Front Row Seat: Cease exits with cramp after no-hit bid ends
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John Gennaro
San Diego Padres
Padres' Dylan Cease exits with forearm cramp after no-hit bid ends - ESPN
Dylan Cease was dominant for six innings. And then moments later, he was done for the night.
Soon after losing a no-hit bid in the seventh, the San Diego Padres pitcher left his start against the New York Yankees because of a cramp in his right forearm Wednesday.
"It basically made my hand close tight for a couple of seconds. I don't think it's anything too serious," Cease said after the Yankees rallied for a 4-3 victory in 10 innings. "I honestly was going to throw some warmup pitches and see, but I think the smart thing was to do what we did there."
Padres Daily: Cease’s optimisim; Merrill makes it look easy; Closer to Yu - San Diego Union-Tribune
Darvish could make his first rehab start as soon as Tuesday.
The 38-year-old right-hander, who was shut down with elbow inflammation in spring training, will face hitters in a live batting practice for the second time tomorrow at the team’s complex in Peoria, Ariz. The plan is for him to simulate three innings of work (40 to 50 pitches) after he simulated two innings this past Saturday.
The Padres will evaluate how he feels after throwing Thursday before making a final determination on whether his next step is to go pitch in a game with a minor-league affiliate.
San Diego FC
Pre-match Preview: CITY SC to host rematch with San Diego, looking to end regular season slump - FirstAlert 4
The MLS newcomers are an attacking powerhouse, as it is tied for third among all clubs in total goals, and second in total assists. Despite suffering an injury in the last meeting with St. Louis, Hirving “Chucky” Lozano seems to have found his form again. The Mexican forward was named Player of the Matchday last week after contributing two goals and two assists in San Diego’s most lopsided victory of its existence. St. Louis will need to find a way to slow down Lozano, while also keeping tabs on midfielder Anders Dreyer, who combines with Chucky for eight of the club’s 21 total scores.
MLS sponsorships spike as U.S. soccer gains popularity - CNBC
So far this year, MLS sponsorship revenue is up double digits compared to 2024. Last year, Michelob Ultra became the official beer sponsor of MLS, and in 2023, sportswear giant Adidas reupped its partnership with the league.
Brands are gravitating toward the fledgling league, especially as it’s enjoyed a recent surge in ticket and merch sales since global soccer superstar Lionel Messi joined MLS’s Inter Miami CF in 2023.
NBA Playoffs
Celtics face identity crisis as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown struggle to shoot again - The Athletic
Watching the Celtics now, they look like they stayed up all night preparing for an exam and could only remember the first few bullet points from their study guide. The Celtics lost to the New York Knicks 91-90 on Wednesday, falling into an 0-2 hole as the series moves to New York, a shocking moment for the defending champions, who didn’t lose two games in a series last season.
NBA playoffs: Thunder steamroll Nuggets in Game 2, with postseason-record 87 first-half points - Yahoo Sports
Amid a stretch of three straight days with massive NBA playoff comebacks, the Thunder put the hurt on a Denver Nuggets team that surprised them in Game 1 and definitely paid the price for it Wednesday in a 149-106 OKC win. With the series now tied 1-1, the two teams will head to Denver for Game 3 on Friday.
The game was effectively over minutes into the third quarter and was definitely over by the end of the third quarter, when Nikola Jokić fouled out and the Thunder started pulling starters.
San Diego Wave FC
San Diego Wave aims for fourth straight win - CBS8
The San Diego Wave, currently riding a three-match winning streak, is set to host the Portland Thorns on Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST.
After a disappointing 10th-place finish with only six wins last season, the Wave has made a remarkable turnaround in the National Women's Soccer League. The team now sits in third place, showcasing a dramatic improvement in form.
Odds & Ends
Winners and Losers from George Pickens trade: Cowboys and Steelers both had reasons for move - Yahoo Sports
Pickens was traded from the Steelers to the Cowboys on Wednesday, with Dallas giving up a 2026 third-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick. Pickens had become a hassle for the Steelers, no matter how talented he was, and the Cowboys needed an upgrade at receiver. It made sense.
Lawsuit accuses Byron Scott of sexually assaulting teen in 1987 - ESPN
A woman is suing former Los Angeles Lakers player and coach Byron Scott, accusing him of sexually assaulting her during a team event at her high school in 1987, when he was 26 and she was 15.
The lawsuit first filed in December 2022 and amended on May 1 accuses Scott of sexual battery and false imprisonment. Scott, 64, fought to have his name removed from court documents, but a judge denied his request to be identified only as "John Doe." The amended complaint named him publicly for the first time.
Arch Manning has blue-blood pedigree. Now he just needs more snaps to become a blue-chip NFL Draft prospect - Yahoo Sports
Laying it out as bare as possible: A quarterback with fewer than 100 career passing attempts in college enters the season aboard a rocket ship of hype and discussion about how good he is and how his future will unfold. Not only for the next year or so, at least, in Austin, Texas, but for the years beyond that wherever his landing spot may be at the next level.
While I hate to spoil my own article, what Arch Manning displayed over 2 1/2 games of extended playing time in 2024 has all the indicative arrows pointing to a blue-chip quarterback prospect for the NFL. So this is not about will he be an NFL quarterback, but when, as there’s some thinking that Manning may return to school for further polishing no matter how high his stock rises.
‘Hands tied’: Athletes left in dark as NCAA settlement leaves murky future for non-revenue sports - San Diego Union-Tribune
Pending approval, the so-called House settlement will allow schools to share revenue with athletes directly for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). That could secure generational wealth for some but not others, and replacing scholarship caps with roster limitations is expected to leave walk-ons, partial scholarship earners, non-revenue sport athletes and high school recruits at risk. There are deep concerns about the potential impact on sports that feed the U.S. Olympic teams.
Man sentenced in string of robberies at San Diego-area sporting goods stores - Fox 5 San Diego
A man who the San Diego County District Attorney’s office says was the ringleader of a group that stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from sporting goods stores earlier this year was sentenced Wednesday to six years behind bars.
Edgar Figueroa, 27, previously pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts, including organized retail theft and robbery, brought by prosecutors for the shoplifting scheme following his arrest in mid-March.
According to the district attorney’s office, Figueroa was taken into custody after an employee at the Dick’s Sporting Goods in Chula Vista noticed him stuffing items into a duffel back.
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.
