COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

 So much for that 8-2 start to the season.  The New York Yankees are in the midst of an early season slump after taking their fifth straight loss in a 5-4 decision to the Rays in Tampa on Sunday. The loss obviously completed a three-game sweep for Tampa Bay, who suddenly swings into a three-way tie for first place in the AL East.  It's been that kind of week for the Yankees. Every single loss has been close, with four of the five consecutive losses decided by one run.  Despite Aaron Judge's two-run bomb in the ninth inning that cut the Rays lead to 5-4 it was not enough for a Yankees squad that managed five hits prior to the ninth inning, and were a measly 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.  The Yankees offense has really been a problem of late. They are hitting .170 over their last seven games with only Ben Rice and Amed Rosario providing any consistent offense of late.  So even with a vaunted top of the rotation led by Max Fried and Cam Schlittler,...

 On Thursday night amid the Mets 7-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants, someone in the stands yelled that the Mets were New York's B-Team. While there is no disrespect on our part to the New York Yankees, who look every bit the part of baseball's best team 9 days into the 2026 season, the Mets flexed some serious muscle out in the Bay this weekend.   Check out the vlog!     

 DUKE 80 - ST. JOHN'S 75  Rick Pitino said it best in his post game press conference about his St. John's Red Storm following a heart-breaking finish to its NCAA title hopes at the hands of the Duke Blue Devils in the Sweet 16.  "They were just the greatest kids in the world. They wanted to win so badly. They were willing to do anything to try and win. I'll never have a team like this again with that type of attitude." And that's what makes Friday's 80-75 loss so painful , and so tough to digest. Because the Johnnies were that good. They were more than capable of beating the Blue Devils, and with the way the field was shaping up with Houston and Florida out of the way, and a date with Big East rival UCONN looming, there was a legitimate chance for St. John's to not only make it to the Final Four, but possibly the NCAA Championship game.  And for different moments in this game, it looked like the dream could indeed come true. When Rube Prey connected o...

 METS 11 - PIRATES 7  This was the kind of debut Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns had to be dreaming about when he put Mets fans through the ringer this off-season. After an off-season purge of past stars was followed by a late January surge in trades and signings, the Mets opened the 2026 season on fire!  New York pounded NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, knocking the righty out of the first inning of the season opener at Citi Field, and kept pounding the Pittsburgh Pirates for 11 runs in an 11-7 victory.  While Brett Baty's three-run triple on a ball that sailed over the head of center fielder O'Neil Cruz, cleared the bases to give the Mets a 4-2 lead, the afternoon really belonged to a number of new members of the Mets, namely rookie Carson Benge.  Benge, who made the roster out of Spring Training after only one full season in the minors, had his signature moment when he launched his first major league home run into the bullpens in right-cent...

 YANKEES 7 - GIANTS 0  It wasn't exactly the most picture perfect Opening Day ever, but the Yankees will surely take it, as they pounded the San Francisco Giants 7-0 as the Bombers used small ball to stymie the G-men by the Bay.  Trent Grishom, fresh off signing a one-year deal in the off-season to return to New York, picked up right where he left off in 2025, cashing in on a pair of hits, including a two-run triple that gave the Yankees a 5-0 lead in the second inning.  Grishom's key note was preceded by RBI singles by Jose Caballero and Ryan McMahon as the Yankees got to Giants ace Logan Webb early. Webb would leave the contest after five innings, charged with seven runs, six earned.  Meanwhile Max Fried did just enough in his second consecutive Opening Day start for the Yankees. Fried held the Giants scoreless through 6.2 innings, allowing only two hits and a walk.  What was most impressive about the Yankees opening night victory? The fact New York pound...

I am not a fan of the World Baseball Classic. Never have been.   I never understood the fascination of starting spring training, then suddenly asking players to leave their respective teams in order to turn up the intensity to MAX for two weeks to go "all in" for God and Country in a tournament Major League Baseball devised.  Heck the W.B.C. isn't even part of the Olympics! If you told me that finally baseball and the Olympic committee agreed to make the W.B.C. a part of the festivities, my feelings on the event would be a lot different.   That's just me.    But as the throws of the W.B.C. in 2026 are about to come to a conclusion with Team USA taking on Venezuela in the W.B.C. Final later tonight, it's hard to ignore the facts that it continues to increase in popularity.  According to reports, FOX Sports slayed in the ratings:  "3.17 million viewers watched the four Team USA World Baseball Classic pool play games across FOX, FS1 and FO...