Detroit, MI
Detroit Tigers rise early for morning start against Toronto Blue Jays in series finale
The Detroit Tigers were at Comerica Park earlier than usual for Sunday’s series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The final game of the four-game series began at 11:35 as a part of the MLB’s Sunday Leadoff series in partnership with Roku. The nationally televised game is free to watch on Roku and gives baseball fans a fix during brunch.
The early first pitch pushed up roll call for Tigers players, hours earlier than what’s typical for a normal day game beginning just after 1 p.m.. Players arrived to the park with coffee and breakfast in hand, but not everyone was a fan of the uncharacteristic start time.
“I think whoever schedules an 11:30 a.m. game is a big ole stinker,” reliever Andrew Chafin said Sunday, while eating strips of bacon in front of his locker.
Bacon wasn’t the only thing on the menu for Chafin before the game. He decided to treat himself, outside of the coffee that most players had.
“I had a bagel and a Frosted Flake crusted French toast or some boujee stuff,” he said.
Players said the early start didn’t have much of an impact on their sleeping schedules last night, but couldn’t deny the difference in the atmosphere. Catcher Jake Rogers, a self-described morning guy and the first one dressed in uniform for the game, said it was unique.
“I’m here and I’m ready to go,” Rogers said. “It doesn’t really bother me none, but yeah, it’s definitely different.”
Players went through the typical pregame routines, as they would for any other start: stretching, hitting and taking fielding drills while the sun was still rising over the left field wall and scoreboard at Comerica. The pregame warmups, however, were in a slightly condensed window.
“We only have three hours so I’m just going to hit the cage,” infielder Zach McKinstry said.
The Tigers (25-27) had nearly a full day off after Saturday’s 2-1 win in a day game. Detroit is looking to win three out of four to take the series from Toronto (23-28), which would be its first series win at home since the end of April.
The Tigers are off Monday on Memorial Day, before beginning the next series against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a two-game series at home. An added benefit of the early start Sunday is snagging a few extra hours of rest between games in the marathon 162-game season.
“We are getting to the point of the year where any time you can get quote-unquote ‘extended time off’ from the game or away from the field is a good thing,” Chafin said.
City Connect mojo
The Tigers will wear the alternate City Connect uniforms for the third straight game in the series finale. The Tigers snapped a five-game losing streak Friday while donning the new black-and-blue jerseys introduced two weeks ago.
The City Connect uniforms were initially only supposed to be worn for Friday home games, but the 6-2 win Friday prompted manager A.J. Hinch to ask Rogers if he wanted to wear the uniforms again. Rogers said yes, but first had to text Reese Olson, the starting pitcher Saturday, to conduct a poll. As the starting pitcher, it was ultimately Olson’s final call which uniforms the Tigers would wear.
“I texted Reece, and he was like ‘let’s do it’,” Rogers said head-to-toe in uniform. “That was kind of the poll.
“Then I went to A.J. and told him we are wearing it tomorrow and he said okay. Then we won again yesterday and so here we are again.”
The Tigers are now 3-1 in the City Connect uniforms. The uniforms debuted May 10 against the Houston Astros in a 5-2 loss, but have won every game since then. The first win came the following day against Houston in a game where Kerry Carpenter hit two home runs. The next two wins came this weekend against Toronto, where Carpenter homered in each game as well.
Glove catching up to bat: Detroit Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter is a great hitter, and now a reliable outfielder too
Carpenter is out of the lineup Sunday against Toronto left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, on the bench along with other lefties Riley Greene and Colt Keith.
The players are split on whether or not sticking with the jerseys is a superstition inside the clubhouse. On one end of the spectrum, you have Chafin, who said “every damn thing we do is superstitious whether you say it or not” because that’s just second nature in baseball. McKinstry said he doesn’t believe it’s superstition while saying he doesn’t believe in any.
As for Rogers, it may be too early to make a definitive call.
“I think we’re just winning and having fun with it,” the starting catcher said. “Superstition or not, we are winning with them on.”
The decision to go back to the Motor City uniforms for Sunday was an easy one after Saturday’s win. Hinch didn’t want to mess with the team’s newfound mojo after struggling throughout May coming into the series.
“I don’t know if it’s the reason, but we’re not going to test it,” Hinch told reporters after Saturday’s game.
Jalen Duren reacts to Daniss Jenkins’ career game for Pistons vs Lakers
Jalen Duren on Daniss Jenkins, who scored 30 points to lift Pistons over Lakers, March 23, 2026. “Every time his number’s been called he’s performed.”
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Detroit Pistons nearly took down the defending champs in their own arena without four starters. An MVP-caliber performance by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander allowed the Oklahoma City Thunder to escape.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points, and knocked down 21 of his 25 free throws, to put away the Pistons in overtime, 114-110, on Monday, March 30. Three free throws from Gilgeous-Alexander with 48.3 seconds left in overtime extended the Thunder’s lead to five, 111-106. He then split a trip with 13.3 seconds left, with Ron Holland fouling out, to extend the lead back to four to secure the win for Oklahoma City (after Paul Reed cut it to two with a pair of free throws).
After a hot second half, the Pistons went cold in OT, shooting 3-for-11 in the final five minutes. They were without Ausar Thompson (eight points, seven rebounds and five assists) in the extra period, after he fouled out late in the fourth quarter.
With less than 24 seconds left and a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, Daniss Jenkins turned the ball over with a bad pass. Gilgeous-Alexander nearly made the Pistons pay, sinking a 3-pointer with four seconds left and the game tied at 101. However, the bucket didn’t count because he pushed off. Jenkins’ 3-pointer at the buzzer missed, leading to overtime.
With the loss, the Pistons (54-21) missed out on a chance to clinch the Central Division, with the Cleveland Cavaliers, eight games back with eight games to play entering Monday, also winning. Still, the Pistons are seven games up with seven to play, with a tiebreaker (division record) yet to be decided. Even with the loss, the Pistons – who’ve locked up a playoff spot and homecourt in the first round – edged closer to clinching the top spot in the East, as the Boston Celtics, who entered four games back of the Pistons, lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. That dropped the Pistons’ “magic number” (any combo of Pistons wins and Celtics losses) to lock up the East down to three.
Next up for the Pistons
It’s a super-short turnaround for the Pistons, who jet back to Detroit to host the Toronto Raptors (42-32) on Tuesday (8 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Extra/MMYD-TV 20). Toronto is tied with Atlanta in the fifth and sixth spots in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit Pistons walking wounded
The Pistons were severely shorthanded, with Jalen Duren (right ankle injury management), Tobias Harris (left hip) and Duncan Robinson (right hip) all missing the game, along with the previously ruled-out Cade Cunningham (left lung pneumothorax) and Isaiah Stewart (left calf strain). They leaned on their depth, with two-way big Tolu Smith and 2025 second-round pick Chaz Lanier rounding out coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotation.
Several players stepped up, with Reed (21 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks) leading the way. Javonte Green finished with 19 points and knocked down a season-high five 3-pointers. Kevin Huerter (17 points, six assists, six rebounds), Jenkins (15 points, six assists), Marcus Sasser (12 points, four assists) and Caris LeVert (10 points) also scored in double figures.
Gilgeous-Alexander led all players with 47 points.
Second-half rally for the Pistons
With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, two big offensive rebounds by Smith allowed the Pistons to take their biggest lead of the night.
The possession ended with a 3-pointer by Jenkins, giving the Pistons a 97-90 lead. But the defending champions battled back, with Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way. He went on a personal 6-0 run, and a corner 3-pointer by Thunder center Jaylin Williams later tied the game at 99 with 1:35 to play.
The Pistons trailed by as many as 15 in the first half but outscored the Thunder in the second half, 58-48. The Pistons made nine of their 17 3-point attempts through the final two quarters and shot 60% overall, while holding the Thunder to 44%. Through the first four periods, they scored 22 points off of 17 Thunder turnovers. The Pistons also owned the offensive glass, grabbing 15 to the Thunder’s six. It allowed them a 16-4 lead in second chance points.
Javonte Green delivers season-best performance
The veteran guard has been an unsung contributor all season. His perimeter defense and 3-point shooting, particularly from the corners, has made him a key glue guy with the second unit. As a starter on Monday, he stepped up and gave one of his best performances in a Pistons uniform.
His five 3-pointers marked a season-high, and all five were timely. His fifth came midway through the fourth period and gave the Pistons the lead during their fourth-quarter push, 90-89. He led an all-around hot night from beyond the arc, and did so while also picking up Gilgeous-Alexander defensively throughout the night.
Defense, outside shooting clicks after first quarter
Trailing by 15 points with under nine minutes left in the second quarter, the Pistons nearly let the game get away. But they responded by locking down defensively and heating up from the arc, which sparked a run and enabled them to take control of the game in the second half.
They held the Thunder to 36.4% shooting (8-for-22) in the second quarter after allowing them to shoot 61.1% (11-for-18) in the first. The Pistons caught fire from the arc in the second half after shooting 30% (6-for-20) in the first half, making four of six attempts in the third period and five of 10 in the fourth.
Watch our podcast, “The Pistons Pulse,” discuss the Cade Cunningham injury fallout, the playoff chase and more:
The Detroit Lions may indeed have a position switch in the cards for one of their top offensive linemen.
While no final decision has officially been made, the Lions appear to be bracing for three-time All-Pro selection Penei Sewell to move from right tackle to left tackle for the 2026 season.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell addressed the possibility during his media appearance Monday at the annual league meetings.
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Campbell told reporters that Sewell is ready to make the switch from the right side to the left and that the coach would like to make the move. The move would come after the departure of Taylor Decker, who requested his release from the team after 10 seasons playing the blindside spot.
Sewell has quickly become one of the top offensive tackles in the league. He was the first draft pick made in general manager Brad Holmes’ tenure, as the team picked him seventh overall in the 2021 draft.
In his five NFL seasons, the Oregon product has earned Pro Bowl honors four times and has been a First Team All-Pro three consecutive seasons.
Lions coach Dan Campbell says he’d like to move Penei Sewell to left tackle, and while no final call has been made yet, “He’s ready to do that.”
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 30, 2026
Sewell has made 83 appearances for the Lions, all starts, and has performed at an exceptional level. He earned a four-year, $112 million contract extension prior to the 2024 season for his efforts.
The Lions have had somewhat of a topsy turvy offseason, as they’ve parted ways with key contributors in years past such as Decker, running back David Montgomery and linebacker Alex Anzalone.
Decker’s departure came after he initially announced his intention to return after mulling retirement, but talks with the front office broke down after they wanted him to take a pay cut.
As a result, the Lions now need a left tackle. They signed veteran Larry Borom to a one-year deal in free agency, but Borom’s starting experience has mostly come on the right side. As a result, there’s belief that Sewell could transition to the left side full time.
Sewell made the first eight starts of his career at left tackle in 2021, filling in while Decker was on injured reserve. Since then, he’s played exclusively on the right side with Dan Skipper predominantly filling in for Decker when the veteran was unable to go.
Skipper retired this offseason and has joined the Lions’ coaching staff as an offensive assistant.
The Lions also have 2024 fourth-round pick Gio Manu returning for his third NFL season. Manu was drafted as a developmental prospect, and has made just one start in his first two campaigns and spent the majority of last season on injured reserve.
Last season, Sewell earned a 95.2 overall offensive grade via Pro Football Focus and an elite 96.8 run-blocking grade. He’s proven to be one of the most durable players on the roster, missing just two possible starts in five seasons.
The Michigan Wolverines are the last Michigan team standing in college hockey as both Western Michigan and Michigan State lost in the round of eight.
Michigan will face Denver, while Wisconsin and North Dakota face off in the other semi-final game this week.
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