Conor Allen

It's No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the NL Central when the Reds battle the Brewers in Milwaukee Wednesday. The Reds are fresh off a tough loss on Tuesday night. Speaking of tough losses, last week I wrote about Detroit's heartbreaking ninth inning in Los Angeles, when they let a 2-2 game become an 8-2 game very quickly. Tuesday night's seventh inning in Milwaukee would have been familiar for Detroit, except it happened to Cincinnati...in Milwaukee. So what we have here is another story of very, very bad late inning play in the midwest. I love a good unifying theme.  The Reds were actually up 4-1 going into the seventh Tuesday, then reliever Michael Lorenzen gave up three straight hits, followed by a single from Kolton Wong that cut the lead to 4-2. Lorenzen served up a walk to load the bases, got pulled, and then watched as his bullpen counterpart Mychal Givens gave up consecutive sacrifice flies that tied it 4-4. Omar Narvaez then doubled to give the Brewers the lead. Yes, a very bad...

The Angels head to Detroit Wednesday for the second game of a three-game series, with star pitcher Shohei Otani getting the start for Los Angeles. Tarik Skubal (8-10) will be on the mound for Detroit. Los Angeles beat the Tigers 8-2 on Tuesday with Mike Mayers getting the save. With the score tied 2-2 in the ninth Tuesday, Angels center fielder Jo Adell picked a great time to hit his first home run of the season, a grand slam that was part of a six run inning at the expense of Tigers' reliever Gregory Soto. Detroit's struggles on the mound began with starter Casey Mize, who gave up two runs on four hits and four walks before exiting in the fourth. The Tigers managed four innings of scoreless relief from Michael Fulmer, Jose Cisnero, Kyle Funkhouser and Joe Jimenez before Soto entered in what became a disastrous ninth inning.  The Tigers Miguel Cabrera, sitting at home run No.499 going into the game, was 0 for 2 with two walks, only adding to a disappointing night in Detroit. He...

Arizona suffered a tough 8-7 loss Tuesday night in San Francisco, rallying from 5-0 down only to lose on a throwing error on the last play. They'll try to move on Wednesday at Oracle Park, the most romantic place on the planet to watch or play a major league baseball game... except if you're the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Arizona's night ended Tuesday when first baseman Christian Walker bobbled a sharp grounder from SF's Kris Bryant. Walker's throw to first was high, and LaMonte Wade Jr. scored the winning run from third. SF's victory gave third base coach Ron Wotus his 2,000th win with the team, while spoiling the return of a another Giant legend, Madison Baumgarner. The former 2014 World Series MVP was returning to Oracle for the first time since leaving the team after the 2019 season to sign for 85 million and a lot of sunshine.  Arizona enters this game 35-79 and in fifth place in the NL West. Merrill Kelly (7-8, 4.13 ERA, 115 strikeouts) is expected to get the ...

The U.S. men's basketball team is headed to the Olympic semifinals after a 95-81 victory over Spain Tuesday. When we last saw Kevin Durant he was one wrong shoe size away from advancing in the NBA playoffs. Now he's leading Team USA in Tokyo, trying to become only the second American male player to win three gold medals in his career. Durant's shoes are still big, and soon his Olympic medal case may also be big. Maybe he can keep the shoes with the medals? Probably not. Onward.   Durant scored 29 points, including 13 in the third quarter as Team USA overcome a rough first half that saw them hit on only 4 of 17 shots from beyond the arc. Things hearted up in the second, when the team improved to 9 for 15 from deep. Draymond Green had a very Draymond Green performance, finishing with 9 points, 5 assists and 3 steals in the win, while Jayson Tatum had 13 points coming off the bench.  On the Spanish side, 10 year veteran Ricky Rubio, newly signed with Cleveland back in the stat...

50 years removed from their first and only championship, Milwaukee is set to host a Game 6 Tuesday against a Phoenix Suns team that once had their number and a 2-0 series lead. But for the second time in the 2021 playoffs Milwaukee has rallied from a 2-0 deficit and now stands poised to win the chip.  The Bucks 123-119 win on Saturday was punctuated by Jrue Holiday's fourth quarter strip of Devin Booker. Holiday then then fed the ball to Giannis Antetokounmpo who thanked him with a thunderous dunk, made all the more impressive because he was being blatantly fouled by Chris Paul in mid-air. This would have been Giannis' best moment in the playoffs had he not already registered that now legendary block of Deandre Ayton in Game 4. Antetekounmpo finished Saturday's game with 32 points, shooting 14 of 23 from the field while grabbing nine rebounds. Booker was even better, scoring 40 points to lead Phoenix's offense, but the late game strip now has the Suns' backs to the ...

The NBA Finals begin tonight not in a bubble, but in the desert. The Bucks travel to Phoenix seeking their first title in 50 years, while the Suns are after their first Chip ever. The Bucks are in the Finals for the first time since 1974 and the Suns are there for the first time since 1993. OK so the last time the Bucks were in the Finals I wasn't alive, and the last time the Suns were in the Finals I was in eighth grade and possibly had a mullet (I definitely had a mullet).  Phoenix got the better of Milwaukee both times they faced off this regular season, 125-124 on 2/10 and 128-127 on 4/19. Yes point spread junkies, those are two one-point victories there. Along with Utah, the Suns are also one of only two teams that didn't lose to the Bucks this season. With a 27-9 home record and a week off since their Western Conference Semifinals win over the Clippers, Phoenix should feel pretty good coming into this game. All this and we haven't even talked about Giannis Antetekounm...

The Suns travel to Los Angeles with a 3-2 series lead to take on the Clippers in a Western Conference finals elimination game. The Clippers' Tyronn Lue is 10-2 in elimination games as a coach. The Clippers will be without star froward Kawhi Leonard, who is still down with a right knee sprain. The Suns enter as 1-point favorites. Both California and Arizona get a lot of sunshine. You get it. This one will be close, and ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.  The Suns had a chance to close out the series Monday in Phoenix, but lost 116-102. To avoid a Game 7, Phoenix will have to win this one at the Staples Center, where they are 2-14 in their last 16 games against the Clippers. Hmmmmmmmmm...Ty Lue is 10-2 in elimination games. Phoenix is 2-14 on the road against LA in their last 16. Not sure if I'd want to bet the money line in this one. But before we give up on Phoenix for tonight, remember Devin Booker. Yes, if you're a fan of basketball you'd like to see 36-year old Chris Paul finally ...