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The Mets are in first place despite a disappointing offense and an MLB-high 17 players on the injured list, largely thanks to a stunning turnaround on defense. View the original article to see embedded media. Welcome to The Opener, where every weekday morning you’ll get a fresh, topical column to start your day from one of SI.com’s MLB writers. If you wonder how the New York Mets could possibly be in first place with an MLB-high 17 players on the injured list, the answer can be found in a .191 hitter, two Ivy League math whizzes who were still in college in 2015, and the best pitcher on the planet who is learning to love baseball’s new math. The Mets have pulled off a stunning transformation on defense. After four straight seasons wasting elite arms with a bottom five defense, the Mets are a top-four defensive team. They have done so by beefing up their analytics department, using more than twice as many shifts as they did last year, and by relying on human connection to get play

Behind the scenes of the Bengals QB’s recovery. Plus, Julio Jones’s market, Vinatieri’s legacy and more. Back in December, with the league ramping up its COVID-19 protocols, the Bengals, like so many other teams, were forced to make their Saturday night-before-the-game meetings virtual. And in doing so, Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor, offensive coordinator Brian Callahan and quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher sensed an opportunity. They knew their franchise quarterback, Joe Burrow, was isolated and immobilized far away, north of Los Angeles, in Santa Monica, with a torn ACL and MCL . They knew the sort of toll that could take on an athlete and figured, maybe, they could help. So they decided to Zoom him into those meetings with the other quarterbacks as the team played out the string. And maybe when we get September or October, Burrow will look back and find some sort of minute detail that he took from it and applied in returning to football. But when it was happening? Really, while it mi

All Elite Wrestling's 'Double or Nothing' event served as a reminder of the excitement AEW brings to the wrestling industry. Kenny Omega retained the AEW world title. Dr. Britt Baker defeated Hikaru Shida, finally starting a highly-anticipated reign as women’s champion. And The Inner Circle defeated The Pinnacle in a Stadium Stampede match, meaning they do not have to disband. But the story of the night at Double or Nothing took place in a different match. It was Sting, at the age of 62, making his in-ring return in compelling fashion . Sting teamed with Darby Allin against Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page, winning his first match in the ring since 2015. The Young Bucks were spectacular in their match against Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston. They retained their titles, meaning the excruciatingly long wait to see Kingston with AEW gold continues. The card started off hot with “Hangman” Page defeating Brian Cage, and the packed house at Dailey’s Place helped make Double or Nothi

Leonard has been nearly unstoppable after an underwhelming Game 1, quelling the panic that was emerging following Los Angeles's 2020 bubble flameout. View the original article to see embedded media. It’s a bit jarring to see Kawhi Leonard outdueled by a single opponent, but that’s exactly what happened to the two-time Finals MVP in Game 1 of the Clippers’ first-round series against Dallas. Luka Doncic torched Los Angeles to start the series on May 22, posting a 31-point triple-double as Leonard finished the night with 26 points on 22 shots. Doncic continued his brilliance in another upset in Game 2, and it wasn’t necessarily his gaudy stat lines that so concerned the Clippers. Doncic bullied Patrick Beverley and skated past Marcus Morris. He dissected double-teams with ease, and he frankly seemed unconcerned when guarded by Leonard in isolation situations. As Doncic outdueled the former champion, the Clippers left for Dallas needing Leonard to save the series. Leonard has liv

At AEW's 'Double or Nothing' event, Urban Meyer and Charlie Strong got up close and personal as Chris Jericho and MJF went one-on-one. View the original article to see embedded media. In his first crack at coaching an NFL team, Jaguars coach Urban Meyer will likely aim to instill toughness and fight into a franchise that went 1-15 a season ago. If the former college coach is short on inspiration, he might have gotten some from an unfamiliar source Sunday night. Meyer and assistant head coach Charlie Strong made cameo appearances in AEW's Double or Nothing  event on Sunday, which was held at Daily's Place in Jacksonville. The venue is connected to the Jaguars' practice facility, which might explain why Meyer and Strong were in such close proximity to the action. In the clip above, Chris Jericho of Inner Circle and Pinnacle's MJF square off one-on-one, with the fight spilling into an office where Meyer and Strong are at a desk. At first stunned by wha

A Celtics fan threw a water bottle at Nets star Kyrie Irving as the team left the court following Sunday's Game 4. View the original article to see embedded media. As the Nets walked off the floor following their 141-126 win over the Celtics in Game 4 of the first round, Brooklyn star Kyrie Irving was nearly hit in the head by a water bottle thrown from the stands. The broadcast shows the bottle coming close to Irving while he walks into the tunnel with the rest of the team. Irving, who played for the Celtics from 2017-19, spoke earlier this week on his concerns about how Boston fans would welcome him back as an opposing player, saying he hoped fans would keep their taunting to " strictly basketball ." Celtics guard and former teammate Marcus Smart seemed to validate Irving's concerns, saying he's heard racist comments from Boston fans during his time with the team. Boston Police appeared to be arresting the man who presumably threw the bottle after the

Chris Paul and center Deandre Ayton ground out a win against a banged-up Lakers squad as the Suns tied up the series. View the original article to see embedded media. In a tense, physical Game 4, the Suns evened their first-round series with the Lakers, pulling into a 2–2 tie with a 100–92 win. The series is quickly turning into a war of attrition. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed the entire game and Anthony Davis missed the second half with injuries, while Chris Paul, still tentative with his right shoulder injury, had his best game of the postseason. LeBron James scored 25 points in the loss, but Paul led a balanced Phoenix attack with 18 points in what was a gutty, defensive battle. Here are three thoughts on the Suns’ win. Chris Paul is Coming Alive The first three games of this series brought out a very muted version of CP3, who hurt his right shoulder early in Game 1. Sunday, Paul finally looked closer to the Hall-of-Fame version of himself. He played 32 minutes—his first t