Front Row Seat: Padres head home, Bud Black fired
Here's a front row seat to all of the news, stories, videos and podcasts that you need to start your day.
Section 1904
John Gennaro
San Diego Padres
Padres notes: Nick Pivetta rocked again at Coors Field; Jackson Merrill has stomach bug - San Diego Union-Tribune
“I think if you look at my metrics, they’ll kind of tell the story,” Pivetta said. “I think it affects me a little bit more than other guys. Not to say that I’m gonna make an excuse for that, but it is an interesting situation when you’re dealing with overall different metrics that you’re used to when you’re dealing with the other 29 baseball parks.”
He later reiterated he was “not making excuses.”
MLB-worst Colorado Rockies fire manager Bud Black after win - ESPN
The seventh manager in team history, Black initially found success with Colorado when he led the Rockies to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018. They haven't finished with a winning record since and are coming off two straight 100-loss seasons. Colorado has a .353 winning percentage since 2023.
Black's contract was set to expire after the season. He signed a one-year extension in October.
San Diego FC
Victory in St. Louis - Chromatic FC
Bambino would finish the match with 75 touches (3rd most on the team), 4 tackles won, 2 Blocks, 1 interception and 3 clearances. Bambino’s performance suggests he has played well and should have that left-back position locked up. He’s earned it.
Late goals propel San Diego FC to 2-1 win in St. Louis - NBC7 San Diego
San Diego FC added Milan Iloski just a few weeks ago hoping he'd add some depth while a few players worked through injuries. Now they're looking at ways to get him more playing time.
Iloski scored a goal for the second straight match in a 2-1 road win over St. Louis City on Saturday night. In the 67th minute the Escondido native subbed in for Onni Valakari. It took him 12 minutes to break open a scoreless tie. Iloski took a feed from Anibal Godoy and ripped home a goal from outside the box to put SDFC on top 1-0, their first goal against St. Louis in more than two and a half hours (the teams fought to a 0-0 draw in their first meeting at Snapdragon Stadium).
San Diego Wave
Late goal means San Diego Wave, Portland Thorns settle for draw - San Diego Union-Tribune
Portland Thorns midfielder Sam Coffey was running into the box and the ball toward her right when Kristen McNabb stuck her foot out, fouling her in the box. Coffey seemed to exaggerate it, throwing her hands up while going down.
Simon awarded the Thorns a penalty at 95:09 in a game that was supposed to have only five minutes of added time.
Jayden Perry took the penalty and went to her left, while a diving Kailen Sheridan also went to her left, which resulted in the game-tying goal. The 1-1score took two points from San Diego.
“I’ve seen a lot, and ultimately, things happen,” Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan said. “There’s another word I want to use, but things happen… We’re going to have to take this one on the chin a little bit, it feels like a loss. Honestly, I feel like Portland was gifted a point, which always sucks to feel, and that happens.”
NBA Playoffs / NBA Draft
NBA playoffs: Pacers cruise to blowout win in Game 4 as Cavaliers lose Donovan Mitchell to ankle injury - Yahoo Sports
Just about everything possible went wrong for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night, including losing star Donovan Mitchell.
Now, the top seed in the Eastern Conference is just a single game away from an early postseason exit.
The Indiana Pacers, after a historic blowout in the first half, rolled to the 129-109 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series with the Cavaliers, who didn't have Mitchell in the second half because of an ankle injury. That gives the Pacers a 3-1 lead in the series heading into Game 5 on Tuesday night in Ohio.
Thunder vs. Nuggets score: OKC, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rally for ugly Game 4 win, evens series at 2-2 - CBS Sports
Game 4 was not an offensive showcase. The teams combined to shoot just 21 for 86 (24.4%) from 3-point range. The Nuggets scored just eight points in the first quarter, yet they rallied to take a six-point lead by the end of the third. Nikola Jokić had 27 points and 13 rebounds, but the Denver star was held to three assists and made just seven of his 22 field-goal attempts.
Game 5 is back in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
2025 NBA draft combine preview: Flagg, more players to watch - ESPN
The 2025 NBA predraft process officially kicks off Saturday, with an expected 120 players, including Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Derik Queen, Walter Clayton Jr., and others, congregating in Chicago for the NBA draft combine, G League Elite Camp, and agency pro days.
On Monday, NBA teams, their fans, and players participating will watch the unveiling of the draft lottery (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), which will set up the final order of the draft's first round. The draft will take place on June 25-26 (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Whichever team secures the right to draft Flagg will dominate the conversation for the six weeks following the lottery, while the other 29 teams sift through the rest of a talented group of prospects outside of the Duke freshman.
Odds & Ends
El Clásico: Barcelona will win LaLiga, and Real Madrid let them - ESPN
Barça brushed aside the disappointment of their Champions League exit in midweek to beat Madrid in extraordinary fashion and move within two points of the title. For a team that has repeatedly shown its mental strength this season, coming from behind time and again, perhaps it was no surprise that they were able to move on from that harrowing defeat to Internazionale so quickly.
Aztec or Aztec alum? Miles Byrd remains ‘on the fence’ about NBA Draft - San Diego Union-Tribune
“My main focus is the NBA,” said Byrd, who didn’t enter the transfer portal and pledged his allegiance to SDSU if he withdraws from the draft. “I want to prove myself that I’m an NBA guy this year, right now. At the same time, it’s in the back of my mind that it’s no rush. Obviously, I wouldn’t be opposed to coming back to San Diego State if I’m not hearing the feedback that I want to hear.
Rich Eisen to return to ESPN as part of network’s new direct-to-consumer service: Sources - The Athletic
More than two decades after leaving ESPN, Rich Eisen is returning to the network as part of its forthcoming direct-to-consumer offering, sources briefed on the move said Monday.
Eisen will take “The Rich Eisen Show” from Roku to ESPN in the fall. There is a strong possibility that the program, which runs from noon to 3 p.m. ET, could also land on ESPN Radio, where it would be viewed as an anchor for the network, but those details are not yet ironed out. Similarly to “The Pat McAfee Show,” Eisen’s program will be licensed by ESPN, meaning he is expected to maintain ownership and editorial control.
Alright, that's going to do it for today's edition of Front Row Seat. I'll be back tomorrow, and every weekday, to try and make it easier for you to follow the news.
Feedback is welcome (in the comments below, in my inbox or on the Section 1904 Discord server) and feel free to send me any links that you think I missed and I'll try to include them tomorrow.
