Deadspin | Top-seeded Pistons shocked in Game 1 as Magic never trail Apr 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) dunks in the first half against the Detroit Pistons during the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Paolo Banchero had 23 points and nine rebounds as the visiting Orlando Magic upset the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, 112-101, in Game 1 of their first-round Eastern Conference series on Sunday. The visiting Magic never trailed as every starter scored at least 16 points. Franz Wagner supplied 19 points, five rebounds and four assists while Wendell Carter Jr. and Desmond Bane each contributed 17 points and five assists. Jalen Suggs had 16 points, four assists and three steals. The Pistons have lost 11 straight playoff home games dating back to the 2008 Eastern Conference finals. Cade Cunningham carried Detroit with 39 points. Tobias Harris was the only other Piston in double figures with 17 points. All-Star Jalen Duren only attempted four shots in 33 minutes while being held to eight points and seven rebounds. The Magic shot 48.9% from the field while limiting the Pistons to 40.3% shooting. Orlando reached the first round by defeating Charlotte in the play-in tournament on Friday and came out on fire. The Magic built an 18-5 lead less than five minutes into the game. Detroit closed the gap to two late in the quarter, but Orlando responded with a 6-0 spurt. The Magic held the lead throughout the second quarter and clung to a 55-51 advantage at halftime. Orlando opened the second half with an 8-1 run. Detroit responded with a 13-2 run, capped by a Cunningham 3-pointer, to make it 65-65 at the 7:04 mark. The Magic never allowed the Pistons to pull even again. Orlando answered with a 14-3 run sparked by reserve guard Anthony Black, who had five points and two assists during that stretch. Detroit was down by seven, 81-74, entering the fourth. The Magic made their first seven field goal attempts in the quarter but still couldn’t quite pull away. The lead was still seven with 3:45 remaining. Wagner then made a layup and a free throw to make it 106-96. Suggs scored on an alley-oop with 2:13 remaining and the Pistons never got closer than seven the rest of the way. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Topseeded #Pistons #shocked #Game #Magic #trail

Deadspin | Dodgers, Cubs close series with potential pitching duel Apr 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) throws a pitch against the New York Mets during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images A resurgent Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense will take on the visiting Chicago Cubs in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon. The Dodgers snapped the Cubs’ 10-game winning streak with a 12-4 win on Saturday night. Teoscar Hernandez was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs as Los Angeles racked up 14 hits. Hitless in his previous three games, Hernandez lined a two-RBI single up the middle in a six-run fourth inning. “I haven’t been on base for the last couple games, but it is OK, everyone goes through that,” he said. “Hopefully I can keep up doing that and be consistent with it.” Shohei Ohtani also snapped an 0-for-12 skid over his previous three games when he led off the game with an opposite-field single. Andy Pages, Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland posted two-hit games as the Dodgers scored in double digits for a major league-leading fifth time this season. The Cubs have scored in double figures in four games. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Max Muncy will be out on Sunday. The Dodgers third baseman felt sick yet still hit his ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third. “Muncy wasn’t feeling well,” Roberts said. “We talked and said to him, give us what you got, three at-bats. That’s what we did and felt good about getting him three at-bats. Max will be down tomorrow and be back in there on Monday.” Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (3-0, 1.88 ERA) is slated to start for the Dodgers. He covered seven innings in his most recent start and earned the decision in a 12-3 road win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday, yielding one run on eight hits with three strikeouts. In his past three starts — all wins– he has allowed only two runs in a combined 20 innings. He never has faced the Cubs. “At the end of the day I am going out there and doing the same thing every time,” Wrobleski said. “That’s trying to fill the zone, create contact and see what happens.” Chicago’s scheduled starter is Shota Imanaga (2-1, 2.17), who earned the win when he surrendered one run on three hits over seven innings in his last start, a 7-4 home win against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. The lefty is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA on the road this season. In four career starts against Los Angeles, Imanaga has a 1-0 record with a 3.48 ERA. “I come to the field every day, whether it’s a start day or not, with the same responsibility,” Imanaga said. “I know if someone gets injured I can help cover them. We have a very tight circle with full support.” He has a stellar defense in the field — the Cubs are ranked No. 1 on FanGraphs with 17 defensive runs saved — and knows he can pitch to contact. “It helps with my confidence as well, knowing that behind me, the Cubs’ defense is the best of all 30 teams,” Imanaga said. “If I can control and avoid damage and extra-base hits, I know they are going to get outs. So it’s a big confidence booster.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Dodgers #Cubs #close #series #potential #pitching #duel

#Deadspin #Dodgers #Cubs #close #series #potential #pitching #duel">

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Apr 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) throws a pitch against the New York Mets during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

A resurgent Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense will take on the visiting Chicago Cubs in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon.

The Dodgers snapped the Cubs’ 10-game winning streak with a 12-4 win on Saturday night.

Teoscar Hernandez was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs as Los Angeles racked up 14 hits. Hitless in his previous three games, Hernandez lined a two-RBI single up the middle in a six-run fourth inning.

“I haven’t been on base for the last couple games, but it is OK, everyone goes through that,” he said. “Hopefully I can keep up doing that and be consistent with it.”

Shohei Ohtani also snapped an 0-for-12 skid over his previous three games when he led off the game with an opposite-field single.

Andy Pages, Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland posted two-hit games as the Dodgers scored in double digits for a major league-leading fifth time this season. The Cubs have scored in double figures in four games.

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Max Muncy will be out on Sunday. The Dodgers third baseman felt sick yet still hit his ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third.

“Muncy wasn’t feeling well,” Roberts said. “We talked and said to him, give us what you got, three at-bats. That’s what we did and felt good about getting him three at-bats. Max will be down tomorrow and be back in there on Monday.”

Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (3-0, 1.88 ERA) is slated to start for the Dodgers. He covered seven innings in his most recent start and earned the decision in a 12-3 road win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday, yielding one run on eight hits with three strikeouts.

In his past three starts — all wins– he has allowed only two runs in a combined 20 innings. He never has faced the Cubs.

“At the end of the day I am going out there and doing the same thing every time,” Wrobleski said. “That’s trying to fill the zone, create contact and see what happens.”

Chicago’s scheduled starter is Shota Imanaga (2-1, 2.17), who earned the win when he surrendered one run on three hits over seven innings in his last start, a 7-4 home win against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

The lefty is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA on the road this season. In four career starts against Los Angeles, Imanaga has a 1-0 record with a 3.48 ERA.

“I come to the field every day, whether it’s a start day or not, with the same responsibility,” Imanaga said. “I know if someone gets injured I can help cover them. We have a very tight circle with full support.”

He has a stellar defense in the field — the Cubs are ranked No. 1 on FanGraphs with 17 defensive runs saved — and knows he can pitch to contact.

“It helps with my confidence as well, knowing that behind me, the Cubs’ defense is the best of all 30 teams,” Imanaga said. “If I can control and avoid damage and extra-base hits, I know they are going to get outs. So it’s a big confidence booster.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Dodgers #Cubs #close #series #potential #pitching #duel">Deadspin | Dodgers, Cubs close series with potential pitching duel

Apr 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) throws a pitch against the New York Mets during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

A resurgent Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense will take on the visiting Chicago Cubs in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon.

The Dodgers snapped the Cubs’ 10-game winning streak with a 12-4 win on Saturday night.

Teoscar Hernandez was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs as Los Angeles racked up 14 hits. Hitless in his previous three games, Hernandez lined a two-RBI single up the middle in a six-run fourth inning.

“I haven’t been on base for the last couple games, but it is OK, everyone goes through that,” he said. “Hopefully I can keep up doing that and be consistent with it.”

Shohei Ohtani also snapped an 0-for-12 skid over his previous three games when he led off the game with an opposite-field single.

Andy Pages, Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland posted two-hit games as the Dodgers scored in double digits for a major league-leading fifth time this season. The Cubs have scored in double figures in four games.

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Max Muncy will be out on Sunday. The Dodgers third baseman felt sick yet still hit his ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third.

“Muncy wasn’t feeling well,” Roberts said. “We talked and said to him, give us what you got, three at-bats. That’s what we did and felt good about getting him three at-bats. Max will be down tomorrow and be back in there on Monday.”

Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (3-0, 1.88 ERA) is slated to start for the Dodgers. He covered seven innings in his most recent start and earned the decision in a 12-3 road win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday, yielding one run on eight hits with three strikeouts.

In his past three starts — all wins– he has allowed only two runs in a combined 20 innings. He never has faced the Cubs.

“At the end of the day I am going out there and doing the same thing every time,” Wrobleski said. “That’s trying to fill the zone, create contact and see what happens.”

Chicago’s scheduled starter is Shota Imanaga (2-1, 2.17), who earned the win when he surrendered one run on three hits over seven innings in his last start, a 7-4 home win against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

The lefty is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA on the road this season. In four career starts against Los Angeles, Imanaga has a 1-0 record with a 3.48 ERA.

“I come to the field every day, whether it’s a start day or not, with the same responsibility,” Imanaga said. “I know if someone gets injured I can help cover them. We have a very tight circle with full support.”

He has a stellar defense in the field — the Cubs are ranked No. 1 on FanGraphs with 17 defensive runs saved — and knows he can pitch to contact.

“It helps with my confidence as well, knowing that behind me, the Cubs’ defense is the best of all 30 teams,” Imanaga said. “If I can control and avoid damage and extra-base hits, I know they are going to get outs. So it’s a big confidence booster.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Dodgers #Cubs #close #series #potential #pitching #duel

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