Bullpen Locks Down Four Frames, Mariners Eke Out 3-1 Win in Houston
It was power on power in the bottom of the ninth. Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz, who had reached 101.3 miles an hour two pitches earlier, had a 2-2 count against Yordan Alvarez himself. Alvarez represented the tying run, and with 13 home runs already this season, he was a real threat to knot the game.
Muñoz tossed his rarest pitch, a 93.2 mile an hour changeup that tailed away from Alvarez. Expecting either a roaring fastball up or a slider along the lower edges, he was completely flummoxed; the Mariners won 3-1 as Alvarez struck out.
For a team desperately in need of a hot streak, getting any win on the board against Houston was a plus. George Kirby didn’t go as deep into the game as the M’s would have hoped and the bats fell silent for nearly the entire game, but they got just enough production while Kirby and every other arm stepped up enough run-prevention wise to notch Seattle’s 20th victory.
Mariners hitters put three early runs on the board but fell familiarly silent as the game wore on.
The second inning was fruitful for Seattle. Randy Arozarena knocked a one-out single into right and Luke Raley walked to set a two-runner table, and with two outs, both Dominic Canzone and Cole Young found the outfield for an RBI each. Julio RodrÃguez rocked a towering homer to begin the third.
And then 20 of the next 23 batters made outs.
Analysis: Tony Freeman Headlines Mostly Revamped Cougars’ WR Corps
With Kirby Moore taking over as the new head coach at Washington State, the Cougars will have an almost new receiving room in 2026, with a few old standbys and several intriguing newcomers to watch heading towards training camp this summer.
Returning after briefly testing the transfer portal, Tony Freeman is probably the most proven receiver in this group right now. The third-year Coug had a strong 2025 season, hauling in 54 catches for 590 yards and three touchdowns. At 5-8, Freeman is a smaller but extremely shifty receiver who not only finished as the Cougars’ second-leading pass catcher last season, but also became a dynamic weapon in the return game, earning 2025 Pac-12 Special Teams Performer honors with 415 punt return yards.
As the other noteworthy wideout to stay in Pullman after the coaching change, Brandon Ganashamoorthy will enter his fourth season with the program hoping to take on a larger role in Moore’s offense. The former walk-on and Monroe native was primarily used as a blocking receiver last season and brings solid size at 6-3 and 194 pounds. Ganashamoorthy caught five passes for 42 yards in 2025 and will hope to carve out a more consistent piece of the pie in the passing game while playing for his third coach in as many seasons.
Away from Freeman and Ganashamoorthy, the Cougars will lean on a number of transfer acquisitions, starting with Daniel Blood.
Analysis: Three Positions Seahawks Could Still Reinforce in Post-Draft Free Agency
Close to a month after he initially visited the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Seahawks finally announced the official signing of veteran pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. on Monday, addressing their last significant roster hole created via free agency this offseason.
But while the Fowler signing may wind up being the last noteworthy signing by general manager John Schneider before training camp starts in late July, nobody should be surprised if this latest move turns out not to be the cherry on top. In the past, the reigning Executive of the Year has kicked the tires on vets shortly before or even during the early stages of camp, and he’s always on the hunt for ways to improve his roster 365 days a year. If the right opportunity presents itself to spruce up depth at a position with proven commodity, he won’t think twice about taking advantage.
Looking at the players who have yet to sign with a new team as well as the depth chart for the Seahawks after the 2026 NFL Draft, which positions could still be worth consideration for further reinforcement? And which free agents may be the ideal match to fill those voids?
Analysis: A Deep Dive Into Mariners’ Slugger Cal Raleigh’s 2026 Struggles
It certainly has not been the smoothest of starts for the Seattle Mariners, or their star catcher Cal Raleigh. Dating back to the World Baseball Classic in March, Raleigh has been under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. From Handshake Gate with teammate Randy Arozarena, to his subpar hitting, Raleigh is under a microscope this season.
Fair or not, the expectations are sky high. How could they not? After all, he became just the sixth player ever to reach 60 home runs in a season. Once you enter the same company as Babe Ruth, Aaron Judge, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Roger Maris, the expectations change.
Still, Raleigh has stumbled out of the gate in 2026. Why? Could it be the weight of those crushing expectations? Locker room trouble with teammate Randy Arozarena? Or just simply, the ebbs and flows of the grueling marathon that is a 162-game regular season? Or is he injured and trying to play through it?
Gonzaga Baseball Sweeps San Francisco, Clinches No. 1 Seed in WCC
After a lackluster week on the mound for Gonzaga baseball (32-17, 19-5 WCC), its staff couldn’t have responded any better in San Francisco.
A no-hitter and the two first shutouts of the season stole the show, as the Zags’ pitching powered their team to their first WCC regular-season title since 2022 during a sweep of the Dons (22-27, 13-11). In the three games, GU outscored its opponent 32-5. USF entered the weekend at second place in the conference, but after running into the Bulldogs’ buzzsaw, it left in fifth.
What went into the Bulldogs’ dominant series win over the Dons?
Seawolves Take Down Old Glory in Second Half, Move Up Table with Second Straight Road Win
The magnitude of the Seawolves’ 30-25 win on Mother’s Day afternoon might not have been immediately obvious. A three-game rut against Anthem, the Legion, and the Hounds early in the 10-game season meant that the team, just as in 2025, needed to put together a massive run to get back in the hunt.
Now, the situations weren’t identical. While Seattle needed to go on a big run just to make it back into a playoff spot by the end of the season in last year’s powerhouse Western Conference, the league’s contractions have resulted in a six-team MLR with four teams bound for the playoffs.’
The big prize, then - though a playoff spot can never be taken for granted - is the guarantee of a home playoff game. The Chicago Hounds, who won their sixth game of six on Sunday, are virtually guaranteed to be the top seed in the MLR, with 30 points in the table.
California is in second with 18 points. And after the Seawolves’ windy, rainy win against Old Glory DC on Sunday afternoon, they have 16. A home semifinal is well within reach.
Reign Devastated By Late Washington Goal in Loss, Continue Scoreless Streak
Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey was dejected in her postgame presser.
Sunday saw her team try to break a three-game scoreless streak against a hot Washington Spirit team led by USWNT star Trinity Rodman. Though the Reign hit the crossbar in the early going, their issues with quality in the final third continued to frustrate the team as the game wore on.
With six minutes of regular time to play, the Spirit, which hadn't generated many of their typical chances all night, drove a dagger into the Reign as substitute Claudia Martinez scored off a Seattle turnover.
Seattle dropped to 3-3-2, now winless in their last four with zero goals to show in each.
Former Gonzaga WBB Forward Yvonne Ejim Searches for WNBA Opportunity
With the WNBA’s 30th season now officially underway, Gonzaga women’s basketball is still searching for more representation at the highest level. To this point, only two former Zags have logged minutes: future Hall of Famer Courtney Vandersloot and point guard Katelan Redmond, who played 42 total minutes over seven games with the New York Liberty in 2012.
Yet, the Bulldogs have had nine players drafted to the W throughout their history, including three across the last three years. In 2024, GU had a couple of second-round selections, Brynna Maxwell and Kaylynne Truong, who were taken 13th and 21st overall, respectively. But Maxwell suffered an injury in training camp and was cut by the Chicago Sky, opting to play professionally in Spain for a year before becoming an assistant coach at Eastern Washington. Meanwhile, Truong was waived by the Washington Mystics shortly before regular-season games commenced and has played the last two years competing overseas in Greece and Poland.
Their teammate of six seasons combined in Spokane, 6-1 forward Yvonne Ejim, heard her name called in New York a year later. The Indiana Fever selected Ejim 33rd overall and waived her less than a month after drafting her as well. But unlike some of her alma mater peers, Ejim recently signed a training camp contract with the Toronto Tempo, remaining in the mix as one of those on the cusp of making her WNBA debut.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Outlast Sun, Raman Earns First Win as WNBA Head Coach
Lexie Brown and Jade Melbourne led an efficient, physical comeback in the second half, and the Seattle Storm got Sonia Raman her first win as a WNBA head coach in an 89-82 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, May 10, at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Brown rebounded from an abysmal season opener to sink five threes and lead the Storm with 17 points. Melbourne continued to be one of the fiestiest players on the court, totaling 15 points, six assists, one steal and one block. Rookie Flau’jae Johnson, though still inefficient, added 16 points, six rebounds, three steals and a block.
Connecticut was led by 17 points and 16 rebounds from Aneesah Morrow. Brittney Griner finished with 16 points, six rebounds and two steals.
The Storm battled foul trouble early, forcing Raman to dip even deeper into her bench. The balance across a 10-player lineup through two games has been incredibly unique.
Kraken the Ice: Seattle Nipped By NHL Lottery Curse… Again
Once again getting the short side of the lottery stick, the Kraken didn't get a top-five pick as hoped coming off a disappointing finish to the 2025-26 season that ended without a playoff berth.
Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee examines Seattle's latest misfortune landing on the wrong side of the lottery ticket, takes a first look at possible targets the Kraken may consider with the first of two first round selections, and breaks down the upcoming offseason NHL calendar and how it pertains to Seattle.
Washington State Signs Roman Stathis, Dips Into Australian Pipeline Again
The Washington State Cougars continued their aggressive offseason rebuild with another international addition, landing 6-7 wing Roman Stathis from Sydney, Australia.
Stathis spent his lone prep season at Golden State Prep in Napa, California, and becomes one of several newcomers added to a dramatically reshaped Cougar roster heading into the 2026–27 season.
There is limited publicly available information on Stathis, but early film suggests he possesses intriguing upside. In the clips currently available, the Australian wing shows a smooth perimeter shooting stroke and appears comfortable operating as a catch-and-shoot threat from beyond the arc. At 6-7, his size and shooting ability give Washington State another developmental piece to mold, as he’s the second Australian addition of the offseason along with Fraser Roxburgh.
Sounders Equalize Late, Survive San Diego with Draw Despite Missed Chances
It's becoming a theme, and the Sounders don't seem thrilled with it.
For the second straight game, the Seattle Sounders have taken a 1-1 draw in a game where they generated far more than one goal's worth of opportunities. Last time came at a struggling Sporting Kansas City squad, and this time was against a floundering San Diego FC squad (3-5-4, 11th in Western Conference), trying to pick up the pieces after a slow start.
In all, Seattle (6-1-3, fourth in Western Conference) took 25 shots, just four on frame, and generated 3.6 expected goals.
To create all of that, the Sounders forced eight corner kicks, crossed the ball into scoring chances 11 times, had seven of their shots blocked, and touched the ball 52 times in San Diego's box after doing the same over 40 times against KC.
But after all those chances that ended in poor decisions or a lack of quality in bringing them to fruition, the Sounders finally broke through in the 80th. They had trailed nearly all night thanks to an 18th-minute goal from San Diego's Marcus Ingvartsen as Nouhou failed to mark the Danish national in a run-of-play goal.
After multiple chances ended in a Seattle corner, though, Albert Rusnak found Cristian Roldan at the near post, who flicked the ball back to Danny Musovski through a sea of bodies in the box. Musovski did what he does best, tapping it in with precision just moments after hitting the crossbar on one of many frustrating opportunities on the night.
The Montlake Report: Zach Albright Goes From Dream to Dawg Committing to Huskies
Staying in state as one of the top recruits in Washington, rising tight end Zach Albright officially committed to the Huskies as part of their impressive 2027 recruiting class.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe chats with Albright to discuss his decision to join UW, his goals to become an impact player for Jedd Fisch's squad, how relationships mattered more than other factors in his recruiting process, and much more!
Jalen Milroe’s Development Among Key Storylines as Seahawks Begin Phase 2 of Offseason
Keeping most of their roster intact this offseason after capturing a Super Bowl LX win, the Seattle Seahawks will open OTAs later this month with the same exact quarterback group they had when they left the field through a flood of confetti at Levis Stadium in February.
The clear headliner of the signal caller collective after guiding Seattle to a second Lombardi Trophy, Sam Darnold added more hardware to his collection this spring, marrying his fiancé Katie Hoofnagle in California. The two-time Pro Bowler has two years remaining on the three-year contract he signed in March 2024 and following an impressive 2025 campaign where he threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns, he’s vaulted into franchise quarterback status and will be looking to take another step forward amongst the NFL’s elite at the position.
Behind him, Drew Lock has proven himself as a capable gunslinger in limited opportunities during two stints with the Seahawks and brings 28 career regular season starts to the table. Few teams have a better backup option on their roster in terms of talent and experience, ensuring he will hold onto that spot as the team’s primary insurance policy in 2026.
Considering Darnold’s status as the undisputed starter and Lock’s firm grip on the backup job, second-year quarterback Jalen Milroe isn’t in an ideal situation to see the field anytime soon, at least beyond the possibility of Seattle revisiting using him occasionally in Wildcat packages to capitalize on his immense athleticism and running ability. But even with such circumstances, his growth on the practice field will be heavily scrutinized for a number of reasons in coming weeks as he sees plenty of reps in his second NFL offseason program.
Jacks Full of Threes: Raley Clubs Seven RBIs, M’s Bash White Sox 12-8
Things go a lot more easily for a baseball team when they hit three home runs to score three or more men each. Good offense over nine innings can more than smooth out a bad inning on the other side, though the Mariners’ 12-8 win on Friday night against the White Sox took a while to get to the coasting stage.
In a sense, it wasn’t nearly as close as the score said; most of the high-end relievers were able to rest as Chicago scored three runs in the final two innings to turn a giant lead into a respectable one.
But in another sense (it was a one-run game until the seventh), the game was closer than its final score. M’s starter Emerson Hancock slipped quite a bit in the third inning and gave up five runs on the night, but recovered enough to go six innings and preserve the bullpen. Seattle’s first chance with the bases loaded didn’t produce anything else, but they broke the gates later on.
The big hero of the night was the still-mashing Luke Raley, who upped his season line to .258/.314/.567 with eight homers and 23 RBIs.
Luke Raley began the barrage with the first grand slam of his career.
The Mariners gave White Sox starter Sean Burke a couple of easy innings on Friday, falling in seven pitches in the first and 11 in the fourth. But crucially, they also put tons of traffic on the bags in the second and third, and though the second was underwhelming, things came together in the following frame.
Instant Takeaways: Inexperienced Storm Lose Early Mojo in Season-
A hot start for the new-look Seattle Storm and first-time head coach Sonia Raman rapidly fell back to Earth in a 91-80 loss against the Golden State Valkyries in the 2026 regular season opener on Friday, May 8, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Dominique Malonga unsurprisingly led the way for the Storm to begin her second season, totaling 21 points (8-of-15 FG), eight rebounds and two blocks in 29 minutes. The Valkyries were led by an impressive 20 points from forward Janelle Salaun.
Seattle stormed out of the gates early with efficient shooting, but that quickly fell off, the turnovers piled up and its lead evaporated. The potential was apparent in the new lineup, which included six players who didn’t play for the team last season, but it also proved they have a long way to go.
Storm’s Flau’jae Johnson Trade Keeps Looking Better
The Seattle Storm went into the 2026 WNBA Draft with picks No. 3 and No. 14 in the first round. It was expected to be a second-straight transformative class for the Storm, who took Dominique Malonga No. 2 overall last year.
But by the draft’s end, Storm general manager Talisa Rhea had pulled off a masterclass. She got forward Awa Fam Thiam at No. 3, who has arguably the highest ceiling of any player drafted, and point guard Taina Mair in the first round.
When the Storm went to make their first pick of the second round, No. 16, they already had a deal lined up with the Golden State Valkyries to acquire guard Flau’jae Johnson — the eighth overall pick in the first round.
Five Depth Players Gonzaga Could Target in Transfer Portal
Now that most of the main components of the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ 2026-27 roster have been made official, it’s time to look at various options to fill out the rest of next year’s team.
Depth was a key reason the Zags were able to go 31-4 last season, after dealing with more adversity than any other team in the Mark Few era. Although the rotation dwindled to seven by GU’s final game of the season, it was as long as nine or 10 players for a considerable chunk of the calendar. Even with guys who will take up much of the usage rate under wraps like Mario Saint-Supéry, Braden Huff, Davis Fogle, and Massamba Diop, the Bulldogs can still look to bolster their squad in the areas of three-point shooting, defense, and experience off the bench.
So, who are some names to watch for in the transfer portal that could fill these voids for Gonzaga?
Banged Up Mariners’ Bullpen Needs to Weather Mid-May Storm
During a 162-game marathon of an MLB season, there is bound to be some attrition and injuries. It’s a natural part of the game. Every team goes through it. It’s not very often that a specific position group on one team gets hit seemingly all at once with the injury bug.
The Seattle Mariners are currently down three different relievers that they were counting on to get big outs late in games. Flamethrower Matt Brash and lefty Gabe Speier seemingly got hurt on the same day. That means they quite literally are without the two top bullpen arms manager Dan Wilson uses to get through the seventh and eighth innings before the closer Andres Muñoz closes it down in the ninth.
Intriguing Suitor Emerges as Seahawks Seek Bids for Franchise Sale
In the aftermath of winning Super Bowl LX, the Estate of Paul G. Allen announced the Seattle Seahawks would be put up for sale on February 18, ensuring a new regime would take the reins for the first time since Allen purchased the franchise in 1997 for $194 million.
Considering the timing of the decision, less than two weeks after Chair Jody Allen hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, many expected the Seahawks to receive rich offers aplenty to acquire the franchise. But up until this week, interest hasn’t been quite as plentiful as anticipated, with ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reporting on Friday that the market has been softer than expected thus far, at least compared to the two most recent teams that were sold in Denver and Washington.
Still, the Seahawks are expected to fetch a record sale price north of $9 billion, and even with only two legitimate suitors - the reported interest of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg immediately was debunked - that have become known publicly, one of those options quickly jumps out as a fascinating one to watch as the franchise heads towards new ownership.
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