Mariners News

The Mariners are looking to snap their losing streak tonight after yesterday’s game ended in ugly fashion. Seattle fell to the New York Yankees 11-5 in their series opener at T-Mobile, but the loss was overshadowed by a gruesome injury. Yankees third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera was taken off the field in an ambulance after he got hurt while sliding home in the ninth inning.

Emerson Hancock threw five solid innings of one-run ball, but it all collapsed in the sixth inning when the Yankees cooked him for six runs to take the lead and never looked back.

Julio Rodriguez, Jorge Polanco and Cal Raleigh all homered in the loss. Randy Arozarena picked up a pair of hits and a walk to extend his on-base streak to 34 games. It’s the second-longest active streak in the majors.

Bryan Woo is on the mound for the M’s tonight as they’ll try to snap their four-game skid. Coverage begins at 5:30 and first pitch is at 6:40 on KPUG.

MLB News

Pete Rose is now eligible to go to Cooperstown. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred today removed the all-time hit king and other deceased players from the league’s permanently ineligible list.

He ruled that the MLB’s punishment of banned players ends upon their deaths. Rose could be enshrined as soon as summer 2028 if he’s elected.

Seahawks News

The Seahawks have locked their top rookie down to a long-term deal. The team signed first-round pick Grey Zabel to a four-year contract yesterday worth over $18 million in guaranteed money.

Seattle picked the 23-year-old offensive lineman with the 18th overall pick in last month’s draft. The team has touted his positional versatility after playing nearly every position on the o-line for North Dakota State, though head coach Mike Macdonald says he’ll likely start at left guard.

Zabel will look to help improve an o-line unit that gave up the third-most sacks in the league last season.

NBA News

The Pacific Northwest’s sole NBA team is finding a new owner for the first time in decades. Paul Allen’s estate announced today that it has begun the process of selling the Portland Trail Blazers.

Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, died in 2018 and since then, his sister Jody has served as chair of the Blazers and the Seattle Seahawks. Allen’s estate said in a statement that the news will not affect the Seahawks’ ownership or his estate’s 25% interest in the Seattle Sounders, and notes that neither is for sale.

It comes as league commissioner Adam Silver said today that owners will likely discuss expansion in July.

Some other NBA news shook the league yesterday. The Dallas Mavericks won the NBA draft lottery and received the No. 1 overall pick.

The Mavs entered the lottery with just a 1.8% chance of landing the top spot. Their 10-spot jump from its projected pick was the highest rise by any team in lottery history.

ESPN reports that the team plans to select Duke forward Cooper Flag, who’s considered to be a generational draft prospect. It’s a 180-degree turn for a fanbase that was left stunned and angry after former franchise star Luka Doncic was unexpectedly traded to the Lakers in February.

Prep Sports News

District tournaments are nearing their close for spring sports in Whatcom County.

In boys soccer, Sehome and Squalicum are facing off tonight in the 2A district championship game with a ticket to state on the line. The Storm will try to hand their rivals their first loss of the season after the Mariners won their earlier matchup in a thriller to clinch the regular season conference title. First pitch is at 7:00 from Civic Stadium. 

In the consolation bracket, Bellingham plays Archbishop Murphy and Lynden plays Burlington-Edison in a pair of loser-out matches.

Meanwhile, Blaine and Lynden are playing each other for the 1A district championship tomorrow. Winner will head to bi-districts, while the loser has their season come to an end. Tomorrow’s district title game starts at 7:00 from Blaine High School.

In prep baseball, Lynden plays Archbishop Murphy and Sehome takes on Burlington-Edison tonight in a pair of loser-out games in the  2A district consolation bracket. Bellingham will continue its Cinderella run through districts when it faces top-seeded Anacortes in the title game on Thursday.

The district tournaments for fastpitch softball will get underway tomorrow.