Clippers for a crucial showdown.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Los Angeles (41-39) heads into its final two games of the regular season with a one-game lead over Portland (40-40) for eighth place in the West. The Clippers overtook the Blazers thanks to Portland’s back-to-back losses at Denver and San Antonio on Monday and Wednesday.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>However, Los Angeles was unable to take a critical two-game lead, falling Wednesday against NBA-leading and reigning league champion Oklahoma City 128-110.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>The Clippers won two straight heading into Wednesday’s contest, routing Sacramento and Dallas to rebound from losses to Portland and San Antonio. Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue said revisiting the 114-104 setback against the Blazers on March 31 is vital ahead of Friday’s rematch.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>“Understanding how they beat us last time (is essential),” Lue said. “They were really physical. I thought they came in with the mindset that that was a big game for them, so we’ve got to come in with the same mindset on Friday from the start — not easing into the game. We’ve got to be physical from the start.”</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>Blazers coach Tiago Splitter expressed a similar sentiment Wednesday, calling Friday the team’s “most important game.” Replicating its effort from the last encounter will be key, beginning with the physicality Lue referenced.</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>Portland dominated the glass during the meeting in Inglewood, Calif., outrebounding Los Angeles 48-30. Deni Avdija’s 11 boards led the Blazers, while Toumani Camara grabbed four of his seven rebounds on the offensive glass in a contest that saw Portland with a 32-14 advantage for second-chance points.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-8"> <p>Camara, a 2024-25 All-Defensive Team honoree, is again a catalyst for the Blazers on that side of the ball. He comes into Friday’s game a week removed from drawing his 100th offensive foul of the season, setting a single-season NBA record.</p> </section> <section id="section-9"> <p>Camara has also been a contributor to the Portland offense in recent outings, scoring 17-plus points in each of the last five contests. His 13.5 points per game supplement team-leaders Avdija’s 24 points per game and 16.3 from veteran guard Jrue Holiday.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>Holiday scored 30 points in Portland’s March 31 win at Los Angeles.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>“Come out and keep fighting. Execute the best as possible,” Holiday told reporters about the team’s focus heading into the final two games. “Just do what we’ve been doing. We know how important each game is.”</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>The Clippers come into Portland with Kawhi Leonard setting the pace at 28 points per game. Darius Garland, averaging 20.4 points per game since his trade to Los Angeles from Cleveland, missed Wednesday’s contest with a toe injury.</p> </section><section id="section-13"> <p>Another key midseason addition, Bennedict Mathurin, will look to get back on track after scoring just 10 or fewer in four of the last five outings. Mathurin was held to four points in the last encounter with the Blazers.</p> </section><section id="section-14"> <p>“Everybody here is on the same page,” Mathurin said. “It’s one game (to potentially determine the No. 8 seed). So, we’ve got to go out there and play as hard as we can.”</p> </section><section id="section-15"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #Clippers #Trail #Blazers #duke #seed

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Back in 2024, the Cleveland Cavaliers sat out players in their final regular-season game to secure the four seed and face the Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The plan kinda worked for Cleveland, as they did advance to the second round after a tough seven-game battle against the Magic. Boston took care of Cleveland in five games in the next round, so that plan didn’t work, but the Pacers, whom they were trying to avoid, did run through the bottom half of the East and found themselves in the Conference Finals.

Fast forward to today, and Cleveland finds themselves in a very similar situation. They trail the Knicks by a half-game and a tie-breaker for the three seed. If you put truth serum in the veins of the Cavs and Knicks, I’m sure both teams would rather be the four seed and face the Pistons in a projected second-round matchup.

Boston is loaded with star talent and guys who have won playoff games before. Detroit has had a tremendous season, but with Cade Cunningham just now returning from a collapsed lung and the lack of a second superstar, Boston is simply a tougher draw in the playoffs. Jalen Duren has been great for the Pistons this year, but he’s not nearly as valuable as any of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, or Derrick White.

Cleveland is projected to play the Hawks in the first round if nothing changes, and that’s a team they match up well with. They lack physical interior play that Cleveland struggles with, and that showed in Wednesday’s face off between the two squads.

Will teams battle for the No. 3 seed?

Honestly, I expected Cleveland to rest most of their guys in this one. The Cavs have been battling small injuries all season long, and it felt like a great time to rest their guys; however, they decided to change the culture. Cleveland played their core four of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, and looked very solid in a playoff-like atmosphere.

This new core has played only 64 minutes together this season; they need all the reps they can get before the end of the year. Worrying about your seeding is something that bad teams do. When you’re in the playoffs, you have to beat whoever’s in front of you. Worrying about seeding when you’ll have to face great teams regardless is a loser’s mentality.

Between the media calling Allen and Mobley soft, and them also languishing in Harden’s playoff failures, this team has enough working against them. It’s good to see them putting their heads down and letting the cards fall as they may.

#Cavaliers #Playing #Seeding #Game #East #Deadspin.com">Why the Cavaliers Are Done Playing the Seeding Game in the East | Deadspin.com Back in 2024, the Cleveland Cavaliers sat out players in their final regular-season game to secure the four seed and face the Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The plan kinda worked for Cleveland, as they did advance to the second round after a tough seven-game battle against the Magic. Boston took care of Cleveland in five games in the next round, so that plan didn’t work, but the Pacers, whom they were trying to avoid, did run through the bottom half of the East and found themselves in the Conference Finals.Fast forward to today, and Cleveland finds themselves in a very similar situation. They trail the Knicks by a half-game and a tie-breaker for the three seed. If you put truth serum in the veins of the Cavs and Knicks, I’m sure both teams would rather be the four seed and face the Pistons in a projected second-round matchup.Boston is loaded with star talent and guys who have won playoff games before. Detroit has had a tremendous season, but with Cade Cunningham just now returning from a collapsed lung and the lack of a second superstar, Boston is simply a tougher draw in the playoffs. Jalen Duren has been great for the Pistons this year, but he’s not nearly as valuable as any of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, or Derrick White.Cleveland is projected to play the Hawks in the first round if nothing changes, and that’s a team they match up well with. They lack physical interior play that Cleveland struggles with, and that showed in Wednesday’s face off between the two squads.Will teams battle for the No. 3 seed?Honestly, I expected Cleveland to rest most of their guys in this one. The Cavs have been battling small injuries all season long, and it felt like a great time to rest their guys; however, they decided to change the culture. Cleveland played their core four of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, and looked very solid in a playoff-like atmosphere.This new core has played only 64 minutes together this season; they need all the reps they can get before the end of the year. Worrying about your seeding is something that bad teams do. When you’re in the playoffs, you have to beat whoever’s in front of you. Worrying about seeding when you’ll have to face great teams regardless is a loser’s mentality.Between the media calling Allen and Mobley soft, and them also languishing in Harden’s playoff failures, this team has enough working against them. It’s good to see them putting their heads down and letting the cards fall as they may. #Cavaliers #Playing #Seeding #Game #East #Deadspin.com

with Cade Cunningham just now returning from a collapsed lung and the lack of a second superstar, Boston is simply a tougher draw in the playoffs. Jalen Duren has been great for the Pistons this year, but he’s not nearly as valuable as any of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, or Derrick White.

Cleveland is projected to play the Hawks in the first round if nothing changes, and that’s a team they match up well with. They lack physical interior play that Cleveland struggles with, and that showed in Wednesday’s face off between the two squads.

Will teams battle for the No. 3 seed?

Honestly, I expected Cleveland to rest most of their guys in this one. The Cavs have been battling small injuries all season long, and it felt like a great time to rest their guys; however, they decided to change the culture. Cleveland played their core four of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, and looked very solid in a playoff-like atmosphere.

This new core has played only 64 minutes together this season; they need all the reps they can get before the end of the year. Worrying about your seeding is something that bad teams do. When you’re in the playoffs, you have to beat whoever’s in front of you. Worrying about seeding when you’ll have to face great teams regardless is a loser’s mentality.

Between the media calling Allen and Mobley soft, and them also languishing in Harden’s playoff failures, this team has enough working against them. It’s good to see them putting their heads down and letting the cards fall as they may.

#Cavaliers #Playing #Seeding #Game #East #Deadspin.com">Why the Cavaliers Are Done Playing the Seeding Game in the East | Deadspin.com

Back in 2024, the Cleveland Cavaliers sat out players in their final regular-season game to secure the four seed and face the Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The plan kinda worked for Cleveland, as they did advance to the second round after a tough seven-game battle against the Magic. Boston took care of Cleveland in five games in the next round, so that plan didn’t work, but the Pacers, whom they were trying to avoid, did run through the bottom half of the East and found themselves in the Conference Finals.

Fast forward to today, and Cleveland finds themselves in a very similar situation. They trail the Knicks by a half-game and a tie-breaker for the three seed. If you put truth serum in the veins of the Cavs and Knicks, I’m sure both teams would rather be the four seed and face the Pistons in a projected second-round matchup.

Boston is loaded with star talent and guys who have won playoff games before. Detroit has had a tremendous season, but with Cade Cunningham just now returning from a collapsed lung and the lack of a second superstar, Boston is simply a tougher draw in the playoffs. Jalen Duren has been great for the Pistons this year, but he’s not nearly as valuable as any of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, or Derrick White.

Cleveland is projected to play the Hawks in the first round if nothing changes, and that’s a team they match up well with. They lack physical interior play that Cleveland struggles with, and that showed in Wednesday’s face off between the two squads.

Will teams battle for the No. 3 seed?

Honestly, I expected Cleveland to rest most of their guys in this one. The Cavs have been battling small injuries all season long, and it felt like a great time to rest their guys; however, they decided to change the culture. Cleveland played their core four of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, and looked very solid in a playoff-like atmosphere.

This new core has played only 64 minutes together this season; they need all the reps they can get before the end of the year. Worrying about your seeding is something that bad teams do. When you’re in the playoffs, you have to beat whoever’s in front of you. Worrying about seeding when you’ll have to face great teams regardless is a loser’s mentality.

Between the media calling Allen and Mobley soft, and them also languishing in Harden’s playoff failures, this team has enough working against them. It’s good to see them putting their heads down and letting the cards fall as they may.

#Cavaliers #Playing #Seeding #Game #East #Deadspin.com

Rajasthan Royals batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi on Friday struck a 15-ball half century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.

This equals his own record of the joint second-fastest fifty that he scored against Chennai Super Kings earlier this season.

Suryavanshi and Jake Fraser-McGurk are the only two batters to notch up two 15-ball fifties in the IPL. Yusuf Pathan, Sunil Narine and Nicholas Pooran are the only other batters to have achieved this feat.

Led by the teenage prodigy’s effort, Rajasthan put up 97 runs in the first six, the side’s best haul in the PowerPlay.

Published on Apr 10, 2026

#IPL #Vaibhav #Suryavanshi #scores #15ball #fifty #RCB">IPL 2026 – Vaibhav Suryavanshi scores 15-ball fifty against RCB Rajasthan Royals batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi on Friday struck a 15-ball half century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.This equals his own record of the joint second-fastest fifty that he scored against Chennai Super Kings earlier this season.Suryavanshi and Jake Fraser-McGurk are the only two batters to notch up two 15-ball fifties in the IPL. Yusuf Pathan, Sunil Narine and Nicholas Pooran are the only other batters to have achieved this feat.Led by the teenage prodigy’s effort, Rajasthan put up 97 runs in the first six, the side’s best haul in the PowerPlay.Published on Apr 10, 2026 #IPL #Vaibhav #Suryavanshi #scores #15ball #fifty #RCB

Deadspin | Padres continue series vs. Rockies after Xander Bogaerts slam: ‘It’s huge’ Apr 9, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) runs the bases after hitting a walk-off grand slam home run against Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Valente Bellozo (not pictured) in the twelfth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images It would be hard to start a homestand in a more dramatic fashion than the San Diego Padres’ Xander Bogaerts did Thursday night. The veteran shortstop hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the Padres to a 7-3 win over the Colorado Rockies in the opener of the teams’ four-game series. Bogaerts and host San Diego will aim for an encore on Friday night when they try to secure their sixth win in the past seven games. “It’s huge, you know? I just tried to get a good swing on it, and it was probably my best swing of the year,” Bogaerts said of the team’s first walk-off slam since Manny Machado did it to the Texas Rangers in August 2020. The Padres spent much of Thursday night scuffling offensively against what lately has been a good Colorado pitching staff. They managed just five hits in the first nine innings before taking advantage of the automatic runner to score six runs in extra frames. That included Manny Machado’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th and Luis Campusano’s two-out RBI double in the 11th that extended the game, giving Bogaerts a chance to be the hero an inning later. “Those guys are playing good ball, and we battled all night,” Bogaerts said. “Man, what a way to start a homestand.” One byproduct of a 12-inning game is that both teams could use length from their starting pitchers on Friday. San Diego right-hander Walker Buehler (0-1, 9.45 ERA) hasn’t yet provided that, failing to make it past the fourth inning in his first two outings. He lasted only 2 2/3 innings Sunday during the team’s 8-6 win in Boston, giving up four runs and three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Buehler is 7-4 with a 4.71 ERA in 23 career games (19 starts) against the Rockies. Colorado will counter with right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 1.69 ERA), who’s coming off a 4-1 win Sunday against Philadelphia. Sugano sailed through six innings, allowing four hits and a run while walking one and striking out five. This will be his first career start against the Padres. The Rockies might be without catcher Hunter Goodman, their one All-Star last year, after he sustained lacerations on his right middle finger when he was hit by a 95 mph fastball from Randy Vasquez in the sixth inning Thursday night. Goodman tried to stay in the game and run but walked off the field after seeing blood dripping off his finger. Manager Warren Schaeffer said X-rays were negative and hopes Goodman won’t miss much playing time. Still, the Rockies have shown definite signs of improvement after a dreadful 2025. Their lineup appears deeper than last year, and the pitching staff has looked more than viable against some good lineups early. Goodman credited Schaeffer for the early turnaround, which included a four-game winning streak before the loss on Thursday. “The vibe’s totally switched,” Goodman said. “The energy that (Schaeffer) brings every day just rubs off on us.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Padres #continue #series #Rockies #Xander #Bogaerts #slam #hugeApr 9, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) runs the bases after hitting a walk-off grand slam home run against Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Valente Bellozo (not pictured) in the twelfth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

It would be hard to start a homestand in a more dramatic fashion than the San Diego Padres’ Xander Bogaerts did Thursday night.

The veteran shortstop hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the Padres to a 7-3 win over the Colorado Rockies in the opener of the teams’ four-game series.

Bogaerts and host San Diego will aim for an encore on Friday night when they try to secure their sixth win in the past seven games.

“It’s huge, you know? I just tried to get a good swing on it, and it was probably my best swing of the year,” Bogaerts said of the team’s first walk-off slam since Manny Machado did it to the Texas Rangers in August 2020.

The Padres spent much of Thursday night scuffling offensively against what lately has been a good Colorado pitching staff. They managed just five hits in the first nine innings before taking advantage of the automatic runner to score six runs in extra frames.

That included Manny Machado’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th and Luis Campusano’s two-out RBI double in the 11th that extended the game, giving Bogaerts a chance to be the hero an inning later.

“Those guys are playing good ball, and we battled all night,” Bogaerts said. “Man, what a way to start a homestand.”


One byproduct of a 12-inning game is that both teams could use length from their starting pitchers on Friday. San Diego right-hander Walker Buehler (0-1, 9.45 ERA) hasn’t yet provided that, failing to make it past the fourth inning in his first two outings.

He lasted only 2 2/3 innings Sunday during the team’s 8-6 win in Boston, giving up four runs and three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Buehler is 7-4 with a 4.71 ERA in 23 career games (19 starts) against the Rockies.

Colorado will counter with right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 1.69 ERA), who’s coming off a 4-1 win Sunday against Philadelphia. Sugano sailed through six innings, allowing four hits and a run while walking one and striking out five. This will be his first career start against the Padres.

The Rockies might be without catcher Hunter Goodman, their one All-Star last year, after he sustained lacerations on his right middle finger when he was hit by a 95 mph fastball from Randy Vasquez in the sixth inning Thursday night.

Goodman tried to stay in the game and run but walked off the field after seeing blood dripping off his finger. Manager Warren Schaeffer said X-rays were negative and hopes Goodman won’t miss much playing time.

Still, the Rockies have shown definite signs of improvement after a dreadful 2025. Their lineup appears deeper than last year, and the pitching staff has looked more than viable against some good lineups early.

Goodman credited Schaeffer for the early turnaround, which included a four-game winning streak before the loss on Thursday.

“The vibe’s totally switched,” Goodman said. “The energy that (Schaeffer) brings every day just rubs off on us.”


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Padres #continue #series #Rockies #Xander #Bogaerts #slam #huge">Deadspin | Padres continue series vs. Rockies after Xander Bogaerts slam: ‘It’s huge’ Apr 9, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) runs the bases after hitting a walk-off grand slam home run against Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Valente Bellozo (not pictured) in the twelfth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images It would be hard to start a homestand in a more dramatic fashion than the San Diego Padres’ Xander Bogaerts did Thursday night. The veteran shortstop hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the Padres to a 7-3 win over the Colorado Rockies in the opener of the teams’ four-game series. Bogaerts and host San Diego will aim for an encore on Friday night when they try to secure their sixth win in the past seven games. “It’s huge, you know? I just tried to get a good swing on it, and it was probably my best swing of the year,” Bogaerts said of the team’s first walk-off slam since Manny Machado did it to the Texas Rangers in August 2020. The Padres spent much of Thursday night scuffling offensively against what lately has been a good Colorado pitching staff. They managed just five hits in the first nine innings before taking advantage of the automatic runner to score six runs in extra frames. That included Manny Machado’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th and Luis Campusano’s two-out RBI double in the 11th that extended the game, giving Bogaerts a chance to be the hero an inning later. “Those guys are playing good ball, and we battled all night,” Bogaerts said. “Man, what a way to start a homestand.” One byproduct of a 12-inning game is that both teams could use length from their starting pitchers on Friday. San Diego right-hander Walker Buehler (0-1, 9.45 ERA) hasn’t yet provided that, failing to make it past the fourth inning in his first two outings. He lasted only 2 2/3 innings Sunday during the team’s 8-6 win in Boston, giving up four runs and three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Buehler is 7-4 with a 4.71 ERA in 23 career games (19 starts) against the Rockies. Colorado will counter with right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 1.69 ERA), who’s coming off a 4-1 win Sunday against Philadelphia. Sugano sailed through six innings, allowing four hits and a run while walking one and striking out five. This will be his first career start against the Padres. The Rockies might be without catcher Hunter Goodman, their one All-Star last year, after he sustained lacerations on his right middle finger when he was hit by a 95 mph fastball from Randy Vasquez in the sixth inning Thursday night. Goodman tried to stay in the game and run but walked off the field after seeing blood dripping off his finger. Manager Warren Schaeffer said X-rays were negative and hopes Goodman won’t miss much playing time. Still, the Rockies have shown definite signs of improvement after a dreadful 2025. Their lineup appears deeper than last year, and the pitching staff has looked more than viable against some good lineups early. Goodman credited Schaeffer for the early turnaround, which included a four-game winning streak before the loss on Thursday. “The vibe’s totally switched,” Goodman said. “The energy that (Schaeffer) brings every day just rubs off on us.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Padres #continue #series #Rockies #Xander #Bogaerts #slam #huge

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