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Deadspin | Despite 2-1 series deficit, Golden Knights not panicking vs. Mammoth Apr 24, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson (4) skates with the puck against Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) during the third period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images After an unlikely Game 3 victory, the Utah Mammoth will try to secure their third straight win over the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Monday in Salt Lake City during Game 4 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series. Vegas secured a 4-2 home win in Game 1, but the Mammoth erased the Knights’ home-ice advantage by winning Game 2. Utah then took command of the series with a 4-2 victory Friday in the first-ever NHL playoff game in Salt Lake City. The Mammoth won Game 3 despite being outshot by a 32-12 margin. Utah became the eighth team since 1974 to win a playoff game with 12 or fewer shots, while the Golden Knights lost despite allowing the second-lowest shots total in any game (regular season or playoffs) in Vegas franchise history. Sunday’s practice saw the Knights deploy some new line combinations and new power-play units. Vegas has gone 2-for-9 on the power play in the series and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill, though coach John Tortortella felt “we lost the special teams battle in the first three games.” While the lineup may have some new looks in Game 4, Tortortella said neither his coaching staff or his veteran players have any panic. “We’ve made some adjustments, as you do in (the) playoffs. Not crazy stuff, but when you get down in a series and you lose a couple in a row, it’s belief,” Tortortella said. “It’s believing in what we’re doing, belief in how we’re preparing. This is mental. This is where I feel very comfortable with this team. … We can draw as much stuff as we can on the board x’s and o’s-wise, this is belief. I think we have that in that room.” Utah defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said his team also has a few new tricks in mind for Game 4. “We expect a really good response from a really good opponent over there, so we’re going to need to be focused and prepared,” he said. As efficient as the Mammoth were with their shots in Game 3, Weegar knows that level of production won’t normally win games. “We’re definitely going to make some corrections for the next game, which will I think build a little bit more speed and we’ll get a little more offense going.” Twelve different Mammoth players have at least one point in the series, and five players share the team lead with three points apiece. Weegar, Dylan Guenther, Lawson Crouse, and Logan Cooley each have two goals and an assist, and Kailer Yamamoto has three assists. Playing in his first career playoff games, Karel Vejmelka has risen to the occasion with a 2.36 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in the series. The numbers are a step beyond Vejmelka’s solid 2.75 GAA and .897 save percentage in the regular season. Mark Stone, Ivan Barbashev (each with two goals and one assist) and Jack Eichel (one goal, two assists) all have three points in the series, sharing the Vegas team lead. Though Carter Hart allowed four goals on 12 shots in Game 3, he’ll be back in the Vegas net on Monday. Hart went 7-1-0 with a .932 save percentage over his last eight starts spanning the end of the regular season and first two postseason games. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #series #deficit #Golden #Knights #panicking #Mammoth

Deadspin | Despite 2-1 series deficit, Golden Knights not panicking vs. Mammoth
Deadspin | Despite 2-1 series deficit, Golden Knights not panicking vs. Mammoth Apr 24, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson (4) skates with the puck against Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) during the third period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images After an unlikely Game 3 victory, the Utah Mammoth will try to secure their third straight win over the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Monday in Salt Lake City during Game 4 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series. Vegas secured a 4-2 home win in Game 1, but the Mammoth erased the Knights’ home-ice advantage by winning Game 2. Utah then took command of the series with a 4-2 victory Friday in the first-ever NHL playoff game in Salt Lake City. The Mammoth won Game 3 despite being outshot by a 32-12 margin. Utah became the eighth team since 1974 to win a playoff game with 12 or fewer shots, while the Golden Knights lost despite allowing the second-lowest shots total in any game (regular season or playoffs) in Vegas franchise history. Sunday’s practice saw the Knights deploy some new line combinations and new power-play units. Vegas has gone 2-for-9 on the power play in the series and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill, though coach John Tortortella felt “we lost the special teams battle in the first three games.” While the lineup may have some new looks in Game 4, Tortortella said neither his coaching staff or his veteran players have any panic. “We’ve made some adjustments, as you do in (the) playoffs. Not crazy stuff, but when you get down in a series and you lose a couple in a row, it’s belief,” Tortortella said. “It’s believing in what we’re doing, belief in how we’re preparing. This is mental. This is where I feel very comfortable with this team. … We can draw as much stuff as we can on the board x’s and o’s-wise, this is belief. I think we have that in that room.” Utah defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said his team also has a few new tricks in mind for Game 4. “We expect a really good response from a really good opponent over there, so we’re going to need to be focused and prepared,” he said. As efficient as the Mammoth were with their shots in Game 3, Weegar knows that level of production won’t normally win games. “We’re definitely going to make some corrections for the next game, which will I think build a little bit more speed and we’ll get a little more offense going.” Twelve different Mammoth players have at least one point in the series, and five players share the team lead with three points apiece. Weegar, Dylan Guenther, Lawson Crouse, and Logan Cooley each have two goals and an assist, and Kailer Yamamoto has three assists. Playing in his first career playoff games, Karel Vejmelka has risen to the occasion with a 2.36 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in the series. The numbers are a step beyond Vejmelka’s solid 2.75 GAA and .897 save percentage in the regular season. Mark Stone, Ivan Barbashev (each with two goals and one assist) and Jack Eichel (one goal, two assists) all have three points in the series, sharing the Vegas team lead. Though Carter Hart allowed four goals on 12 shots in Game 3, he’ll be back in the Vegas net on Monday. Hart went 7-1-0 with a .932 save percentage over his last eight starts spanning the end of the regular season and first two postseason games. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #series #deficit #Golden #Knights #panicking #MammothApr 24, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson (4) skates with the puck against Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) during the third period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

After an unlikely Game 3 victory, the Utah Mammoth will try to secure their third straight win over the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Monday in Salt Lake City during Game 4 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.

Vegas secured a 4-2 home win in Game 1, but the Mammoth erased the Knights’ home-ice advantage by winning Game 2. Utah then took command of the series with a 4-2 victory Friday in the first-ever NHL playoff game in Salt Lake City.

The Mammoth won Game 3 despite being outshot by a 32-12 margin. Utah became the eighth team since 1974 to win a playoff game with 12 or fewer shots, while the Golden Knights lost despite allowing the second-lowest shots total in any game (regular season or playoffs) in Vegas franchise history.

Sunday’s practice saw the Knights deploy some new line combinations and new power-play units. Vegas has gone 2-for-9 on the power play in the series and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill, though coach John Tortortella felt “we lost the special teams battle in the first three games.”

While the lineup may have some new looks in Game 4, Tortortella said neither his coaching staff or his veteran players have any panic.

“We’ve made some adjustments, as you do in (the) playoffs. Not crazy stuff, but when you get down in a series and you lose a couple in a row, it’s belief,” Tortortella said. “It’s believing in what we’re doing, belief in how we’re preparing. This is mental. This is where I feel very comfortable with this team. … We can draw as much stuff as we can on the board x’s and o’s-wise, this is belief. I think we have that in that room.”

Utah defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said his team also has a few new tricks in mind for Game 4.


“We expect a really good response from a really good opponent over there, so we’re going to need to be focused and prepared,” he said.

As efficient as the Mammoth were with their shots in Game 3, Weegar knows that level of production won’t normally win games.

“We’re definitely going to make some corrections for the next game, which will I think build a little bit more speed and we’ll get a little more offense going.”

Twelve different Mammoth players have at least one point in the series, and five players share the team lead with three points apiece. Weegar, Dylan Guenther, Lawson Crouse, and Logan Cooley each have two goals and an assist, and Kailer Yamamoto has three assists.

Playing in his first career playoff games, Karel Vejmelka has risen to the occasion with a 2.36 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in the series. The numbers are a step beyond Vejmelka’s solid 2.75 GAA and .897 save percentage in the regular season.

Mark Stone, Ivan Barbashev (each with two goals and one assist) and Jack Eichel (one goal, two assists) all have three points in the series, sharing the Vegas team lead.

Though Carter Hart allowed four goals on 12 shots in Game 3, he’ll be back in the Vegas net on Monday. Hart went 7-1-0 with a .932 save percentage over his last eight starts spanning the end of the regular season and first two postseason games.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #series #deficit #Golden #Knights #panicking #Mammoth

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Apr 24, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson (4) skates with the puck against Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) during the third period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

After an unlikely Game 3 victory, the Utah Mammoth will try to secure their third straight win over the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Monday in Salt Lake City during Game 4 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.

Vegas secured a 4-2 home win in Game 1, but the Mammoth erased the Knights’ home-ice advantage by winning Game 2. Utah then took command of the series with a 4-2 victory Friday in the first-ever NHL playoff game in Salt Lake City.

The Mammoth won Game 3 despite being outshot by a 32-12 margin. Utah became the eighth team since 1974 to win a playoff game with 12 or fewer shots, while the Golden Knights lost despite allowing the second-lowest shots total in any game (regular season or playoffs) in Vegas franchise history.

Sunday’s practice saw the Knights deploy some new line combinations and new power-play units. Vegas has gone 2-for-9 on the power play in the series and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill, though coach John Tortortella felt “we lost the special teams battle in the first three games.”

While the lineup may have some new looks in Game 4, Tortortella said neither his coaching staff or his veteran players have any panic.

“We’ve made some adjustments, as you do in (the) playoffs. Not crazy stuff, but when you get down in a series and you lose a couple in a row, it’s belief,” Tortortella said. “It’s believing in what we’re doing, belief in how we’re preparing. This is mental. This is where I feel very comfortable with this team. … We can draw as much stuff as we can on the board x’s and o’s-wise, this is belief. I think we have that in that room.”

Utah defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said his team also has a few new tricks in mind for Game 4.

“We expect a really good response from a really good opponent over there, so we’re going to need to be focused and prepared,” he said.

As efficient as the Mammoth were with their shots in Game 3, Weegar knows that level of production won’t normally win games.

“We’re definitely going to make some corrections for the next game, which will I think build a little bit more speed and we’ll get a little more offense going.”

Twelve different Mammoth players have at least one point in the series, and five players share the team lead with three points apiece. Weegar, Dylan Guenther, Lawson Crouse, and Logan Cooley each have two goals and an assist, and Kailer Yamamoto has three assists.

Playing in his first career playoff games, Karel Vejmelka has risen to the occasion with a 2.36 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in the series. The numbers are a step beyond Vejmelka’s solid 2.75 GAA and .897 save percentage in the regular season.

Mark Stone, Ivan Barbashev (each with two goals and one assist) and Jack Eichel (one goal, two assists) all have three points in the series, sharing the Vegas team lead.

Though Carter Hart allowed four goals on 12 shots in Game 3, he’ll be back in the Vegas net on Monday. Hart went 7-1-0 with a .932 save percentage over his last eight starts spanning the end of the regular season and first two postseason games.

–Field Level Media

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The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp">The Panthers had a nightmare opening to training camp The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.They got attention for all the wrong reasons on Thursday. Second-year linebacker Nic Scourton went down early in the first practice on a non-contact injury, which was later revealed to be a torn ACL that will end his season before it began. Largely overlooked in the greater discussion of the NFL, Scourton had a huge rookie campaign for the Panthers that saw him finish with 47 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 4 QB hits in only eight starts. Doing more than enough to earn playing time, Scourton was expected to take a massive step in his second year across from free agent Jaelan Phillips, whom Carolina spent big money on in free agency to bolster their pass rush.Now that dream is over, but that wasn’t the only bad news out of Charlotte this week. Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung that will lead to him starting the season on the PUP list, with the tentative plan to have rookie Monroe Freeling take over the spot in his absence. This exacerbates issues along the offensive line, with the Panthers still waiting to see when left tackle Ikem Ekwonu can return to action as he recovers from a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in the playoffs. It’s expected that Ekwonu will suit up “at some point this season” according to GM Dan Morgan, but there’s no real timeline on that possibility.If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August. #Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp">The Panthers had a nightmare opening to training camp

The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.

They got attention for all the wrong reasons on Thursday. Second-year linebacker Nic Scourton went down early in the first practice on a non-contact injury, which was later revealed to be a torn ACL that will end his season before it began. Largely overlooked in the greater discussion of the NFL, Scourton had a huge rookie campaign for the Panthers that saw him finish with 47 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 4 QB hits in only eight starts. Doing more than enough to earn playing time, Scourton was expected to take a massive step in his second year across from free agent Jaelan Phillips, whom Carolina spent big money on in free agency to bolster their pass rush.

Now that dream is over, but that wasn’t the only bad news out of Charlotte this week. Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung that will lead to him starting the season on the PUP list, with the tentative plan to have rookie Monroe Freeling take over the spot in his absence. This exacerbates issues along the offensive line, with the Panthers still waiting to see when left tackle Ikem Ekwonu can return to action as he recovers from a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in the playoffs. It’s expected that Ekwonu will suit up “at some point this season” according to GM Dan Morgan, but there’s no real timeline on that possibility.

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp
Deadspin | Reds get first look at Cardinals RHP Dustin May Jul 18, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images With both sides attempting to gain ground in the National League wild-card race, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night. The Cardinals have dropped five of seven games since the All-Star break and sit 1 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final NL wild-card spot. St. Louis also is a half-game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are currently the first NL team out of the playoff picture. Trying to stay afloat in the playoff chase, the Reds enter their third consecutive road set riding a pair of series victories. Cincinnati, which is six games behind the Diamondbacks, took two of three from both the Colorado Rockies and the Seattle Mariners. Since St. Louis’ Dustin May hurled a one-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres on June 15, little has gone right for the right-hander. In five starts since the gem, May (5-7, 4.78 ERA) is 0-1 with a 9.92 ERA. May threw five innings for the first time in more than a month on Saturday, but he surrendered five runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking four in a 5-3 loss at Arizona. Despite May’s rough patch, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol has confidence the 28-year-old can find his rhythm again. “He’s competed well. He went through a stretch there where he gave us some really good outings,” Marmol said. “After the complete game, there have been some ups and downs, but he’s good enough to get out of this.” Making the 91st appearance (77th start) of his major league career, May will face Cincinnati for the first time. Among the Reds getting their first look at May will be All-Star first baseman Sal Stewart. The 22-year-old ranks fourth in the majors with 74 RBIs after knocking in nine runs across the club’s first two series since the midseason break. “I think there are guys that relish those opportunities,” Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said of Stewart’s success with runners on base. “He’s so strong and he’s got great hitter’s hands. The ball just jumps off his bat.” Despite the RBI surge, Stewart is batting just .130 (3-for-23) since the break. On the mound, Rhett Lowder (3-7, 5.75 ERA) will be chasing a bounce-back effort for Cincinnati. After appearing as a starter for his first 13 outings of the year, Lowder made three appearances out of the bullpen before re-emerging in the rotation after the All-Star break. Last time out, the 24-year-old right-hander lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits in a 10-3 loss to the Rockies on Saturday in Denver. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter. “(Colorado) was just being aggressive and I was probably leaving too many thick pitches for them. Balls were just finding holes,” Lowder said of that outing. “It was very frustrating.” Lowder has thrown eight scoreless innings across a pair of starts against the Cardinals during his career. He faced St. Louis on June 7, allowing just one hit but walking five across three scoreless innings in a no-decision. The Reds lost 5-3. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Reds #Cardinals #RHP #DustinJul 18, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

With both sides attempting to gain ground in the National League wild-card race, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.

The Cardinals have dropped five of seven games since the All-Star break and sit 1 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final NL wild-card spot. St. Louis also is a half-game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are currently the first NL team out of the playoff picture.

Trying to stay afloat in the playoff chase, the Reds enter their third consecutive road set riding a pair of series victories. Cincinnati, which is six games behind the Diamondbacks, took two of three from both the Colorado Rockies and the Seattle Mariners.

Since St. Louis’ Dustin May hurled a one-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres on June 15, little has gone right for the right-hander. In five starts since the gem, May (5-7, 4.78 ERA) is 0-1 with a 9.92 ERA.

May threw five innings for the first time in more than a month on Saturday, but he surrendered five runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking four in a 5-3 loss at Arizona.

Despite May’s rough patch, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol has confidence the 28-year-old can find his rhythm again.

“He’s competed well. He went through a stretch there where he gave us some really good outings,” Marmol said. “After the complete game, there have been some ups and downs, but he’s good enough to get out of this.”


Making the 91st appearance (77th start) of his major league career, May will face Cincinnati for the first time.

Among the Reds getting their first look at May will be All-Star first baseman Sal Stewart. The 22-year-old ranks fourth in the majors with 74 RBIs after knocking in nine runs across the club’s first two series since the midseason break.

“I think there are guys that relish those opportunities,” Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said of Stewart’s success with runners on base. “He’s so strong and he’s got great hitter’s hands. The ball just jumps off his bat.”

Despite the RBI surge, Stewart is batting just .130 (3-for-23) since the break.

On the mound, Rhett Lowder (3-7, 5.75 ERA) will be chasing a bounce-back effort for Cincinnati.

After appearing as a starter for his first 13 outings of the year, Lowder made three appearances out of the bullpen before re-emerging in the rotation after the All-Star break. Last time out, the 24-year-old right-hander lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits in a 10-3 loss to the Rockies on Saturday in Denver. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter.

“(Colorado) was just being aggressive and I was probably leaving too many thick pitches for them. Balls were just finding holes,” Lowder said of that outing. “It was very frustrating.”

Lowder has thrown eight scoreless innings across a pair of starts against the Cardinals during his career. He faced St. Louis on June 7, allowing just one hit but walking five across three scoreless innings in a no-decision. The Reds lost 5-3.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Reds #Cardinals #RHP #Dustin">Deadspin | Reds get first look at Cardinals RHP Dustin May Jul 18, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images With both sides attempting to gain ground in the National League wild-card race, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night. The Cardinals have dropped five of seven games since the All-Star break and sit 1 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final NL wild-card spot. St. Louis also is a half-game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are currently the first NL team out of the playoff picture. Trying to stay afloat in the playoff chase, the Reds enter their third consecutive road set riding a pair of series victories. Cincinnati, which is six games behind the Diamondbacks, took two of three from both the Colorado Rockies and the Seattle Mariners. Since St. Louis’ Dustin May hurled a one-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres on June 15, little has gone right for the right-hander. In five starts since the gem, May (5-7, 4.78 ERA) is 0-1 with a 9.92 ERA. May threw five innings for the first time in more than a month on Saturday, but he surrendered five runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking four in a 5-3 loss at Arizona. Despite May’s rough patch, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol has confidence the 28-year-old can find his rhythm again. “He’s competed well. He went through a stretch there where he gave us some really good outings,” Marmol said. “After the complete game, there have been some ups and downs, but he’s good enough to get out of this.” Making the 91st appearance (77th start) of his major league career, May will face Cincinnati for the first time. Among the Reds getting their first look at May will be All-Star first baseman Sal Stewart. The 22-year-old ranks fourth in the majors with 74 RBIs after knocking in nine runs across the club’s first two series since the midseason break. “I think there are guys that relish those opportunities,” Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said of Stewart’s success with runners on base. “He’s so strong and he’s got great hitter’s hands. The ball just jumps off his bat.” Despite the RBI surge, Stewart is batting just .130 (3-for-23) since the break. On the mound, Rhett Lowder (3-7, 5.75 ERA) will be chasing a bounce-back effort for Cincinnati. After appearing as a starter for his first 13 outings of the year, Lowder made three appearances out of the bullpen before re-emerging in the rotation after the All-Star break. Last time out, the 24-year-old right-hander lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits in a 10-3 loss to the Rockies on Saturday in Denver. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter. “(Colorado) was just being aggressive and I was probably leaving too many thick pitches for them. Balls were just finding holes,” Lowder said of that outing. “It was very frustrating.” Lowder has thrown eight scoreless innings across a pair of starts against the Cardinals during his career. He faced St. Louis on June 7, allowing just one hit but walking five across three scoreless innings in a no-decision. The Reds lost 5-3. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Reds #Cardinals #RHP #Dustin

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