Pereda, Mariners Clobber Mets 8-3; Win Streak Extends to Eight
It’s not clear exactly which Mariner defined the team’s resounding 8-3 victory on Tuesday night. Perhaps it was catcher Jhonny Pereda, whose putaway homer represented a recovery from the canonical worst experience for a catcher to have. Or maybe it was Colt Emerson, who increased his OPS to .935 with a pair of hits and who finished off the game with a sweet sliding catch. A case could be made for Patrick Wisdom, who logged his first Mariners home run and got the hitting party started way back in the second.
All three of those, it might be noted, began 2026 with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.
But regardless of whoever may be first among equals, the Mariners had a steadily stiffening hold on the game from start to finish. Even when the visiting Mets tied it up in the third, Seattle kept the pressure going against bulk hurler Jonah Tong and New York soon cracked. And the M’s finally logged a string of three straight series wins.
“Boy, if I had the magic touch, we’d keep it forever,” Wilson said of his team’s eight-game win streak. “Sometimes that’s just the game, and we’ve talked about how offense is contagious, and it just feels like the energy offensively has been outstanding … we’ve seen just how exciting it can be when it gets that way.”
Patrick Wisdom knocked his first Mariners homer to put Seattle up 2-0 early.
Coming into Tuesday’s game, the Mariners had hit a grand total of 18 home runs in their previous seven contests, a pace of 2.57 homers per game. That isn’t going to be sustainable over the long term; the highest figure a team has ever posted was a tie between the 2023 Atlanta Braves and 2019 Minnesota Twins at 1.90 home runs per game. But it was a marked upturn from Seattle’s 1.11 home runs per game figure, and after Tuesday, the M’s have hit 1.31 home runs per game in all of 2026.
Huskies Reel in Four-Star WR Tre Moore to Add to 2027 Class
Landing their first prospect from the state of Texas for their Class of 2027, the Washington Huskies beat out Ohio State and Miami for the commitment from standout receiver Tre Moore, adding playmaking juice to an increasingly exciting crop of recruits.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down Moore's decision to pick the Huskies over two of college football's true blue blood programs and how his arrival can boost Jedd Fisch's offense in the near future.
Gonzaga Baseball Loses Big Pieces as Mikey Bell, Landon Hood Enter Transfer Portal
After suddenly bowing out of contention for an NCAA postseason spot following their 0-2 showing at the WCC tournament, Gonzaga baseball has received even more tough news in the early stages of its offseason.
Third baseman Mikey Bell and right-handed pitcher Landon Hood have each entered the transfer portal, leaving sizable voids on the Zags’ roster in their wake. Both of them are coming off award-winning campaigns for their individual performances in Spokane, but the next year of their baseball lives will be played elsewhere.
The two are in different stages as collegiate athletes. Bell will be a redshirt senior in 2027 after playing one season at Cuesta Community College before winning back-to-back West Coast Player of the Year awards as a Bulldog. Hood, on the other hand, graduated from Canyon Year High School a year ago and took home WCC Freshman of the Year honors. He is now looking for the best destination for his development as a rising arm with growing intrigue in a future MLB Draft, entering the portal with a “do not contact" tag.
MVP Season Loading? Mariners' Julio Rodriguez Off to Best Start of Career
Every Seattle Mariners fan knows this fact: Typically, Julio Rodriguez is a slow starter every season. Once the spring chill turns to summer heat, so does his bat. For the first four seasons of his MLB career, his average OPS through the end of May each season has been .716. Far below his career mark, which is flirting with .800.
This season, however, he seems to be bucking that trend, coinciding with Seattle starting to get hot right before the temperatures match.
It’s made his stats so jarring so far this season. Even with some of the Mariners lineup taking most of April to thaw, Rodriguez has been a steady presence. Let’s take a look at his numbers each season through the end of May.
Analysis: Seahawks Wise to Commit to Derick Hall, Lock Up Young EDGE Through 2029
Back in March, the Seattle Seahawks allowed former second round pick Boye Mafe to walk in free agency, watching the pass rusher bolt to join the Cincinnati Bengals a little over a month after helping the team win Super Bowl LX.
As the saying goes, NFL teams can’t keep everybody with salary cap limitations, and that’s especially the case for defending champions. Tough decisions have to be made with the understanding quality players will flee the nest for greener pastures.
By choosing not to bring back Mafe, the Seahawks suddenly faced significant questions with their EDGE group beyond 2026 with only one known commodity - veteran Demarcus Lawrence, who had been the subject of consistent retirement rumors throughout the spring - under contract beyond this upcoming season. The organization faced a real possibility that all four of their primary pass rushers from last year’s Super Bowl run could be either in a different uniform or hanging up their cleats by 2027.
But general manager John Schneider ensured Seattle won’t have to worry about such a disastrous situation coming to fruition on Tuesday, inking rising outside linebacker Derick Hall to a three-year deal reportedly worth $42 million and potentially carrying a maximum value of $46.5 million, tying him to the franchise through the 2029 season.
Cole Young Walks Mets Off; Mariners Win Seventh Straight
A baseball club in Seattle is showing that when it rains, it pours. Through May 24, the team went 7-12 in one-run games and lost four out of five extra-innings contests. Since then, the M’s have won three of each, with all the luck falling their way even in games where they leave quite a lot on the table.
All three of those have been walk-off wins, each from the bat of a different Mariner. Monday’s hero in the end was Cole Young, but unlike the others, there was a notable uniqueness to his hit. During the game, 22 players had plate appearances on Monday night. Four had hit home runs, but other than Young, no hitter had found a patch of green grass or evaded the waiting glove of an opponent.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson smirked as he described his team’s “flair for the dramatic” after the game, the team’s second straight 3-2 10-inning victory. That was certainly an understatement, though the drama started with dueling lineup card moves between the managers.
Seattle tried to play coy with the lineup against the Mets opener, but the visitors got the hurling they sought.
For the first time all year, the Mariners faced a team going with the fabled “opener” strategy, with listed starter Austin Warren being a bullpen arm tasked with beginning the game. That setup has its issues, but so had Manaea; the once-blockbuster signing entered the game with a 5.56 ERA entirely as a relief arm.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Post Least Points Since 2022 in Crushing Loss to Wings
The Seattle Storm posted their second-worst offensive output since 2022 in a deflating 79-56 loss to the Dallas Wings in the first game of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup on Monday, June 1, at College Park Center.
Seattle (3-7) scored just 37 points in the first three quarters before making the defeat look a bit more respectable in garbage time. Dallas (6-3) pulled down 12 more offensive rebounds and took an astounding 20 more shots than the Storm.
If that wasn’t enough to doom the Storm, they lost the turnover battle 17-8. It felt like the rock bottom of the Storm’s now seven-game stretch without both Dominique Malonga (concussion) and Ezi Magbegor (foot).
Winning Fixes Everything: Mariners Enter June in Excellent Shape
Rarely does a 2 ½ game lead seem so wide. Yet with the way the Mariners are playing and the roster they have, there is a very real possibility that the third month of the season cements them as clear AL West leaders. They do, after all, play in the game’s weakest division this year.
FanGraphs’ projections are often seen as the gold standard for playoff chances, often given without comparison as the stone cold definitive odds. According to FanGraphs’ default projections, the M’s have a 67.7% chance to win the division.
Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA has been even more bullish on the M’s from the jump, and their current figure is 78.9%. Even models that weight games played more heavily than preseason projections have the M’s at a greater than 50/50 chance to keep the crown: Neil Paine’s Elo model gives Seattle a 57.7% chance to win the West while FanGraphs’ season-to-date projections give the M’s a 56.3% chance.
But the thing about streaks is that they end. After all, this is a game where a team can throw eight no-hit innings and lose 13-8. Where do the M’s need to see improvement in June, and what has to happen to keep their hot players going?
Seahawks’ Road to Super Bowl Repeat Becomes Far Trickier Following Pair of Blockbuster Trades
Closing in on a new season as the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks will have massive targets on their backs every single week, and rivals have already started throwing darts aiming for the bullseye two months before training camp even begins.
Kicking off the month of June with a rare flurry of blockbuster deals for the early summer, the Los Angeles Rams traded a 2027 first round pick, 2028 second round pick, and 2029 third round pick along with defensive end Jared Verse to the Cleveland Browns to acquire superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett. Shortly after, the New England Patriots executed their own blockbuster to give quarterback Drake Maye a new No. 1 weapon, trading a 2028 first round pick and 2027 fifth round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for standout receiver A.J. Brown.
Of those two moves, the Brown deal carries the most significance in terms of immediacy, as the Seahawks will see Brown donning a silver shell, white jersey, and nautical blue pants right out of the gate in their season opening Super Bowl LX rematch versus the Patriots at Lumen Field. The talented receiver will be reunited with coach Mike Vrabel after previously spending several seasons together in Tennessee and will replace Stefon Diggs as the team’s top pass catcher atop a significantly different receiving corps.
Seawolves Sweep Coffee Cup, Overcome Mistakes in 36-28 Win against Free Jacks
TUKWILA, Wash. - There was no doubt who would be hoisting the Coffee Cup when 80 minutes expired on Sunday. The visitors may have been the defending MLR champions three times over, but their down year combined with a late Seawolves surge led to Seattle sweeping the trophy.
It was a game that didn’t necessarily look great for either side; in the end, it was a determination of which team would get in their own way less than the other. But the Seawolves emerged victorious in their 36-28 battle against the New England Free Jacks and put themselves in a winner-gets-home-field game against the California Legion.
With the Legion having won their penultimate game against Anthem 55-26, the Seawolves needed a win to keep open the possibility of getting the second seed and a home playoff match. And with the five-point showing they put together on Sunday night, there are a lot of winning scenarios against California that put Seattle into that seed.
Despite being the three-time defending MLR champions, the Free Jacks came into Sunday night’s game in quite a beatable shape. New England had just 16 points with a 5-3-0 record, fifth in the table ahead of only Anthem Rugby Carolina. But the middle of the table remained tight going into the second-to-last week; New England could tie things up with Seattle by getting all five points and keeping the Seawolves to none.
Seattle’s lineup was almost identical to their match in Chicago the previous week, though with Charlie Walsh and Michael Hand in the reserves instead of Dewald Donald and Nolan Tuamoheloa.
Jordan Horston’s Resurgence Encouraging For Storm
Before the start of the 2026 season, Seattle Storm wing Jordan Horston hadn’t played basketball in 15 months. Horston tore her ACL while competing in Athletes Unlimited during the WNBA offseason and missed the entire 2025 season.
It’s been a slow ramp-up period for Horston so far this season, as she’s played in all nine games thus far while on a minutes restriction. She’s been steadily contributing on defense, but the offensive side has been a struggle for the former 2023 No. 9 overall pick.
In her first eight games, Horston averaged just 3.0 points (27.3% FG), 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.4 blocks per game in 17.5 minutes. She hadn’t been playing up to her starting role, and the Storm have been struggling overall.
Horston finally started to look like her old self in the Storm’s most recent game — a 93-72 loss to the Toronto Tempo. Even though it was a loss, Horston tied her season high of 22 minutes and finished with 15 points, four rebounds, one assist and four steals.
Analysis: Should Kraken Re-Sign Jaden Schwartz or Let Him Walk?
On July 21, 2021, the Seattle Kraken held their “expansion draft” to build their first ever team, setting sights on constructing a roster that would allow them to be competitive right away.
But in the present, there are not many “Day 1” Kraken players left from that inaugural team after making just one playoff trip in five seasons. Seattle’s two goalies, Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer, remain on the team. Among skaters, Adam Larsson, Jared McCann, Vince Dunn, and captain Jordan Eberle are still with the franchise.
A few of those original members of the team are set to be free agents this offseason in Jamie Oleksiak and Jaden Schwartz.
While Jaden Schwartz was not part of the actual draft, Seattle signed him that summer to a five-year, $27.5 million contract. That deal is now expiring after he totaled 79 goals and 168 points over the life of the contract, ranking fourth and fifth in franchise history respectively.
Reign Fall to Spirit, Dip Under .500 Ahead of June Break
The Seattle Reign were dealt their third loss in five matches on Saturday afternoon, as they fell to the Washington Spirit 2-1 on a late goal from Hal Hershfelt.
Seattle (4-5-2) has notoriously struggled to score recently, putting a five-game scoreless streak behind it with a 2-1 win at Boston last week. Though the Reign got on the board on Saturday, it was an unforced error as Lucia Di Guglielmo chipped her own keeper, USWNT prospect Sandy MacIver, trying to keep the ball away from Maddie Mercado on a break-out play.
By the end of the match, Seattle had put just two shots on target for an underwhelming 0.5 expected goals while giving up 1.8 to a dynamic Spirit team on the other end. Washington and USWNT star Trinity Rodman burned Seattle's right side most of the day, creating multiple chances and assisting on Hershfelt's transition winner.
The loss dropped the Reign to 10th place in the NWSL, with Seattle losing three of its last five to enter the June CBA/World Cup break on a slide. The Reign will have until July 4 at North Carolina to process this result with 19 matches to go.
Mariners Groove Back Over .500, Take Game 2 vs. Diamondbacks
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Callaghan Bluechel goes over the Mariners' Saturday win against the Diamondbacks, their position in the AL West, and what has produced their five-game win streak.
Kraken the Ice: Can Berkly Catton Elevate Game Entering Second NHL Season?
The Seattle Kraken face a pivotal offseason as top prospect Alexis Bernier signed his entry-level deal and rookie standout Berkly Catton looks to elevate his game. Can the franchise finally unlock the full potential of its young stars and transform player development woes into progress?
Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee breaks down Bernier’s arrival from the QMJHL and examines Catton’s growth after his rookie campaign, raising crucial questions about the organization’s talent pipeline. The episode also spotlights veteran Jaden Schwartz’s uncertain future as free agency nears, emphasizing Seattle’s pressing need for fresh scoring talent and a youth infusion. Get ready for insider analysis on roster challenges, draft positioning, and which pending free agents—like Jamie Oleksiak—could define the Kraken’s next chapter.
Washington State Goes 1-1 to Open Eugene Regional, Faces Oregon State in Elimination Game
In their first NCAA Baseball Tournament appearance since 2010, the Washington State Cougars have gone 1-1 through their first two games and now face a rematch with Oregon State in an elimination game.
If the Cougars defeat Oregon State for a second time in four days, they will advance to face Oregon later on Sunday. To reach the next round, Washington State would need to beat the Ducks twice.
Cougars Open Tournament With Win Over Oregon State
On Friday night, the Cougars defeated Oregon State 3-2, pulling off the upset against their former - and soon to be current - Pac 12 foes.
The Beavers jumped out to a 2-1 lead before Washington State's Matt Priest delivered an RBI single in the sixth inning that scored Gavin Roy and tied the game at 2-2.
The Washington Huskies Mid-Season Stretch Could Determine 2026 College Football Fate
It’s easy to look at the Washington Huskies 2026 football schedule and skip to the end.
While the last two games — home against defending national champion Indiana and on the road at nemesis Oregon — could determine UW’s College Football Playoff fate, the Huskies have to get there first.
Washington begins the football season with three non-conference snoozers, and ends with the types of games UW has been unable to compete in under Fisch through two seasons. The seven games in the middle are all winnable — Washington could well be favored in six of them — but Big Ten games are rarely easy.
The bottom line is Washington must go 6-1 during that stretch to have any hope at its first CFP berth of head coach Jedd Fisch’s tenure.
Gonzaga WBB Brings In Jocelyn Medina, Continues to Strengthen Guard Depth
The frontcourt was the story for Gonzaga women’s basketball last season. From redshirt freshman Lauren Whittaker winning WCC Player of the Year to true freshman Jaiden Haile taking home the conference’s Sixth Woman of the Year, the Zags’ forwards garnered plenty of attention during the team’s 24-win campaign, where they made it back to the NCAA tournament after missing it the season prior.
But after the graduation of starting point guard Inês Bettencourt and the transfer of Paige Lofing, GU continues to restock its backcourt personnel for next year. The program recently announced the addition of Jocelyn Medina, a 5-6 senior from the University of Denver, who joins Emmy Roach as the Bulldogs’ lone transfers so far this offseason – both of them listed as guards.
The move to Spokane for Medina will be her fourth stop in four seasons, as the experienced Arbuckle, California native has played in a variety of roles throughout her collegiate career.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Stumble Late, Fall to Tempo Via Self-Inflicted Wounds
The Toronto Tempo briefly held a new WNBA record for free throws made in a game without a miss, and the Seattle Storm crumbled in the second half of a 92-73 loss to their cross-border foes on Saturday, May 30, at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Shortly after taking a third-quarter lead, the Storm couldn’t get out of their own way with fouls, turnovers and missed shots. That opened the door for the Tempo to close out the period on a massive run, leaving the Storm in the dust.
Solid performances from Natisha Hiedeman (18 points, two rebounds and seven assists) and Jordan Horston (15 points, four rebounds and four steals) were far from enough for the Storm to win this game.
The Tempo had five players score in double figures, led by Marina Mabrey’s 18 points, three rebounds and four assists. Kiki Rice totaled 17 points, six rebounds and four steals.
Jack Kayil Intends to Stay in NBA Draft, Leaving Hole in Gonzaga's Backcourt
Receiving first-round feedback in the NBA Draft process, Gonzaga commit Jack Kayil has decided to stay in the draft, his agents first told Jonathan Givoy of DraftExpress.
But since the initial reports, in an interview with basketball-world.news, Kayil’s agent Milan Nikolic said that “Jack definitely won’t go to college – for any number in the world. This is final.”
Because the German guard is an international player, he technically has until June 13 to withdraw from the draft, but based on Kayil’s sentiments about college basketball, suiting up for the Zags is firmly off the table for him even if he is not on an NBA roster next season. The situation is a tough break for GU, which never got to deploy the talented 20-year-old in its system after he officially signed with the program last November.
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