Admittedly, Denny Hamlin has not executed the best on restarts this season, so winning Sunday in a race that was a nail-biter down the stretch certainly made for a satisfying night. Hamlin led 57 of the 115 laps of the final stage at Nashville Superspeedway but stole the win from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell after a late caution set up a four-lap dash to the finish. “We had a few [races] where we were the best car this year, and we didn’t win because of restarts,” Hamlin said in his post-race news conference following his second victory of the year. “It felt really good to get one back that we certainly shouldn’t have on speed. “The 20 [of Bell] had us covered. I think he passed us about three or four times. But I just learned from my mistakes earlier in the season and how I approach restarts.” Here are my takeaways: 1. Worst To First For Hamlin Much like the track going from dry to wet to dry, Hamlin went from first to suddenly worst to methodically getting back to first. Hamlin started from the pole but was penalized for jumping the restart by mashing the throttle well ahead of the restart zone. It was a pretty clear violation of the restart rules for Hamlin, who didn’t question the call at the start of the race, which was delayed by 80 minutes because of rain. “Usually, as the leader, you can dictate when to go, but it was way too close to Turn 4 and not close enough to the start-finish line,” Hamlin said about restarting well ahead of the zone that is on the frontstretch. “No arguing it or anything like that. It was certainly the right call.” From there, he just had to be patient over the 300-lap, 400-mile race on the 1.33-mile concrete track. He obviously knows how to rally as he won for the 62nd time in his Cup career. 2. Bell Loses Another One A week after he could blame the rain, Bell could only blame himself for not winning. He had a better car than Hamlin and was in position to win until a late caution set up the dash to the finish. He could never get clearly ahead of Hamlin as they battled along with JGR teammate Chase Briscoe for the top three spots. The finishing order ended up being Hamlin-Bell-Briscoe, extending Bell’s winless streak to 21. He has led 398 laps this year without a win. “I’m just disappointed in myself,” Bell said in a Toyota news release. “[My team] brought a great race car and I didn’t get the job done.” 3. In The Dumps Nine cars ended up retiring from the race because of damage in accidents (another three were damaged in a crash just past the finish line) and only 15 cars finished on the lead lap in a race filled with wrecks. It had drivers feeling frustrated, with possibly Bubba Wallace feeling it the most, as he dropped to 15th in the standings, just 34 points ahead of the current playoff bubble. “I’m tired,” he said in his interview on Prime following his exit. “It’s hard to be in the same boat constantly every week. You’ve got to figure out how to put it behind you and show up. I somehow become the bad guy the days following this, but I’ve got to figure out how to be better and learn from it. “It’s really hard when you are driving your best and trying to just make progress throughout the race, and you get wiped out.” 4. Impressive SVG Shane van Gisbergen is known for his road-course dominance but he had a solid day at Nashville with a fifth-place finish. The race showed he is getting the hang of the ovals. “I really enjoyed myself,” “van Gisbergen said in a Chevrolet news release. “I learned a lot. I learned to be comfortable moving around in (Turns) 1 and 2, which I’ve never been able to do before.” 4 ½. What’s Next The NASCAR Cup Series goes to one of the fastest tracks on the circuit as it heads to the 2-mile Michigan Speedway for a 400-mile Sunday afternoon race. ARCA (Friday) and trucks (Saturday), both on FS1, are also on the weekend lineup. That race could very well be another JGR intra-team battle, but with it being near the homes of Chevrolet and Ford, this race often carries extra emphasis for the teams.
I used to think clothes shopping at Walmart was like fishing in a swimming pool: not likely to be successful. But after covering the retailer for years and seeing all kinds of great deals on clothing pop up there, I’ve revised my opinion. The retailer has jaw-dropping bargains on men’s clothing, if you know where to look. Let me point you in the direction of the Wrangler Rustler jeans. Crafted from sturdy 100% cotton and costing less than a takeout lunch, they’re easily one of Walmart’s best apparel deals for men, period.
Walmart is selling Wrangler’s Rustler Regular Fit Jeans for just $15, a superb bargain for a pair of name-brand blue jeans (no discount necessary). For comparison, these Wranglers are a better deal than similar value-oriented pairs from Uniqlo, Lee, Levi’s, and Old Navy. The price isn’t what sticks out the most, though; it’s the reception. Walmart shoppers have absolutely showered these jeans with praise, giving them almost 25,000 perfect ratings for their quality, fit, and feel.
Wrangler Rustler Regular Fit Jeans, $15 at Walmart
Rustler is a sub-brand under Wrangler, and onlinereviewers say Rustler jeans offer respectable quality at an incredibly affordable price. This particular pair is a standout option: In a sea of low-priced, synthetic-blended jeans, it’s made from good old 100% cotton. That gives it a leg up (no pun intended) in terms of durability and overall feel—there’s no synthetic, plasticky texture here.
Otherwise, the jeans follow a mostly classic layout with a zipper fly, button closure, belt loops, and four pockets (the lack of a change pocket is the only deviation from the standard five-pocket jeans design). These jeans have a regular fit, but there are other options, too: Opt for a relaxed fit if you want more room in the thigh, and the straight fit should work well for slimmer builds.
Although the Rustlers’ cotton fabric might not be as thick as premium denim, it’ll work just fine for daily wear. Given their affordable price, they’re also a superb choice for yard work and other situations where you’ll be getting dirty—you can save your pricey selvedge denim for date night.
The Wrangler Rustler jeans are the best-rated item I’ve ever seen at Walmart. Amid that deluge of positive feedback, one clear trend emerges: The cost-to-quality ratio on these jeans is blowing Walmart shoppers away. “You CANNOT beat the price for the fantastic quality,” said one shopper. Others praised their hardy construction and “well-made” feel, and they noted the cotton fabric and comfortable fit make them “great jeans for daily wear.”
At just $15 a pair, there’s no reason to schlep around in subpar jeans. Snag a pair or two of these Wrangler Rustlers, and you’ll always have some quality denim in your drawer.
Last season might not have been the Rams’ season, but it was surely Matthew Stafford’s season. For the first time in his 17-year career, Stafford took home the league’s most prestigious individual hardware: regular-season MVP. How will he follow up that MVP season? Let’s check out the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of June 1. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Matthew Stafford 2026 NFL odds Regular-season passing yards Over 3,999.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)Under 3,999.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total) Regular-season passing touchdowns Over 30.5: -105 (bet $10 to win $19.52 total)Under 30.5: -115 (bet $10 to win $18.70 total) Stafford has long been regarded as one of the game’s top flamethrowers. However, the accolades have rarely followed. In addition to winning MVP last season, he was named first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career. He also earned just his third Pro Bowl appearance. Seems a bit odd for a guy with the sixth-most passing yards in NFL history, right? The only names ahead of him on that list are Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, all of whom are remarkably decorated. It could have to do with the fact that during the first 12 years of Stafford’s career, all with the Detroit Lions, he only took the franchise to the playoffs three times and never won a playoff game. However, since arriving in L.A., he’s been to the postseason four times in five years, winning the Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021 and making it to the NFC Championship Game last season. In terms of stats, Stafford is expected to throw for around 4,000 yards next season, a mark he’s reached more often than not in his career. In those 17 professional seasons, he’s thrown for 4,000 yards or more 10 times. He’s also expected to throw around 30 touchdowns, a mark he’s reached only four times in his career. Last season, his MVP season, he blasted past both of those numbers, finishing the regular season with 4,707 passing yards and 46 TDs.
There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to follow themselves. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball: The Phillies came back late on Saturday to secure a 4-3 win in this 2025 NLDS rematch, but otherwise, this weekend’s series between them and the Dodgers was all Los Angeles. That felt especially true on Sunday in the rubber game, as the Dodgers scored early and did not let up — the memory of Saturday’s late loss was erased in a hurry. With Los Angeles already up 2-0 in the fourth, left fielder Ryan Ward went deep to make it 3-0: that was the rookie’s first career home run, as he was playing in just his third game and first since mid-April. Second baseman Alex Freeland would follow shortly after with a solo shot of his own to make it 4-0, and that was far more cushion than starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto needed against Philadelphia. Yamamoto lowered his ERA for the season to 2.86 thanks to 5 ⅓ scoreless innings with four scattered hits and 10 strikeouts against just two walks. The Dodgers didn’t give up a run until the ninth, when Jonathan Hernández finally allowed one — by that point, Los Angeles was up 9-1, however. Third baseman Max Muncy helped with that, hitting his 14th homer of the year in the bottom of the seventh. Munch, Freeland and Shohei Ohtani all had two hits on the day, while Freeland also had two runs and RBIs a piece. The Dodgers didn’t get the sweep, no, but they slowed the surging Phillies and have now won 14 of their last 17 games — Los Angeles is now 5.5 up on the Padres in the NL West, as San Diego has been scuffling a bit of late, including a series loss to the upstart Nationals to close out their own May. Mets’ left fielder Juan Soto went yard again — he has hit nine of his 13 homers in his last 15 games — and this time, it was a grand slam. If 13 homers for Juan Soto by June 1 doesn’t sound like that many, remember, he missed considerable time already with an IL stint thanks to a calf strain — he’s played in just 42 of the Mets’ 59 games. Soto has been on fire of late, as he’s hit .382/.469/.873 over that 15-game stretch, and the Mets are looking better as a result. New York still has a ways to go, as 26-33 and fourth place in the NL East isn’t exactly inspiring, but his was a team that had the worst record in MLB not that long ago, and was also swept by the Marlins to drop back into last place in the division, too. This time around, it was the Mets with brooms in hand, as they scored 25 runs against Miami’s nine, seven of which were scored in the first game of the series. Starter Nolan McLean looked a little off for New York in Sunday’s finale, allowing five walks while striking out just two, but his control issues were not also command ones, and he limited the Marlins to two hits and just one run. David Peterson followed with a four-inning scoreless save, and New York had a sweep. Again, New York is under .500 and in fourth, but the Mets are also just 5.5 back of a wild-card spot, which is somehow 2.5 games closer than they were when May kicked off. April was really, really bad for the Mets, but it’s two months back now, as well. Bats flying out of a players’ hands isn’t all that uncommon, but said bat getting not just stopped by a protective net, but caught in it like a bug in a spider web? That’s a lot more unusual. Sadly for Jakob Marsee, that net was the only thing the center fielder’s bat made contact with all day, as he went 0-for-3 with a walk in the loss. On the one hand, the Mariners are in first place in their division. On the other, Seattle is just 31-29 on the season — the American League West has been a mess this year. The M’s have now won six games in a row, however, as they followed up a sweep of the formerly first-place Athletics with another of the Diamondbacks. This was a close one, as the Mariners would end up winning just 3-2. Seattle’s Bryce Miller threw five scoreless innings with six strikeouts, one walk and just one hit allowed, while Arizona’s Merrill Kelly struggled more — eight hits, two walks, just two strikeouts — but held Seattle to two runs across 5 ⅓ all the same. The Mariners would score their second run of the game after Miller had already departed, off of Kelly, when DH Dominic Canzone hit his second homer in as many games to make it 2-1. The D-Backs would answer back in the eighth to tie things up, with Ketel Marte — playing DH on Sunday — hitting a sac fly to score pinch-hitter Gabriel Moreno, who singled before being bunted over to second. Arizona played for one run, and that’s how many they got. Which ended up being unfortunate in extra innings, when the Mariners — at home — got a chance to walk it off. Which they did. Designated hitter Victor Robles, who had entered the game earlier as a pinch-runner, came to the plate with one out and runners on second and third. All he needed was a single to win it, and that’s what he got. The Mariners are now 2.5 up in the West, which isn’t a huge lead but is their largest of the season so far. Considering they were five games under .500 about six weeks ago, that’s not such a bad turnaround, especially with slugging backstop Cal Raleigh either not actually slugging or sitting on the IL, depending on when in the season you’re talking about. Ronald Acuña Jr. had a fairly slow start to the season for the otherwise red-hot Braves, but after coming back from a hamstring strain on May 19 he’s looked a lot more like Ronald Acuña. On Sunday, he hit his fifth homer in 12 games since returning from injury, and is batting .256/.429/.628 in that stretch. Acuña didn’t just hit a homer, though. He absolutely blasted one, 438 feet, off of Reds’ starter Nick Lodolo. It was the right fielder’s fourth-straight game with a long ball, to boot. Sadly for the Braves, it was just a solo shot to lead off the game, and not a portent of things to come. Atlanta would end up losing, 6-4, but the Braves made it to the very last day of May before losing their 20th game of the season. They lead the majors with 40 wins — for all the winning the Dodgers have been doing of late, Los Angeles is at 38 — and took the series against the Reds despite the L, so the more important thing here is that it’s looking like Acuña is back. The Angels lost to the Rays 5-2 on Sunday, but it could have been much worse. Look at left fielder Jose Siri out there robbing Tampa Bay of a grand slam, for instance. Wait a second. Computer, enhance. Alright, Siri saved four runs and the outfield buffet from certain doom. And while it would have been hilarious to see whatever disaster came out of a baseball striking a bunch of food plates at high velocity, more important is that lunch was salvaged. Maybe next time don’t line it up near where baseballs might land, though. Credit to the ump’s reflexes on that one. The Giants crushed the Rockies, 19-6, and the performance that stood out the most in all that scoring was that of right fielder Jung Hoo Lee. He had his first-ever five-hit game, singling in the first to give the Giants their first lead of the day, doubling in the fifth, singling again later in the fifth — San Francisco scored seven runs in that frame — singling again in the seventh and then hitting another single in the eighth. In between that first hit and the rest of the game were 18 other Giants runs, including four on one swing from shortstop Willy Adames, which made it 11-3 in the fifth and made this game feel out of reach for the Rockies. Giants’ starter Robbie Ray didn’t even pitch particularly well — he went just four innings and allowed seven baserunners and three runs — but Tanner Gordon gave Colorado even less to work with over three innings with four runs allowed, and then the bullpen gave up another 15. Zach Agnos wore the bulk of them thanks to that seven-run fifth, but the next two pitchers after him each gave up three, and Brett Sullivan allowed another two to close things out, as well. It has not been a great season for the Rockies to this point, but seeing what was already the league’s worst run differential get that much worse all in one afternoon is rough. And to the Giants, too, who are all of 1.5 up on the basement-dwelling Rockies in the NL West right now. A seven-run inning is big, but the Yankees did the Giants one better. In fact, they scored 10 runs in the third inning against the Athletics in the third inning on Sunday before an out was recorded. New York would pile on another three runs to make it a 13-run third inning, which included DH Ben Rice hitting a triple and a double in the same frame. Just as incredible as this 13-run outburst is that it was the only inning in which the Yankees scored. They were up 13-3 at this point, and ended up defeating the A’s, 13-8: the Athletics tried chipping away at the lead over the remaining innings, but despite the Yankees seemingly giving them plenty of opportunities to catch up, the 10-run deficit that stood after the third proved too much. Jacob Misiorowski looked impressive in 2025, but he also didn’t have the greatest command nor control of his high-end velocity, resulting in a 4.36 ERA as a rookie despite striking out 11.9 batters per nine: Miz still walked 4.2 per nine and allowed eight homers in 66 innings, so there were clear weaknesses to his game. Good luck finding those weaknesses in 2026. The 24-year-old right-hander, who stands an imposing 6-foot-7 even before he steps on the rubber, has found both command and control. He has more than halved last season’s home run rate, is down to 2.4 walks per nine, and has increased his strikeout rate to 13.7 per nine: he’s striking out just under 40% of the hitters he faces. The result? A May to remember. Seriously, though, what are you supposed to do when he can locate 102 with pinpoint control all of a sudden? Same as the rest of us, apparently. What a month for Misiorowski.
Professional tennis player Naomi Osaka is currently single. However, the professional tennis player’s dating history includes a high-profile romance with former boyfriend Cordae, a rapper who fathered her only child.
Cordae was at Osaka’s side in 2020 when she won the U.S. Open, according to Elle. When she won, Elle reported, the rapper “was seen jumping up excitedly and thumping his fist against his chest.” There is video of the moment.
Despite taking time off from the sport after having her daughter, Osaka has been back for some time, and she is competing in the 2026 French Open.
Naomi Osaka & Cordae Have a Child Together, a Daughter Named Shai
According to Elle, the couple had a daughter together named Shai in 2023. But by January 2025, Osaka announced they had broke up, declaring, there there was “no bad blood at all, he’s a great person and an awesome dad,” Elle reported.
“Honestly really glad our paths crossed because my daughter is my biggest blessing and I was able to grow a lot from our experiences together,” she added, according to ESPN, which noted that she took about 15 months off from the sport.
Osaka today keeps her personal life private. Her Instagram page is mostly focused on her fashions off and on the court. Cordae only has a few posts on his Instagram.
Cordae Was Naomi Osaka’s Boyfriend for 6 Years
Cordae and Naomi Osaka attend the 2021 Met Gala benefit “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
The couple “had their first public date at an L.A. Clippers game in 2019,” People reported, noting that they managed to keep the relationship a secret for about a year. They were photographed at a basketball game and on the red carpet together during the relationship.
Over the years, Osaka gushed about Cordae on her Instagram page, although the posts no longer appear there. For example, in 2020, she wrote, according to People, “I later found out that he hopped on a plane shortly after that call and then quarantined himself for a couple days in a hotel to see me and support.”
She also gushed about him on his birthday, but later deleted that post too. It read, according to People, “I always feel so lucky to be in your life and to be continuously learning from you,” she captioned her post at the time. “I’m so grateful that I can talk to you about anything and ask for advice (cause you know I need all the help I can get lol). I love that you lay down and wait for me to go to sleep before you go record.”
Naomi Osaka Has Discussed Motherhood to Daughter Shai
Osaka has embraced motherhood and spoken openly about her desire to help her daughter.
“I would say for me, I just want to be the best version of myself. Obviously, I’ve never been a mother before so I’m taking it day-by-day and just trying to be someone that my son or daughter will be proud of,” she said, according to People.
Cordae told Hot 97that he didn’t even know who Osaka was when he first met her because the only women’s tennis player he really knew was Serena Williams.
“Severe”-level thunderstorms are predicted to hit the Southeast, Tennessee Valley, and Lower Mississippi Valley, with a threat of “large hail and severe wind gusts,” to kick off the new working week and the month of June, according to a report by NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
The SPC has predicted that the higher-level thunderstorms are most likely to occur over parts of the Lower Mississippi and Tennessee valleys, as well as the central High Plains. However, the weather forecast center has marked the risk level as “slight” for Monday, with the greater Southeast concern being “severe wind gusts” from the Ozarks into parts of the Southeast.
Any existing storms are set to track southeastward towards western Kentucky and middle Tennessee before settling in the north Georgia region. While these are the primary areas of concern, the SPC has also touted a potential storm pathway, tracking from Arkansas into Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.
A “hot, humid air mass,” as described by the source, has been predicted for the Arkansas region and, should trends continue, could spread into Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. This will place the temperature for Monday as high as the 90s for affected areas, with dewpoints squarely in the 70s. NWS predictions have stated that these predictions will create a ripe environment for a “scattered thunderstorm development,” spreading southward, potentially as far as central Mississippi to Alabama towards the evening.
These potential winds, especially if bolstered by hail, can cause issues with flying debris in the most severely affected areas, along with significant risks for driving, as well as loss of signal or power.
Residents in the highest-risk areas should continue to monitor NWS reports throughout the day and secure outdoor objects at risk of damage or flying off. Those affected should avoid unnecessary travel whenever possible, especially if hit by flooding, and remain indoors until the risk subsides.
Last week, Phillies phenom Cristopher Sánchez completed a flawless May with his fifth scoreless outing of the month, increasing his scoreless streak to a franchise-record 44.2 consecutive innings. But Sánchez isn’t the only pitcher enjoying an incredible start to the 2026 season. Jacob Misiorowski wrapped up a similarly extraordinary May with the Brewers (0.23 ERA). Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani allowed one run over six hitless innings last Wednesday and actually saw his miniscule season ERA (0.86) rise in the process. Also last week, second-year Reds right-hander Chase Burns fired his eighth straight start of two runs or fewer, and Braves veteran lefty Chris Sale recorded his eighth straight start allowing two earned runs or fewer. Clearly, Pirates star Paul Skenes will have a lot of competition this year in what should be a thrilling National League Cy Young race the rest of the way. In this week’s Power Rankings, we take a look at every team’s best starting pitcher to this point of the season. Until Chase Dollander returns from injury, it might be best to skip this one. Tomoyuki Sugano has been the most consistent of the group with a 4.01 ERA over 11 starts. With Tarik Skubal down, Casey Mize has become the de facto ace. He has a 1.45 ERA over his past seven starts, but he can’t fix a Detroit offense that ranks 29th in runs scored. Michael Wacha leads Royals starters in ERA, strikeouts and wins, but that hasn’t been enough for a Kansas City team that has lost 16 of its last 19 games. José Soriano saw his ERA rise from 0.84 to 2.65 in May, but he still deserves recognition here. Keep an eye on Reid Detmers, though. His ERA starts with a 4, but he leads the team in strikeouts, and a week ago he fanned 14 in a start against the Rangers. Landen Roupp is the only Giants starter with an ERA under 4.00. His consistent production has been important for a San Francisco starting rotation that ranks 28th in ERA. Offseason additions Ranger Suárez (3.38 ERA) and Sonny Gray (3.06) have both pitched well, but the lowest ERAs in the Boston rotation belong to 24-year-old Connelly Early (2.95) and 23-year-old Payton Tolle (2.61). Among all MLB starters who’ve thrown at least 40 innings this year, Tolle ranks sixth in WHIP and fourth in opponents’ batting average. With much of the attention this year on Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez, it’s Max Meyer who has been the best starter in the Marlins’ rotation. Even after surrendering six runs to the Mets over the weekend, Meyer is 5-0 on the year with a 2.97 ERA that is by far the best mark among Miami starters. He won’t get the same attention as other starters while pitching for the middling Twins, but Joe Ryan ranks in the top 10 among all qualified MLB starters in WHIP, opponents’ average and fWAR and has a 1.97 ERA over his past six starts. Someone needed to step up with all the injuries in the Astros’ rotation, and Spencer Arrighetti answered the call. He’s 7-1 with a 1.34 ERA in eight starts. Until he fractured his fibula last month, Clay Holmes had been the one consistent piece of the volatile Mets rotation. They need at least one of Nolan McLean (4.21 ERA) and Freddy Peralta (3.55) to go on a run quickly. The A’s are trending the wrong way, but it has been a career year for 2020 second-round pick J.T. Ginn, who took a no-hitter into the ninth inning on May 18 in Anaheim and leads A’s starters with a 2.87 ERA. Even after a few May clunkers that made Jacob deGrom’s ERA climb to 3.77, he is still the best pitcher in the Rangers’ rotation. But keep an eye on MacKenzie Gore, who has lowered his ERA from 5.18 to 3.96 over his past four starts. Orioles fans would probably hope the answer here would be Shane Baz, who just signed a $68 million extension, or Trevor Rogers. But it’s Kyle Bradish who has started the most games and has the most strikeouts and lowest ERA of anyone in the Baltimore rotation. Baz, however, has started to pick up some steam. Dylan Cease is currently on the shelf, but his hamstring injury appears minor. That’s a big relief as the Blue Jays try to claw their way into contention. Cease has lived up to the expectations of an ace after receiving a $210 million deal in Toronto, ranking first among qualified AL starters in strikeout rate. The Cease-Kevin Gausman duo atop the Toronto rotation is one of the best in the league. Chase Burns (7-1, 1.96 ERA) is one of just five qualified MLB starters with an ERA under 2.00. His work has been especially vital in a Reds starting rotation that has a 4.54 ERA as a group. The Nationals are one of the stories of the season. They just picked up impressive series wins against the Guardians and Padres, and former first-round pick Cade Cavalli is finding his form. Since April 18, he ranks eighth in the majors in strikeouts. The Diamondbacks’ pitching staff figured to be an issue this year, but veterans Eduardo Rodriguez (5-1, 2.31 ERA) and Mike Soroka (7-2, 3.25) are lifting the rotation. Even if the underlying numbers suggest regression ahead, Rodriguez currently ranks in the top 10 among qualified MLB starters in ERA. That’s a significant turnaround after he logged an ERA over 5.00 in each of his first two seasons in Arizona. The fact that you could make an argument for Braxton Ashcraft here says something both about Ashcraft’s season and Paul Skenes’ year so far, but the answer is still Skenes. His 2.89 ERA is about a run worse than either of his past two seasons, but his expected ERA is the best of his career, his walk rate is the lowest of his career, and his underlying numbers are all exceptional. Injuries have ravaged this rotation — Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd, Justin Steele and Cade Horton are all on the injured list — which helps explain Chicago starters’ 4.71 ERA. Ben Brown only joined the rotation in May, but since then he has been the star of the group with a 1.73 ERA over his last five starts. The Cubs desperately need Shota Imanaga to get back on track. Starting pitching isn’t the reason the Cardinals have stayed competitive in what is surprisingly the best division in baseball, but the group has been better than expected. Michael McGreevy’s expected ERA (5.63) is about double his actual ERA (2.98), but he’s the lone member of the rotation with an ERA under 4.00. Losing Munetaka Murakami to a hamstring strain hurts, but it’s not just power that has gotten the South Siders to this point. They’ve won 15 of their last 21 games with the help of a rotation that now ranks 11th in ERA. That group is led by Davis Martin, who has allowed one or no runs in eight of his past 10 starts. As Cristopher Sánchez continues to rack up scoreless outings, he’s now the NL Cy Young favorite. The Phillies southpaw just wrapped up a month of May in which he totaled 45 strikeouts and three walks without allowing a run over 39 innings, and he leads the majors in ERA and fWAR. That’s more like it. The Mariners have now won six straight games after sweeping the A’s and Diamondbacks, which was enough to move them to the top of the lowly AL West. Any one of Bryan Woo (3.44 ERA), George Kirby (3.77), Logan Gilbert (3.69) or Emerson Hancock (2.78) could claim the title as team ace this year, but it’s worth singling out Hancock’s consistent contributions to this point, especially as the team struggled early in the year. He has allowed three runs or fewer in all but one of his 11 starts and has the lowest ERA of the group. The Guardians’ momentum slowed last week with series losses to the Nationals and Red Sox, but their pitching still has them atop the AL Central. The Cleveland rotation ranks sixth in ERA led by rookie Parker Messick (6-1, 2.21 ERA), who could get both Rookie of the Year and Cy Young consideration. The regression appears to be starting now for a Padres team that has stayed well above .500 despite what is now a negative run differential. Michael King leads the San Diego rotation in every major category and will continue to be a critical piece for a team lacking pitching depth. It has been a remarkable year for 35-year-old veteran Nick Martinez, who has done far more than just solidify his role as an MLB starter. Martinez ranks third among all qualified MLB starters in ERA (1.62) and has not allowed more than two runs in any of his 11 outings this year. Cam Schlittler, the American League Cy Young favorite, leads the AL in both ERA (1.50) and WHIP (0.85). He has allowed three runs or fewer in every start and two runs or fewer in each of his past eight starts. Over six starts in May, Jacob Misiorowski allowed just one run and struck out 57, the most by any pitcher in any calendar month in franchise history. He leads all qualified starters in strikeouts (108), WHIP (0.79) and opponents’ average (.150). No other pitcher has 100 strikeouts. Among qualified starters, Cristopher Sánchez has the lowest ERA in MLB (1.47). But lower the minimum to 50 innings, and Shohei Ohtani’s mark (0.82) is about half of that. Ohtani won’t end up with the same number of innings as other top pitching contenders in his first full season on the mound in three years, but he looks like a potential Cy Young winner every time he takes the ball. The Braves have two of the top 10 qualified starters in ERA in Chris Sale (2.01) and Bryce Elder (2.50). At age 37, Sale remains one of the best pitchers in the game and should be in the Cy Young conversation as long as he stays healthy. Among all qualified MLB starters, Sale ranks seventh in ERA and fifth in both WHIP and opponents’ batting average. He’s also throwing harder this year than he did last year.
Asics has built a very loyal following among runners, which means it doesn’t have to throw out big discounts on its running shoes to attract shoppers. The Sonicblast is a recent release from 2025, and even though it’s been met with a very positive response, the brand has flipped the switch on the price, likely because of a new version in the works, and now they’re $60 off, a notably large discount for a pair of Asics runners.
You can get a pair of the Asics Sonicblast at both Dick’s Sporting Goods and on the Asics site for just $120, a sweet 33% discount from its normal price of $180. As a fan of running shoes, I routinely check the Asics sale page, and I can tell you it’s very rare to find one of the brand’s running shoes on sale for more than 20% off—this is a major deal. Better yet, the Sonicblast is available at that price across five colorways, and almost every one has a full size range in stock.
The Sonicblast utilizes two of Asics’ best cushioning foams in its midsole: FlyteFoam Turbo Squared and FlyteFoam Blast Max. The Turbo Squared material is tuned for exceptional responsiveness and bounce, while Max is lightweight and pillowy soft. They’re paired with a stiff “Astroplate” that stabilizes the shoe’s sole and helps you get maximum squish (i.e., shock absorption) and response (propulsive bounce) in every step. TLDR: This shoe feels super springy underfoot, and that makes it great for going fast.
Consider it the training counterpart to Asics’ race-day super shoes like the Metaspeed Edge. It’ll help you push the pace, but it also has plenty of cushioning to keep your feet comfortable and protected while running, and it’s more durable than a true racer. That means it’ll hold up through a high-mileage training regimen without falling apart.
Runners’ reviews show the Sonicblast is something special: One enthusiastic reviewer said it “might be the best Asics shoe ever.” Shoppers loved its “extra springy” ride and said it felt comfortable and propulsive, especially when you pick up the pace. At the same time, the shoe’s rocker shape ensures it “rolls effortlessly through each stride.”
33% off on one of Asics’ best training shoes? You know runners are going to swarm over this deal on the Sonicblast. Head over to Dick’s and snag your pair before your size and preferred colorway go out of stock.
