Front Row Seat: SF Giants trade for Rafael Devers

Padres rebound to salvage final game of series against Diamondbacks - San Diego Union-Tribune
During an offensive downturn that lasted most of the past month and saw them rank dead last in the major leagues in most offensive categories, the Padres have been striving to get back to moving the line and not trying to do too much at the plate.

They flooded Saturday’s game with excellent at-bats. They got 11 hits and walked six times. They took a lead, lost it, got it back and then added on. They scored seven runs and led by four with three outs to go.

So they just kept at it Sunday.

The Red Sox Just Traded the Face of Their Franchise, Again - The Ringer
The Sox infamously traded Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in early 2020 and then ceded Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in December 2022, after making the free agent a much smaller offer than San Diego did. On Sunday, they completed the rapid unscheduled disassembly of the 2018 core by trading the last remaining link to that team, Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants for right-handed swingman Jordan Hicks, left-handed starter Kyle Harrison, and two prospects, outfielder and first baseman James Tibbs III (the Giants’ 2024 first-rounder) and pitcher Jose Bello.

Shohei Ohtani will make return to mound in series opener against Padres: ‘It’s time to go’ - The Athletic
Ohtani, the pitcher, is back. The organization made the official announcement Sunday night, announcing that Ohtani would serve as the club’s opener Monday against the San Diego Padres and make his pitching debut for the franchise 20 months removed from his September 2023 procedure. He is expected to pitch just one inning as he continues his buildup in the majors — something rather unprecedented, but necessary as the Dodgers keep his valuable bat in the lineup.

Merrill to concussion IL; slugging Minor Leaguer Brooks called up - Padres.com
For the second time this season, Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill is headed to the injured list. This go-round, it’ll be the 7-day concussion IL after a hard tag from D-backs second baseman Ketel Marte on Saturday night knocked Merrill’s helmet into his face, creating a jarring whiplash effect.

Former Aztec J.J. Spaun weathers the worst of wet Oakmont to win US Open - San Diego Union-Tribune
J.J. Spaun turned a sloppy mess of a U.S. Open at wet and nasty Oakmont into a thing of beauty at the end Sunday with two stunning shots that carried the former San Diego State standout to his first major championship.

Marchand comes up big again, Bennett stays hot in Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final - NHL.com
The Oilers go back to Florida needing to win to force a Game 7 in the Final. Granted, they’ve been here before. Last season they were down 3-0 in the best-of-7 Final to the Panthers and forced Game 7. Being down is nothing new to the Oilers, be it in a series or in a game. Their comeback ability has been great this postseason. They’ve never needed a comeback more than they do now.

Pacers vs. Thunder NBA Finals: Alex Caruso has been giving OKC a little bit of everything — including a lot more minutes - Yahoo Sports
Caruso showcased the diversity of his skill set in Game 4. Everybody knows, at this point, that he’s one of the best defenders on the planet, equally adept at chasing jitterbug guards around screens and aggressively bodying up Nikola Jokić in the post. What many might not have been aware of, though, was that he’s also a more-than-capable initiator of Oklahoma City’s offense, with more touches and time of possession than any Thunderer besides Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in Game 4, and with more passes thrown than even OKC’s two on-ball All-Stars.

San Diego FC Defeat Minnesota United - Chromatic FC
San Diego FC secured a crucial victory against Minnesota United in a match that saw two contrasting playing styles face off, with the winner claiming sole possession of second place in the Western Conference.

United States starts Gold Cup with big win, ends losing skid - ESPN
Malik Tillman scored twice as the United States built a three-goal, first-half lead and ended a four-game losing streak by routing Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 on Sunday in a Concacaf Gold Cup opener.

The Orlando Magic Have Acquired A Big Dog - Defector
The first big trade of the NBA offseason arrived yesterday, and it was one that no one saw coming: Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane has been shipped off to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four unprotected first-round picks.

The Caitlin Clark Experience Is Back—and It’s Only Getting Better - The Ringer
The best show in basketball has returned and there could be some surprises in store. An MVP run? A title? They might be long shots, but Clark is used to those.

Angel City FC players wear ‘Immigrant City Football Club’ shirts amid ongoing ICE raids - The Athletic
Angel City FC responded to immigration raids and the resulting protests in Los Angeles during Saturday night’s home match against North Carolina. The NWSL club printed 10,000 T-shirts, which read “Immigrant City Football Club” on the front, and “Los Angeles is for everyone / Los Ángeles es para todos” on the back.

The shirts were distributed to supporters and fans entering BMO Stadium. Some ACFC players wore the shirts during player arrivals, and new head coach Alexander Straus also sported the shirt along with the rest of the club’s technical staff and players on the bench.

Singer performs national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium amid ICE protest tension - KTLA
Singer and social media personality Nezza performed the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night, despite being told beforehand she was expected to sing it in English.

“So we are going to do it in English today. I’m not sure if that was relayed,” an official can be heard saying in a video Nezza posted on social media. Instead, she chose to sing the Star-Spangled Banner in Spanish — a version originally commissioned in 1945.

In a video posted to TikTok, Nezza shared an emotional explanation: “I just felt like I needed to do it. Para mi gente,” she said. “Safe to say I’m never allowed in that stadium ever again.”

Clayton Kershaw’s cap - True Blue LA
Clayton Kershaw altered his Pride Night cap on Friday night with scripture, which was innocuous enough at first glance. However, Kershaw wrote “Gen. 9:12-16,” on his cap.

Reaffirming God’s covenant not to flood the earth again is fairly innocuous at face value. The problem, as it were, is best described thusly: the verse has been frequently used by homophobic Christians to denounce the LGBT community as their appropriation of the rainbow is allegedly blasphemous.

$4,785. That’s how much it costs to be a sports fan now - NY Times
For most of my life, sports was one of the most accessible forms of entertainment in America. You turned on the TV, flipped to the game and cheered or booed — with your family, your neighborhood, your city. Being a fan was simple. It was community.

This community is dying, because some of its shared moments are disappearing. Take the N.B.A. playoffs. Wanted to watch the Denver Nuggets? You needed to shell out at least $8.99 a month for NBA TV — unless you happened to live in Denver, in which case you had to spend an additional $20 a month for a regional basketball streaming subscription.

It’s not just basketball. I subscribe to nearly every service there is with live sports — YouTube TV, MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, NFL Sunday Ticket, Peacock, Apple TV+, Max, Amazon Prime, Paramount — for $2,634 a year. But to watch the Boston Red Sox play the New York Yankees earlier this month, I would have had to fork over an additional $19.99 a month for some obscure baseball-focused service that has that slice of one of the most iconic rivalries in America’s national pastime.

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.