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The Chicago Cubs have a chance Saturday to do something they have achieved only twice since 1900. The New York Mets can only hope they don’t inch closer to yet another bit of ignoble history. The Cubs will look to remain red-hot Saturday afternoon when they host the free-falling Mets in the middle contest of a three-game series. Jameson Taillon (0-1, 4.86 ERA) is slated to start for the Cubs against Freddy Peralta (1-1, 3.86) in a battle of right-handers. The Cubs and Mets continued going in opposite directions Friday afternoon, when Moises Ballesteros hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run first-inning outburst that sparked Chicago to a 12-4 rout. The win was the third straight for the Cubs,

The stout Cincinnati bullpen appears to be at full strength as the Reds prepare for the middle contest of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis. Connor Phillips (2.25 ERA), Graham Ashcraft (1.64 ERA), Tony Santillan (0.00 ERA) and Emilio Pagan (six saves, 4.35 ERA) held the Twins to two hits and no runs over the final 3 2/3 innings of a 2-1 win on Friday. After sustaining an apparent hamstring injury on the last pitch of a 2-1 home victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, Pagan appears to be healthy. He needed just 13 pitches, eight of which were strikes, to get through a 1-2-3 ninth inning on Friday. Pagan has blown

In their past five wins, the New York Yankees experienced jubilation in their dugout during their final at-bat. The Yankees hope to experience more good feelings but secure a win even earlier when they host the Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon. New York is 4-8 over its past 12 games after winning seven of its first eight. The last of the victories in the hot start was a 9-7 decision over the Miami Marlins on April 4, a contest decided on a two-run single by Giancarlo Stanton in the eighth inning. The Yankees also scored four times in the eighth on April 7 to beat the A’s on Amed Rosario’s three-run homer. New York then lost five straight before

A pair of NBA legends will square off once more when the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets face off in a first-round series starting Saturday in Los Angeles. Kevin Durant led the Rockets to the No. 5 seed in his first season with the team, while LeBron James has helped guide the Lakers to the No. 4 seed. However, each team could be without significant firepower in the opener. Durant is listed as questionable due to a bruised right knee. Meanwhile, Lakers guards Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) could end up missing the series entirely after both were injured in a 139-96 blowout loss at Oklahoma City on April 2. Both are officially out for Game 1.