Padres & fans travel to Anaheim to take series from the Angels
Padres win their 5th consecutive series, Mason Miller chases Padres history, the NBA Playoffs kick off with a banger from Wembanyama, SDFC struggles to match last year's success, and more!
Yesterday, I was one of those Padres fans that made the trek up to Anaheim to watch the team take on the Angels. I had to drive because the train tickets were all sold out, which is a good way of explaining just how many Padres fans were making the same journey.
The Angels are 0.5 games out of 1st place in the AL West, even after dropping the series to San Diego. The Padres are 0.5 games out of 1st place in the NL West. And yet, the crowd at the game was seemingly split 50/50 between fans of the two respective teams. (To be fair, the Padres have the better overall record.)
Why did I go north? Well, it had been quite some time since I’ve had a chance to see a Padres road game and ticket prices in Anaheim were far less than they typically are at Petco Park. I imagine the same reasoning led many other Padres fans to do the same, or maybe it’s just the vibe.
After all, the Padres are currently performing like they’re one of the best teams in all of baseball. In the last 16 days, they’ve lost 2 games and won 13. They’re also winning in exciting fashion, playing an entertaining form of baseball with one of the most dominant closers in league history finishing most games, and the rancid vibes of the last few years feel miles away. The guys actually seem to be having fun out there!
So, maybe it’s not just the lower ticket prices that drove Padres fans to Orange County over the weekend. Maybe there is already a sense that this is a special team that could be headed towards a special future. Maybe we’ve all caught Padres Fever.
Now, onto the links…
San Diego Padres
Padres find ways to do just enough, take series from Angels - San Diego Union-Tribune
In the biggest moments of a game that was tense throughout, the difference in a 2-1 victory over the Angels was the fill-in heroics by seldom-used outfielder Bryce Johnson and rookie reliever Bradgley Rodriguez.
“Another team win,” manager Craig Stammen said. “… We’re just getting contributions from everybody in the whole entire roster — from guys in the bullpen, the guys on the bench that are in the starting lineup. We’re just moving pieces around, and they’re all coming through, making us all look really good, that we’re making good decisions. We’ve got good players, and they’re doing the right things.”
Miller blanks his way to 1 inning shy of franchise scoreless streak record - MLB.com
The Padres are baseball’s hottest team. They’ve won 10 of 11 and 13 of 15, moving within half a game of the Dodgers in the way-too-early National League West standings. And they’re doing it by winning every game they’re supposed to win -- because they have a closer that nobody can hit.
Miller again nailed down the save in a tense 2-1 victory over the Angels on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium, extending his remarkable scoreless streak to 32 2/3 innings. He’s one inning shy of Cla Meredith’s Padres record, set in 2006.
Tom Krasovic: Padres fans take joy machine on the road - San Diego Union-Tribune
When owner Arte Moreno explored selling the big-market Angels in recent years, the team attracted no offers near the $3.9 billion that private-equity billionaire and Chelsea FC co-owner José E. Feliciano and his wife, entrepreneur and philanthropist Kwanza Jones, have agreed to pay for the Padres.
In attendance, it’s the Padres who resemble a big-market giant. They’ve ended up second to fifth of the 30 teams every year since 2021, and trail only the Dodgers this season.
The Angels? Twelfth to 17th, and now eighth.
Ramón Laureano is shorter this season. The Padres outfielder also might be better than ever - The Athletic
Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in July, Laureano has been perhaps San Diego’s most reliable player; since his arrival, he leads the club’s qualifying hitters in home runs, OPS, batting average and wRC+. A shattered finger sidelined him last fall as the Padres offense disappeared in the National League Wild Card Series. In 2026, the recently minted leadoff man has resumed his steadiness, batting .273 with four homers while providing improved defense in left field.
San Diego Padres’ Business Is Booming. Here’s Why - Sportico
For nearly a decade, the Padres have been the sole team from the Big Four North American sports leagues in San Diego after the NFL’s Chargers headed up the coast to Los Angeles. The void left by professional football has seemingly improved the Padres’ standing in San Diego. (The city did add an NWSL club in 2022 and an MLS squad three years later.)
When the Padres officially launched their sale process in November, they attracted multiple billionaires.
NBA Playoffs
Victor Wembanyama’s Playoff Debut Was Worth The Wait - Defector
Portland threw everything they had at Wembanyama, and he diagnosed it and destroyed it. This guy is going to do so much amazing stuff in these playoffs and the playoffs to come. What we saw was the dawn of something, and it was spectacular.
Magic play up to potential, stun Pistons in Game 1 upset - ESPN
The Magic clearly have discovered their game over this weekend. On Friday, they destroyed the Charlotte Hornets 121-90 in a play-in game, using stifling defense, physicality on both ends and a connected swagger that had been missing for much of the season.
“We found something against Charlotte with our defense and our energy and our communication,” Orlando star forward Paolo Banchero said.
Suggs’ early steal and dunk came during a 15-2 run that pushed Detroit down 18-5 in the first quarter. Cunningham did all that he could to get Detroit back into the game, scoring 39 points. He hit a 3 that tied the score at 65-65 in the third quarter, but the Magic just kept answering every Detroit push.
NBA playoffs 2026 takeaways: Pistons disappear against Magic; Wemby dominates; Thunder roll to begin title defense; Jayson Tatum stars in Celtics’ big win - Yahoo Sports
If there were concerns about how Jayson Tatum might look in his first playoff game since tearing his right Achilles last May, he eased them in the opening minutes. He played the entire first quarter, logging a 10-7-4, well on his way to 25 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists in 33 minutes.
He did all of the Jayson Tatum things — scoring from every level, playmaking, rebounding, defending at a high level, you name it. He called Tyrese Maxey or Andre Drummond into the action, operating out of the high post or from the perimeter. He was, quite simply, the best player on the floor, and who could have seen that coming in Game 1 of a 2026 playoff series at year’s start?
Odds & Ends
Real Salt Lake stay hot, hand San Diego 3rd straight loss - Field Level Media
Real Salt Lake got the blowout started with goals in back-to-back minutes.
The first occurred on a massive mistake by Ferree, who lazily tried to pass the ball to his left to teammate Manu Duah. Luna timed it perfectly and dashed forward to intercept the pass and poke the ball with his right foot into the net in the fifth minute.
One minute later, Luna was on the right and sent a cross-field pass to Solans, who headed the ball inside the left post to make it 2-0.
NBA awards finalists announced: Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander make MVP cut - Yahoo Sports
Victor Wembanyama, three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the finalists in one of the most competitive MVP races in NBA history.
Gilgeous-Alexander is seeking to become the 14th player to earn back-to-back MVPs, joining Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and LeBron James among active players.
San Diego’s Poinsettia Bowl reportedly returning to postseason college football lineup - San Diego Union-Tribune
The Poinsettia Bowl is being dusted off and returning after a 10-year hiatus, according to a report.
On3.com reported Saturday morning that the Poinsettia Bowl as well as a bowl in Puerto Rico will be part of this year’s bowl lineup, helping provide inventory after the Bahamas Bowl, LA Bowl and GameAbove Sports Bowl in Detroit went dark after last year’s games.
The Poinsettia Bowl was played in San Diego from 2005 to 2016, joining the Holiday Bowl to make San Diego one of the few cities with two postseason college football games. The San Diego Bowl Game Association, now Sports San Diego, shuttered the game a decade ago amid challenges to draw crowds and secure sponsorships.
Audi Crooks transfers from Iowa State to Oklahoma State - The Athletic
Iowa State transfer and top portal pick Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State, Crooks announced on social media Monday.
The top pick on The Athletic’s transfer portal rankings, Crooks finished the season with 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. She was the second-leading scorer in the NCAA this season.
One of the highest scorers in Iowa State history, Crooks broke the Cyclones’ single-game scoring record with 47 points against Indiana in November.